Novel length calculator
Enter your word count (or your target) and your genre: you get the number of pages, chapters and reading time, and see where you stand against novels in your genre.
Within the genre's usual range. Successful indie sagas often land 100–130k per volume.
Your numbers, current as you write
SagaScope counts words by scene, chapter, act and manuscript, and tracks your progress over time.
Join the waitlistHow many words per session to finish on time, NaNoWriMo included.
How it's calculated
Manuscript pages: 250 words per page, the standard for a Times 12, double-spaced manuscript. Printed pages: about 300 words per page for a common paperback trim; the real figure depends on the layout.
Reading time: 238 words per minute, the average silent reading speed of adults for fiction (Brysbaert, 2019). Chapters: word count divided by the chapter length you choose, prefilled with your genre's typical value.
Why length matters
Agents, editors and readers also judge a manuscript by its length: a 180,000-word debut fantasy or a 50,000-word thriller starts at a disadvantage. In self-publishing, length affects printing cost, cover price and what genre readers expect.
The ranges shown are indicative: they describe what's common, not a rule. A shorter or longer story can work if it earns it.
Common questions
- How many words are in a novel?
- Most published adult novels run 70,000 to 100,000 words. Fantasy and science fiction often reach 90,000–120,000 words per book, contemporary romance and crime usually sit between 70,000 and 90,000 words, and a novella is about 20,000 to 40,000 words.
- How many pages is 80,000 words?
- About 320 manuscript pages (250 words per page) and about 270 pages in a printed book at a common trim size (300 words per page). The exact number depends on trim size, font and margins.
- How long does it take to read a 100,000-word novel?
- About 7 hours for an average reader at 238 words per minute. A fast reader will finish in 5 hours, a slower one in 9 to 10 hours.
And for the whole novel's consistency?
SagaScope builds your story bible from your text and alerts you when a detail contradicts itself. Join the waitlist.