Day 23: #AtoZChallenge  

One of the most frequent questions asked by writers is : “What is an acceptable word count for  _________” (fill in the blank). Most magazines, contests, or websites will define the type of fiction they’re looking for and the required word count or word limit. In my research, I found a number of sites with slightly different word counts, but all were generally within these limits.

Basic fiction classification and the associated word counts:

1. Flash Fiction – under 500 but some accept up to 1000.
2. Historical Fiction – 90,000-100,000.
3. Literary –  80,000-120,000.
4. Memoir – 80,000 – 90,000.
5. Middle Grade Fiction – 25,000 -40,000.
6. Mystery, Thrillers & Crime – 70,000 -90,000.
7. Novella – 10,000 – 40,000.
8. Novelette – 7,550 – 17,500.
9. Picture Books – standard 32 pages (500-600 words).
10. Romance Fiction– 50,000 – 100,000.
11. Science fiction & Fantasy – 90,000 -120,000.
12. Short Story – typically between 1,000 – 8,000.
13. Women’s Fiction – as low as 70,000. Standard is around 80,000.
14. Young Adult Fiction – 50,000 -70,000.

Remember, it’s recommended not to rely on your software program for an accurate word count, especially when words are limited as in a contest.

Shortcut for determining word count: Change document to Courier with one-inch margins, count the number of pages, multiply by 250. This is the adjusted number of words in your manuscript.

Want more info on word Counts? Check out these resources:

• Manuscript Appraisal Agency
• Litreactor.com
• The Write Practice
• The Editor’s Blog
• The Writer’s Workshop

I’d love to hear your comments. Talk to me. Tell me your story and look for me on Facebook at SheilaMGood,  Pinterest,  Bloglovin, Twitter@sheilamgood, and Contently.