What Average Novel Length Do Publishers Expect For YA?

I just want to be published… I’ll write whatever you want… Hungry to get published? Let me give you the blunt, friendly scoop I’ve learned over the years.

In terms of word count for YA fiction, the vast majority of books in print fall between 50,000 words and 90,000 words. The largest section of that would probably be YA Contemporary/Romance/Realistic YA which tends to be on the lower end of the spectrum (mid-50ks to mid-70ks). Genre fiction (Fantasy/Sci-Fi etc) can be longer and often falls in the 80k-100k+ range. Word count for debut authors is often a concern and it’s generally agreed that longer first novels are less desirable than shorter more focused ones unless the author has an exceptionally strong voice or concept. Middle grade is much shorter (25k-55k) while New Adult/Crossover etc can be longer than YA but shorter than adult fiction (often in the 70-90k range). In terms of actual print length, 70k-80k words equals approximately 192-224 pages or a standard length for a paperback YA novel that can sit on a store shelf without appearing too bulky.

Yes, word count impacts the type of book you’re publishing. So, does the book’s pacing, voice, and scene inclusion. 95k YA that pulses and will engage readers far better than a 120k bloated manuscript. For a series, the first book in the series might be slightly longer than usual in order to fully develop the world in which your story takes place. Some imprints are comprised of cozy YA romance novels, which might require shorter manuscripts. While other imprints are comprised of authors writing epic YA fantasy novels that require more word count in order to develop the heavy worlds in which the stories take place. I maintain a shortlist of imprints for which I would want to publish and look at the recent releases (word count and all) in order to get a sense of the type of work that they’re looking for. My general rule of thumb for YA novels is to aim to complete a first draft at 65k-85k words and then cut or add words based on feedback from beta readers and what the story needs to be its absolute best. That way, both the agent and editor will nod in approval and know that you have a handle on story.

How long is YA? YA typically falls in the range of 50,000 to 90,000 words, but that is highly genre dependent. I write by scene rather than by word count. So long as every scene further develops character, further complicates plot, or raises the stakes in some way, then the word count should fall within acceptable range for YA. Fantasy tends to need more space for worldbuilding than contemporary novels, and contemporary novels tend to need a faster pace than fantasy. But a debut author would do best to write a lean manuscript unless his/her world or story requires more space.

Here are some practical notes: 1) check the recent books from that imprint and see where they fall on the wordcount and scope, and take out 10-20% of material that doesn’t propel the story in some way. 2) keep in mind that often agents will ask for a shorter sample (3,000-7,000 words) or even a partial (approx. 1/4 of the manuscript). This means you need to have a very lean and amazing opening to it. Yes, hitting the wordcount for YA is somewhat important, but making a compelling and fully immersive experience for the reader of the opening sections of your manuscript is even more important to me.

I think this image describes the writer in the final stages of a novel. He or she reads through the end of the story and wonders whether fifty thousand words were sufficient to carry off the plot and to fully develop all of the characters. The answer to this question is the purpose of the word count rather than some arbitrary number.

For many publishers, YA typically falls within the 50k-90k word count range. Contemporary or slice-of-life YA can often be under the 55k-75k mark, while thrillers and steamy romances can also fall within this range. When it comes to high fantasy or other books with very layered worldbuilding, authors may be given a bit more wiggle room to reach the 80k-100k mark or so, but again, this is something that debuts are held to a higher standard for. Agents will flag for excess padding in a manuscript, so make sure every scene is serving a purpose to further character development, propelling the plot, or furthering theme.

Reader expectations of length of books are much more important for self-published books than for traditionally published books, and they vary by genre. So it’s really a question of writing the full length of the story that you need to tell, and then cutting ruthlessly to make it the tightest, best YA possible. Look at your comps for the YA section of whatever shelf you think your book belongs on — read the back of the book, check out the page count — and trust your instincts about whether you’re staying on pace or not. It’s a great feeling to finish a draft and know you’ve written a really tight, engaging YA that will run quickly and leave room for your next idea.