Hi there

I have posted my very first attempt at writing ever on the 'archive' thing - it is called '13 voices' and is a very rough first draft. I would really appreciate any comments and opinion from anyone.

This is a very basic question, I know, but can anyone give me a rough idea of how many words there are in an average length novel. I know it's something I should know, but unfortunately I just haven't a clue.

Thanks
Rebecca

Hello Rebecca!
Welcome - and in answer to your question, the average adult novel is between 80,000 and 100,000 words. Anything less is a novella, but anything more is fairly normal for sagas and longer books. Children's novels are shorter, more around the 50,000 mark, I think (unless it's Harry Potter!).
Susiex

Hi, Rebecca, and welcome to WW.

I would put it more broadly than SusieAngela: anything between 75,000 and 120,000 words is 'normal' with a bit shorter or longer also quite normal as you edge towards the literary end of things. At the commercial end of things, family sagas, historical fiction and science fiction and fantasy also seem to be quite happy to be fatter than that. 'Category' fiction - i.e. Harlequin Mills & Boon and others written to a very tight formula where the brand is more important than the individual authors, tend to be shorter - I think M&B is around 50-60,000.

Emma

Of course Emma's right - mine was just a ball-park figure.
Susiex

Hiya

Thanks guys, guess i'm about 5% there then. :-) That's a bit of a scary thought...

Everyone is so helpful on here!

Rebecca