Genres and Word Counts

Fantasy or romance? Mainstream or literary? Different genres have different styles, expectations and even word counts. To sell your novel you'll need to know where it fits in the market. Knowing your target genre and word count can even help you before you start writing.

Sample articles on genre

• A Breakdown of Genres
• Figuring Out Your Genre and Where Your Book Goes
• Writing Slice of Life Stories
• Novels Outside the Mainstream
• Writing for a Younger Market
• Erin Thomas on Writing for Reluctant Readers
• Lydia Sharp on Short Stories
• Heather Webb on Choosing a Historical Fiction Topic, or Any Other Topic for That Matter
• A Path to Picture Books

• View all articles on genre

Sample articles on word counts

• Average Word Count by Genre and Market
• Word Count Overview
• Cutting Down a High Word Count
• Bulking Up a Short Word Count
• What to Do When Your Novel's Too Short
   
• View all articles on word counts