Words Per Chapter In A Novel. But again as a surprise to me, dune was a close second, averaging just 3,800 words per chapter. Mine are around 6600 words which translate to about 20 pages in my current format. According to fiction factor, “in most cases, industry standard preferred length is 250 words per page.” in conclusion, the word count for novels varies depending on the type of writing, the genre and the age group. So, what’s a writer to do? The best authors manage the length of their chapters to pace the main character’s narrative arc. Those epic sagas are the uncommon. (we can't emphasize this enough.) there are plenty of books that purposefully play with the word counts of their chapters. It also might change based on when it was published. While an average words limit of 40,000 can be deemed as a book, 50,000 words are considered the minimum length. When it comes to writing your chapters, the question of how many words is an interesting one that’s intrinsically linked with pacing. 200 words per page is the norm. The longest average chapter lengths were lord of the rings (7,500), prince of nothing (8,700), and the beefiest chapters were found. But here, for example, are some famous novels, along with word counts and chapter lengths: There is a list on goodreads of books with short chapters. Most editors wouldn’t recommend going over 80,000, as it will inspire bad taste among readers.

How many chapters, verses, and words are in the Bible? (2022)
How many chapters, verses, and words are in the Bible? (2022) from newsstellar.com

The average novel of about 300 pages is about 100,000 words long so if each chapter is 4,000 words than that gives you 20 chapters which i think is pretty average. It also might change based on when it was published. The last unicorn has a chapter that is 23,000 words long. Yeah sure, if pressed, i could come up with some harder numbers, but i don’t like to do that because i believe that every book sort of has its own style. However, you need to sustain your reader’s anticipation and interest in order for them to keep reading your book. Some writers, like myself at times, write long chapters. It varies from writer to writer. As an author, you possess a key tool for pacing your audience’s reading experience: Chapters can vary from 12 to 54 depending on chapter length (anywhere from 700 to 5000 words). There is a list on goodreads of books with short chapters.

Anthony Doerr’s All The Light We Cannot See Won The Pulitzer Prize, The Height Of Literary Fiction Awards, And Its Chapters Are Very Short, Most Of Them Under 3,000 Words.


Some novels have short chapters. The study found the average chapter length in fantasy novels ranging from 3,000 to 10,000 words. Similarly, jeffrey eugenides’ novel middlesex, which won the pulitzer prize, averages about 6,000 words a chapter.

Always Think Of Chapter Breaks As Rest Breaks For Your Reader.


A game of thrones, by george rr martin, 298,000 words, 60 chapters, average chapter length 4,970 words Mine are around 6600 words which translate to about 20 pages in my current format. (we can't emphasize this enough.) there are plenty of books that purposefully play with the word counts of their chapters.

You Can Take The Number Of Chapters (Or Main Ideas Or Scenes) You Want To Include In Your Book, Then Take The Total Word Count Of The Book, And Do The Math.


Thrillers / horror / mysteries / crime: If you feel the chapters is over than that's what matters. The title with the shortest chapters, on average, was whirlwind in the thorn tree, averaging just 2,900 words each.

There Is A List On Goodreads Of Books With Short Chapters.


Publishers have their own unique ways of formatting the final product, so the words per page requirement will vary. So, what’s a writer to do? It varies from writer to writer.

Publishable Novel) Varies Depending On The Genre.


The best authors manage the length of their chapters to pace the main character’s narrative arc. When it comes to writing your chapters, the question of how many words is an interesting one that’s intrinsically linked with pacing. Ranging from 2,500 to 5,000 words in general.

Yeah Sure, If Pressed, I Could Come Up With Some Harder Numbers, But I Don’t Like To Do That Because I Believe That Every Book Sort Of Has Its Own Style.


Write out your basic storyline in major plot points only: At 100k words, this averages around 8300 words per chapter. 90 pages (22,500 words) with that in mind:

I’m Not A Big Fan Of Handing Out Absolute Dictums And Saying, You Know, “For Middle Grade, Your Chapters Need To Be 2,000 Words Max And Always Longer Than 1,200 Words, And…” You Know.


And when it comes to nonfiction books , the length of each chapter depends largely on the subject matter, though author preference and industry standards also come into play. 180 pages (45,000 words) act three: How many words are in a chapter of a young adult novel?

200 Words Per Page Is The Norm.


The last unicorn has a chapter that is 23,000 words long.

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