Novel length

Status
Not open for further replies.

micahkolding

Banned
Super Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2020
Messages
96
Reaction score
10
Location
Washington
I get mixed messages on this, so I thought I'd put the question out here: Would an agent be put off by an adult novel in the area of 50k-60k words?
 

Woollybear

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 27, 2017
Messages
9,720
Reaction score
9,697
Location
USA
High fantasy, possibly yeah. Thriller or YA coming-of-age *might* pass at 60K.

Have you checked querytracker? You can go to individual agents and go under 'reports' and see what length manuscripts are queried to them, and
which they request.

The numbers are available.
 

ChaseJxyz

Writes 🏳️‍⚧️🌕🐺 and 🏳️‍⚧️🌕🐺 accessories
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 5, 2020
Messages
4,524
Reaction score
6,203
Location
The Rottenest City on the Pacific Coast
Website
www.chasej.xyz
I know that the number is highly variable based on the age of the target audience as well as the genre. I know it's a question that's asked frequently on here (and I've searched for it many times) but the threads I find either are ~10 years old or they link to a page offsite that doesn't exist anymore.

Does anyone know/have a recent reference on this?
 

Cephus

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 1, 2018
Messages
259
Reaction score
66
What's your genre? You want to aim a little shorter than normal for a debut, but there are still expectations.
 

Cephus

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 1, 2018
Messages
259
Reaction score
66
Generally speaking, adult novels are 80k+. Debut novels might get away a little shorter, and as others have said, genre has a lot to do with it, but generally speaking, you're looking for something in the 300-400 page range. Right now, you're under 200.
 

Harlequin

Eat books, not brains!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 21, 2010
Messages
4,584
Reaction score
1,412
Location
The land from whence the shadows fall
Website
www.sunyidean.com
Another option is to get it under 40k and try it as a novella perhaps. If it really just is 50k though (and some novels are) then you could try saving it for another day and querying something else first. Wordcounts ease up a lot once you're not a debut.
 

Cephus

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 1, 2018
Messages
259
Reaction score
66
It depends entirely on your genre. You need to go out and see what the genre expectations are. Your debut novel should be on the short end of the range but if readers are expecting a doorstop and you're writing a pamphlet, nobody is going to take that seriously.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.