TL;DR
For a debut fantasy novel, Writer's Digest recommends 100,000 to 115,000 words and warns that writers push the length too far. Reedsy's editors give the same range, and Jericho Writers allows up to 180,000 or more if every sentence earns its place. The very long fantasy novels people cite were mostly published after the authors were famous.
For a first fantasy novel, aim for roughly 100,000 to 115,000 words. That is the range Writer's Digest calls excellent and Reedsy's editors call typical for fantasy and science fiction. Jericho Writers allows far more, up to 180,000 words or over 200,000, on the condition that the book fully justifies the length. The sources disagree because they are describing different things: what is safe, what is common and what is merely possible.
For the labels (novel, novella) see how many words is a novel, and for other genres see average book word count.
Why fantasy runs long
Chuck Sambuchino of Writer's Digest says science fiction and fantasy are the big exceptions to the usual adult range because the categories tend to run long, and he puts it down to description and worldbuilding. Reedsy gives the same reason: fantasy and science fiction are lengthier than other books because of their worldbuilding, and some books in a fantasy series exceed 140,000 words.
A fantasy reader is being taught a place, its rules and its people at the same time as the plot. That takes pages. It also means the genre has a built-in way to go wrong, which is letting the teaching crowd out the story.
What each source says
| Source | Fantasy range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Writer's Digest (Sambuchino, 2016) | 100,000 to 115,000 is "an excellent range" | 90,000 to 100,000 is "most likely all right" and 115,000 to 124,000 "probably all right"; he adds that you should still try to keep to the ideal range |
| Reedsy (editors) | 100,000 to 115,000 for fantasy and science fiction | Some books in a fantasy series pass 140,000 |
| Jericho Writers (word count guide) | Up to 180,000, or over 200,000 | The novel "must be wonderful" and justify the length |
| Jericho Writers (fantasy tips) | 90,000 to 200,000 "acceptable" | Ideally satisfying as a standalone with series potential |
Scroll horizontally to see all columns. Arrow keys work when the table is focused.
Sambuchino's reasoning is worth reading because it cuts against instinct. Writers know fantasy runs long, he says, so they make it run really long and hurt their chances. Keeping a fantasy near 105,000 words, he adds, shows that you can whittle your work down.
Jericho's view is the mirror image. It does not set a ceiling and instead sets a test: every sentence has to be edited for length, and the book must be good enough to deserve the page count. Both positions agree that a long fantasy manuscript is a risk the writer takes on, not a norm.
The books people point to
The giants of the genre are often used to argue that length does not matter. Reedsy's answer is that books such as A Storm of Swords (424,000 words), Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (257,045) and The Fellowship of the Ring (187,790) were all published after their authors had become famous and had large fanbases. Sambuchino makes the same point about Harry Potter: the first book was not that long, and the author could do what she liked after it had made the publisher a great deal of money. Reedsy adds that epic books are not reserved for the famous, citing Outlander at about 305,000 words, but advises caution over 100,000 words if you are starting out.
Some lengths nearer the middle, with their sources:
| Book | Words | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | 106,821 | Reedsy |
| The Golden Compass | 112,815 | Reedsy |
| Harley Merlin and the Secret Coven | about 110,000 | Jericho Writers |
| The Fellowship of the Ring | 187,790 | Reedsy |
| The Fellowship of the Ring | about 190,000 | Jericho Writers |
Scroll horizontally to see all columns. Arrow keys work when the table is focused.
The two sources give slightly different figures for the same book. Jericho says its numbers come from published counts or online estimating tools, are rounded to the nearest 5,000 and should be within about 10 percent of true length. Reedsy's figure is more precise. Neither was counted by you, so treat any single book's length as approximate.
What Reedsy's own data adds
Reedsy also reports median manuscript lengths from its marketplace. For fantasy the median rose from 85,300 words in 2023 to 87,100 in 2024, and for science fiction it fell from 79,200 to 71,300. Its conclusion is that although medians moved, all genres stayed within their average ranges or shorter.
That is one platform's sample, so it is not the market. But it supports a quiet point: the typical manuscript lands below the headline range, which is a reason to treat 100,000 to 115,000 as a ceiling to aim under, not a target to pad up to.
Young adult and middle grade fantasy
Fantasy for younger readers follows its own lengths. Sambuchino gives 55,000 to 79,999 words as a great range for young adult, adds that going into the 80,000s needs a reason, and says a good reason is science fiction or fantasy, because those categories are expected to run longer for worldbuilding. Reedsy gives 55,000 to 80,000 for young adult and notes that some exceed it, especially in fantasy and dystopian sub-genres. For middle grade, Sambuchino gives 20,000 to 55,000, and 40,000 to 55,000 for "upper middle grade."
Series and standalone
Jericho's fantasy guidance says your novel should be satisfying as a standalone but may have the potential to be the first of a series. How to write a series covers planning for that. Self-publishing is different, since Jericho notes the old length rules came from print costs and do not need to hold for you; its rule is to describe the book accurately and price it to the length.
How to find your target
- Pick three to five recent fantasy novels like yours. Same subgenre, same age group, same kind of publisher.
- Find their lengths. Published counts are best, and online estimates will do.
- Choose a range, not a number. If your comparison books run 90,000 to 110,000, aim for 100,000.
- Draft long if you must, then cut. Jericho's rule is to reduce length and maintain content. Its examples are three sentences of market atmosphere in place of five, and a twelve-word sentence in place of an eighteen-word one. Amy L. Bernstein on Jane Friedman's site describes cutting about 8,000 words from a 96,000-word draft and still adding new scenes.
- Plan the world you need. Worldbuilding that the scenes never touch is the first thing to lose. Worldbuilding for novelists shows how to decide what the book uses.
Frequently asked questions
How many words should a fantasy novel be?
For a debut, Writer's Digest recommends 100,000 to 115,000 and Reedsy's editors give the same range. Jericho Writers says up to 180,000 or more can work if the book justifies it.
Is 150,000 words too long for a fantasy novel?
It is above Sambuchino's safe range and Reedsy's typical range, and inside Jericho's. Reedsy says to be cautious over 100,000 words when starting out, so it needs a strong reason.
How long is epic fantasy?
Jericho says epic fantasy is meant to run long, and Reedsy notes that some books in a fantasy series pass 140,000 words. The very longest examples came from authors who were already famous.
How long should young adult fantasy be?
Writer's Digest gives 55,000 to 79,999 for young adult in general and says fantasy is a good reason to go higher.
Where Musael fits
A writer who plans a long world is a writer who is still in control of it at 100,000 words. Musael keeps your plan, your manuscript and a codex of characters, places and rules in one project. The manuscript editor shows a running word count and lets you set writing goals, the plan board shows which scenes are heavy, and continuity checks flag a place or a rule that contradicts what you established earlier.
Sources
- Chuck Sambuchino, "Word Count for Novels and Children's Books: The Definitive Post", Writer's Digest: writersdigest.com
- Reedsy, "How Many Words in a Novel?": blog.reedsy.com
- Jericho Writers, "How Many Words in a Novel?": jerichowriters.com
- Jericho Writers, "How many words": jerichowriters.com
- Jericho Writers, "How To Write A Fantasy Novel: An Author's Top Tips": jerichowriters.com
- Amy L. Bernstein, "The Case for Shrinking Your Novel", Jane Friedman: janefriedman.com
- SFWA, Nebula Awards rules: nebulas.sfwa.org
