Wondering if your children’s book falls within industry-accepted word count guidelines? Or curious as to why those guidelines are in place to begin with?

Below you’ll find the standard word counts for board books, picture books, early readers, chapter books, middle grade, and young adult titles. And a quick explanation as to why something as creative as writing a kids’ book has such a regimented word count range.

Why is word count important?

It keeps publishing costs low.

There are a few reasons, but let’s start off with the bottom line: longer books are more expensive to print, ship, and store.

Many publishers (if you go the traditional route) are reluctant to spend the extra money, especially on a new and untested author.

It helps your chances of getting a book deal.

Scoring a book deal is never a guarantee. However some agents and publishers won’t even look at your manuscript if you’re above the word count limit.

So if you’re interested in a traditional publisher, you’ll have to follow their rules, and that means staying within the industry standard.

It’s age appropriate.

A three-year-old isn’t going to sit through a 10,000-word saga and a teenager is going to be woefully disappointed by a 1,000-word fantasy book.

Word counts are in place because they help kids and adults understand who that book is marketed for.

But they also adhere to the developmental phase of a given age group: Short books and age-appropriate concepts for shorter attention spans. Longer books with complex themes for older readers with longer attention spans.

Additionally, certain topics (regardless of age) necessitate a longer word count. Young adult fantasy, for example, needs a lot more time to draw the reader in to a new world, so those books are typically longer than your average YA book. And a nonfiction book, even one for the youngest readers, may need a bit more space to fully develop a certain concept.

Is there wiggle room?

Yes, but it’s best to stick to the rules on this one, especially if you’re a first time author.

If your manuscript falls in the maximum range or beyond, you’ll have to consider if needs to be edited down—or if it truly is the exception to the rule.

Word Count for Children’s Books

Genre	Age Range	Word Count
Board Books	0–3	0–300 words
Picture Books	2–7	300–1000 words
Nonfiction Picture Books	5–12	1,000–3,000 words
Early Readers	4–6	200–2,500 words
Chapter Books	6–10	4,000–15,000 words
Middle Grade	8–12	15,000–65,000 words
Young Adult	12–18+	50,000–85,000 words
Young Adult Fantasy	12–18+	up to 100,000 words

Word Counts are estimates.

If you’re thinking, “These word counts are all over the place.” The only thing I can say is, “Yes, yes they are.”

But first, remember they are estimates.

Second, you want to sit somewhere in the middle of each range.

Third, your age range and topic will effect your word count, and there are distinctions within each category. For example, writing a lower middle grade novel (15,000 words) versus an upper middle grade novel (55,000–65,000) will reflect in your word count.

And fourth, any books that deal with complex topics or extensive world building (think nonfiction, science fiction, or fantasy) will be at the higher end.

What should I do if I’m over the word count?

#1 Read other books in your age range and genre.

Take a look at how long those books are and consider why.

#2 Take another look at your manuscript.

Can you edit it down significantly, or is there a (really good) reason for your high word count?

#3 Make sure you’re marketing your book to the right age range.

Maybe your story is better geared for a YA audience than middle grade. Determine if a mismatch in your intended audience is what’s causing your word count woes.

But be careful, just because your manuscript falls at a certain word count does not mean it’s geared for a given age group. Your plot, theme, and characters are what determine your genre and audience.

#4 Hire an editor.

Or at least get some beta readers to decide if you have the right audience and if there are any sections worth removing. But keep in mind that an editor has the experience, training, and an overall keen eye to really dissect this for you.

Interested in hiring me to take a look at your book? Get in touch here.