How Long Should Your Story Be? A Fiction Author’s Guide to Word Counts Across Genres

There’s a lot of fear in fiction stories but, today, I want to talk about the kind that shows up before the villains and monsters.

The blinking cursor. The empty page. The—shudders—word count goal. That’s right. We all know how daunting numbers become when you’re trying to focus on words.

Whether you’re writing a quiet ghost story, a romance full of longing looks, or a sci-fi epic with sixteen different planets, there’s one unavoidable question: How long is this thing supposed to be?

Let’s pull back the curtain (watch your fingers) and take a look at the real numbers.

A Quick Breakdown of Standard Word Counts by Genre:

 Horror: 70,000 – 90,000 words

Horror thrives in the dark—and in the middle-ground. Most horror novels fall in the 70k–90k range. This is especially true for psychological horror, creature features, or supernatural thrillers. Go shorter and you risk an underdeveloped scare; go longer and you risk deflating the tension. (Unless you’re Stephen King. Then you can write 400,000 words and we’ll still follow you into the sewer.)

• Short horror: 2,000–7,500 (short story), 10k–40k (novella)
  Perfect for creeping in, clawing at your brain, and vanishing before dawn.

Romance: 70,000 – 100,000 words

Romance ranges wildly, depending on the subgenre. Contemporary? Often 70–85k. Paranormal romance with vampires, werewolves, or cryptid boyfriends? Also around 80k. Historical or fantasy romance? That could balloon up to 100k. Why? Worldbuilding takes space—and so do slow burns.

• Novellas and category romance: 40k–60k
  Great for quick reads, limited series, or steamy one-sitting indulgence.

Science Fiction & Fantasy: 90,000 – 120,000+ words

SFF needs room to stretch. Alien civilizations, warring kingdoms, time loops—none of it fits in 50k. Debut authors are usually advised to stay under 115k. People are less likely to trust new authors the way they can trust that an established author is worth reading 400+ pages. But longer works are not unheard of, especially series starters or epics. (The Way of Kings sits at 380k!)

Mystery/Thriller: 70,000 – 90,000 words

Fast-paced. Tight plotting. Mysteries and thrillers live and die on structure. Too short and the twists don’t land. Too long and you risk dragging. Police procedurals and legal thrillers may go a bit longer, but most hover in that sweet spot.

• Cozy mystery: 40k–60k
  Murder and muffins—short, sharp, and a little sweet.

Young Adult (YA): 50,000 – 70,000 words

YA is broad, and trends change fast. Contemporary YA leans shorter, while YA fantasy/sci-fi stretches longer, often landing near 70k. Keep it fast, emotional, and visceral. Teens know when you’re padding.

Middle Grade: 30,000 – 50,000 words

Shorter, simpler, but still full of heart. Horror MG like Coraline or Goosebumps sits around 30k–40k. That’s plenty of space to scare kids and still get them to bed by nine. Even fantasy MG very rarely creeps past 50k.

Word Count ≠ Worth

That’s a quick run-down of the average word count in some of the more commonly written genres. It’s important to know your genre and know your audience. But here’s the truth…word count standards are a guideline, not a must-have.

Write the story that needs to be written. Then trim the fat, tighten the tension, and polish it until it gleams like marble under moonlight. Agents, editors, and readers all want a story that works—not one that hits an arbitrary number.