Here is my quick-reference guide to common word count ranges so you can know what to aim for depending on the genre you are writing in.
Ebook-only Promo
I may have made up this category, but I believe every up-and-coming expert-author-person should seriously consider having one of these. They are great little books to use for platform-building, for giveaways on your website to grow your mailing list, to pitch yourself for speaking engagements, or other special promos or opportunities. Their word count should be bite-size at
2,500-10,000 words
Booklets
10,000-15,000 words
General Nonfiction
50,000-70,000 words
Some titles come in at 25,000-40,000 words and make powerful purse-size resources. Think Who Moved My Cheese, The Art of War, The Prayer of Jabez, and That Rout Demons.
Fiction and Memoir
70,000-90,000 words
Novellas
50,000-60,000 words
Children’s and Young Adult (YA) Fiction
Middle grade: 20,000-55,000 words
YA: 55,000-80,000 words
Easy/early readers: 2,000-5,000 words
Chapter books: 2,500-10,000 words
Picture books: 500-1,000 words
From “So They Say You Should Write A Book” by Jevon Bolden
