{"id":548,"date":"2026-07-23T12:59:12","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T12:59:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.novellapublishers.com\/blog\/?p=548"},"modified":"2026-07-23T13:14:52","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T13:14:52","slug":"what-is-novella-word-count-definition-examples","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.novellapublishers.com\/blog\/what-is-novella-word-count-definition-examples\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is a Novella? Word Count, Definition & Examples"},"content":{"rendered":"[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text text_direction=”default”]A novella is a work of prose fiction between 17,500 and 40,000 words, longer than a short story and shorter than a novel. The novella word count typically produces 70 to 160 printed pages. The form centres on a single conflict with a small cast and a compressed timeline.<\/p>\n

The Novella Word Count Range<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Length is what separates the prose categories, and the boundaries below are the ones publishers and award bodies work from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

Format<\/h3>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Word count<\/h3>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n

\n

Short story<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

Up to 7,500<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Novelette<\/td>\n\n

7,500 to 17,500<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Novella<\/td>\n\n

17,500 to 40,000<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Novel<\/td>\n\n

40,000 and above<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

These figures come from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers<\/a><\/strong> Association award categories, which have become the trade’s default reference points across genres.<\/p>\n

Some publishers apply slightly different edges. A press might set its novella range at 20,000 to 45,000 words, or accept anything from 15,000 upward. Always check the individual submission page, since the house definition governs.<\/p>\n

What Makes a Novella More Than a Length<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Word count is the label. The structure underneath is what gives the format its character.<\/p>\n