Writing a 'tweener -- NEED ADVICE!!!

I would try to add a subplot if I could and get it into the 60k so it's possible novel length. (You'll probably have to research if that word count is acceptable for your specific genre.) There is a much bigger market for novels than novellas.

That question drove me crazy a while ago. 50,000 is the turning point...50,000 and up is a novel, while 50,000 or under is a novella. Estimate. If your story is only 40,000 I would consider it a novella. I think though, for your situation, you would want to look at publishers guidlines, and then take it from there. I wouldn't modify your story to try and fit a wordcount that will differ anyway.

-Feathers

When I first read the word "'tweener" that you used, I thought you were referring to the upper-end middle grade novels or the "tween" market. That is, between middle grade and young adult. As a general rule, young adult is anywhere from 45k to 65k, give or take. So with an adult novel that's 50k, that's under what publishers want. Usually they ask for 65k on up. (And 65k is the low end.) BUT if your story is fantastic, will sell well (think of The Notebook by N.Sparks or Bridge Over Madison County by Whats-his-name or The Christmas Box that the guy originally self-pubbed for family only), then editors might be ok with a very low word count.

If you try to stretch the story it might read that way. I'd just leave it as it is.

Some novels approximately that length:

Fahrenheit 451 (Bradbury)
The Stranger (Camus)
The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
Brave New World (Huxley)

Dale