Word Count Wars: How Long Should Your Novel Really Be?

By David Griffin Brown

Word count isn’t just a craft question—it’s a business decision. Writers often point to exceptions: the blockbuster fantasy epic that weighs in at 250,000 words, or the classic novella that barely cracks 30,000. But here’s the hard truth: What seasoned authors get away with is not what you, as a debut, can expect to pull off.

Every debut is a risk. Agents and editors know this, so they hedge their bets. They want to see that you understand the industry, your genre, and your reader. Playing outside the usual word count lanes means you’re asking them to take on more risk, and in most cases, they’ll just say no.

Standard Novel Word Counts by Genre

Here’s a quick reference for manuscript length, whether you’re querying agents or prepping for indie publication. If you’re a debut, aim for the sweet spot. If you’re established, congratulations—you get a bit more leash.

If you’re wildly outside these numbers, be ready to explain why—and show that every page earns its keep.

What Agents Say (and Why it Matters)

“Manuscript length, if not in line with industry standards per genre, can stand out as a structural red flag. Too short? Plot and characters may be underdeveloped. Too long? You might have unneeded preamble or backstory, or there may be secondary characters, POV or otherwise, who need to be cut or merged.”
—Erin Hosier, Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Literary Agency

“A quick sign that can tell me a manuscript isn’t ready before even looking at the query is a word count that is far over or under the genre standard. Almost every book I see that is far over their allotted word count needs to be cut back due to poor pacing and a rambling plot in general. Books that come in under their genre word count usually have underdeveloped plots and characters.”
—Katelyn Uplinger, D4EO Literary Agency

“If the manuscript is over a certain word count (for me, personally, 120k is a lot, but anything over 130k can surely be cut down… at least in your debut novel) it means that it most likely hasn’t been edited. You want to make it as tight and concise as possible.”
—Jess Dallow, Brower Literary & Management

Notice the trend: debut authors are held to a tighter standard. Once you have a track record, publishers loosen the reins. Until then, the expectation is simple—show you can tell a tight, marketable story.

Why Word Count Is (Still) a Bottom Line Issue

It’s tempting to dismiss word count as some arbitrary gatekeeping rule. But there are concrete reasons for it, both in traditional and indie publishing.

Editorial Overhead:
A manuscript that’s 50% longer isn’t just more for you to edit. It’s more for everyone: agent, acquisitions editor, line editor, copyeditor, proofreader. More words mean more hours. For a debut, that’s a big ask—especially when the editor doesn’t know if you can deliver a tight revision, or if your book will ultimately sell.

Production Costs:
Longer novels cost more to print. More pages, bigger spines, higher shipping and storage costs. KDP’s print-on-demand costs in 2025 are $1.00 plus about $0.012 per page for a black-and-white paperback. That means a 300-page novel (roughly 110,000 words) costs about $4.60 to print, while a 190-page novel (about 70,000 words) costs $3.28. And remember, Amazon now takes a 50% royalty on books priced under $9.99, and 60% if priced higher—but that percentage is based on the retail price before printing costs are deducted.

So if you price your book at $20, Amazon takes 60% off the top, then subtracts the printing cost. On that $20, you’re left with around $8 after Amazon’s cut; subtract $4.60 for printing, and your actual earnings are about $3.40 per sale. The shorter book earns $4.72, which might not seem like a lot more, but it's almost a 40% higher royalty. No matter how you slice it, word count has a real effect on what you earn.

Pricing Reality:
You can’t always price a longer book higher and expect to sell as many copies. Readers don’t know or care if your book is 10,000 words longer than the competition—they care if it’s good, and if it’s priced reasonably.

In short: Word count isn’t just about convention. It’s a real business consideration, whether you’re seeking a publisher or going indie. Editors and agents aren’t debut-phobic by accident. They know every extra page means extra risk.

Takeaway

If you’re writing your first novel, check the industry ranges for your genre, and do everything you can to fit. Get ruthless about trimming backstory, tightening subplots, and making every scene earn its place. When in doubt, remember: a well-paced 90,000-word debut is an easier sell than a sprawling 160,000-word epic—unless you’re the next Tolkien.

David Griffin Brown is an award-winning short fiction writer and co-author of Immersion and Emotion: The Two Pillars of Storytelling. He holds a BA in anthropology from UVic and an MFA in creative writing from UBC, and his writing has been published in literary magazines such as the Malahat Review and Grain. In 2022, he was the recipient of a New Artist grant from the Canada Council for the Arts. David founded Darling Axe Editing in 2018, and as part of his Book Broker interview series, he has compiled querying advice from over 100 literary agents. He lives in Victoria, Canada, on the traditional territory of the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations.