Among the most common questions that most authors or aspiring authors ask is how many pages is the average novel.
How long should their story be?
How can they make sure that it’s the right length?
Well, all of these questions can go a long way to determine if the author will stand out in the publishing world, or if their work will fall to the wayside.
So, how many pages is the average novel?
The answer, unfortunately, is not a simple one.
There are a lot of factors that go into how many pages a novel will end up being. Some novels are very short, while others are massive tomes that take up an entire shelf.
But generally, the average length of a novel falls somewhere between 80,000 and 100,000 words.
This is about 250 to 375 pages, depending on the size of the book and the font used.
Of course, there are always exceptions to this rule. Some novels can be much shorter, while others can be much longer.
It all depends on the story being told and the author’s own style.
But if you’re looking to write a novel that falls within the average range, then these are the approximate word counts you should shoot for.
Table of contents
What Determines The Length of A Novel?
There are a lot of different factors that go into determining how many pages a novel will be.
Some of the most important ones are:
The genre of the book
- How complex the plot is
- How much world-building is required
- How much dialogue there is
- How descriptive the author is
- How large the font is
- How many pages are in each chapter
- How many words are on each page
Let’s start with the first factor:
The Genre Of The Book
Generally speaking, certain genres tend to be longer or shorter than others.
For instance, fantasy novels tend to be on the longer side because they often require a lot of world-building and complex plots.
Romance novels, on the other hand, are usually shorter because they focus more on the relationship between the two main characters.
Knowing which genre your book falls into can help you gauge how many pages you should shoot for.
How Complex The Plot Is
A novel with a complex plot will usually be longer than one with a simple plot. There are more things to keep track of, and the author has to spend more time explaining everything that’s going on.
A good way to determine how complex your plot is is to ask yourself how many plots twists there are. How much is the reader going to have to keep track of? How many new characters are introduced?
How much world-building is required? All of these things will contribute to the overall length of your book.
How Much World-Building Is Required
If your book takes place in a completely made-up world, then you’re going to need to do some serious world-building. This means creating an entire history, geography, and culture for your readers to immerse themselves in.
The more complex your world is, the longer it’s going to take to explain everything. And if your readers are unfamiliar with the world you’ve created, they’re going to have to spend a lot of time reading through explanatory passages to get up to speed.
How Much Dialogue There Is
Dialogue is often a quick way to move the plot along, which is why it’s usually found in shorter novels. A novel with a lot of dialogue will usually be shorter than one without much dialogue because there’s less need for description and explanation.
Of course, this isn’t always the case. Some novels use dialogue to further develop the characters and world, which can actually make them longer. It all depends on how the dialogue is used.
How Descriptive The Author Is
Some authors are very descriptive, while others are not. If the author is fond of flowery language and spends a lot of time describing the surroundings, then the book is going to be longer as a result.
On the other hand, if the author is more concise and only includes the essentials, then the book will be shorter.
How Large The Font Is
The size of the font also contributes to the overall length of the book. The larger the font, the fewer words will be on each page. This means that a book with a large font will be shorter than one with a small font.
The standard font size for novels is 12pt, but some authors use larger or smaller fonts to either make their books look longer or shorter.
How Many Pages Are In Each Chapter
The number of pages in each chapter also affects the overall length of the book. If the chapters are short, then the book will be shorter as a whole. But if the chapters are long, then the book will be longer.
Of course, the number of chapters in a book also contributes to its length. A book with 50 short chapters is going to be shorter than a book with 20 long chapters depending on how many words are on each page.
How Many Words Are On Each Page
Finally, we come to the last factor: the number of words on each page. This is probably the most important factor when it comes to determining how many pages is the average novel.
As a general rule of thumb, you can expect there to be about 250-300 words on each page.
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However, this can vary depending on the font size, the type of book, and the author’s writing style.
Knowing all of these things, you should now have a good idea of how many pages your novel should be. But remember, it’s always best to aim for longer rather than shorter. It’s easier to cut down a novel than it is to add to one.
How Can Authors Make Their Novels Longer?
If an author is struggling to make their novel longer, there are a few things they can do.
– Add more dialogue
– Include more descriptive passages
– Create complex world-building
– Add new characters and plots twists
– Make the chapters longer
How Many Pages Is The Average Novel – Conclusion
Now you know how many pages is the average novel. It all depends on the author’s writing style, the size of the font, and how descriptive they are. However, if you’re looking for a ballpark figure, you can expect a novel to be around 250-300 pages long.