Word Count Goals for Books — Novel and Nonfiction Targets by Genre

Word count targets for books are not arbitrary — they reflect what agents, publishers, and readers expect for each genre. A mystery novel at 120,000 words signals pacing problems to any agent who reads the query. A business book at 200,000 words signals poor editing. Knowing the standard targets before you start (or finish) your draft saves significant revision work and positions your manuscript correctly for submission.

Fiction Word Count Targets by Genre

Fiction Genre	Word Count Range
Commercial / literary fiction	80,000–100,000
Mystery / thriller	70,000–90,000
Romance	50,000–100,000 (varies by subgenre)
Science fiction	90,000–120,000
Epic / high fantasy	100,000–150,000+
Young adult	60,000–90,000
Middle grade	20,000–50,000
Novella	17,500–40,000
Short story	1,000–15,000

These are industry ranges — not hard rules. A debut novel that falls significantly outside these ranges will face more scrutiny from agents. Established authors have more latitude.

Nonfiction Book Word Count by Category

Nonfiction Category	Word Count Range
Business / self-help	40,000–60,000
Memoir	70,000–90,000
Narrative nonfiction	80,000–100,000
History / biography	80,000–120,000
How-to / practical guide	40,000–70,000
Academic / scholarly	80,000–100,000

Business books trend shorter than they used to — many successful recent titles land at 40,000-55,000 words. The shift reflects reader preference for dense, practical books over padded ones.

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How to Set Daily Writing Goals

Working backward from a target is more useful than setting arbitrary daily goals. If you want to finish a 90,000-word novel draft in six months and write five days a week:

• 6 months × ~22 writing days = ~130 writing days
• 90,000 ÷ 130 = ~690 words per day

Common daily goals range from 500 words (sustainable for most working writers) to 2,000 words (NaNoWriMo pace). Stephen King famously targets 2,000 words per day. Many professional authors work at 500-1,000. Pick a number you can sustain, not the most impressive-sounding target.

How to Track Your Book's Word Count

Most dedicated writing software (Scrivener, iA Writer, Ulysses) shows a running word count in the toolbar. For drafts in Word or Google Docs, the status bar shows total words. For drafts spread across multiple files or notes, paste each section individually into a word counter and add the totals. Some writers keep a simple daily word count log — a spreadsheet with date and words written — as a progress tracker that also reveals writing pace patterns.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many words is a typical novel?

Most commercial adult fiction novels run 80,000-100,000 words. Genre varies: thrillers often land at 70,000-90,000, epic fantasy at 100,000-150,000+, and literary fiction typically at 80,000-100,000.

How many words is a memoir?

Memoirs typically run 70,000-90,000 words — similar to commercial fiction. They follow narrative story structure and need enough length to fully develop the arc. Very short memoirs (under 50,000 words) are sometimes published but are uncommon for traditional deals.

Is 50,000 words enough for a novel?

For adult fiction, 50,000 words is considered short — it falls in the long novella range. Young adult novels can land at 50,000-60,000 and be publishable. For adult commercial fiction, most agents expect at least 70,000 words. NaNoWriMo's 50,000-word target is a first draft milestone, not a final length.

What is a good daily word count goal for writing a book?

For most working writers, 500-1,000 words per day is sustainable over months. At 500 words per day writing five days a week, you complete an 80,000-word draft in about 32 weeks. Consistency matters more than daily volume — 500 reliable words beats 2,000 sporadic ones.