Word Counter for Novelists
Writing a novel is a marathon. Track every word. This free word counter helps novelists monitor daily output, chapter lengths and overall manuscript progress toward their target word count.
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Open Word Counter →Quick Answer
A commercially publishable novel is 70,000 to 100,000 words. Romance novels can be 50,000 words. Fantasy and sci-fi often run 100,000 to 150,000 words. Debut authors should target 80,000 to 90,000 words.
Word Count Reference for Novelists
| Novel Genre | Target Word Count |
|---|---|
| Literary fiction | 70,000-100,000 words |
| Mystery / thriller | 70,000-90,000 words |
| Romance (category) | 50,000-60,000 words |
| Romance (single title) | 80,000-100,000 words |
| Fantasy | 90,000-120,000 words |
| Epic fantasy | 100,000-180,000 words |
| Science fiction | 80,000-120,000 words |
| Horror | 70,000-90,000 words |
| Historical fiction | 80,000-120,000 words |
| YA fiction | 50,000-80,000 words |
Tips for Novelists
- →Track daily word counts by pasting your new writing into the counter and recording your progress in a spreadsheet
- →Aim for chapters of 2,000 to 5,000 words for optimal pacing in commercial fiction
- →Use the reading time calculator to estimate how long your completed manuscript will take to read
- →First drafts are always longer than final drafts so do not worry about being over your target during drafting
- →NaNoWriMo requires 50,000 words in November which is about 1,667 words per day
Frequently Asked Questions
How many words per day should a novelist write?
Stephen King writes 2,000 words every day. Many published novelists aim for 1,000 to 1,500 words per day. Writing 500 words daily will produce a first draft novel in 6 months. Consistency beats volume.
Can a first novel be too long?
Yes. Most literary agents and publishers are reluctant to acquire debut novels over 120,000 words as production costs are higher. Exceptions exist in epic fantasy. Aim for 80,000 to 100,000 words for your debut.
How long does it take to read a 90,000 word novel?
At the average reading speed of 250 words per minute a 90,000 word novel takes approximately 6 hours to read. Most paperback novels are read over 3 to 7 reading sessions.
How many pages is 80,000 words?
An 80,000 word manuscript in standard format (Times New Roman 12pt double spaced with 1 inch margins) is approximately 320 pages. Published paperbacks average 250 to 300 words per page so a 80,000 word novel is typically 266 to 320 printed pages.
What is a good daily word count for writing a novel?
Writing 500 words per day produces a first draft in roughly 6 months. At 1,000 words per day you finish a first draft in 3 months. At 2,000 words per day it takes 6 weeks. Set a target that fits your schedule and stick to it every day.