How many words should a fantasy book have?

[wordwalker]

Here's my rule of thumb, from agent Rachelle Gardner.

100,000 - 115,000 is an excellent range. (Keeping it to say 105K shows that you can whittle your work down.) Outside of that, I would say 90K-100K is most likely all right, and 115-124K is probably all right, too. That said, try to keep it in the ideal range.

Actually science fiction and fantasy are the big exceptions to usual standards because these categories tend to run long. It has to do with all the descriptions and world-building in the writing.

So for those other genres it might be:
Between 80,000 and 89,999 words is 100% safe for literary, romance, mystery, suspense, thriller and horror. 71-80K might be perceived as too short. It seems as though going over 100K is all right, but not by much. I suggest stopping at 109K because just the mental hurdle to jump concerning 110K is just another thing you don't want going against you.
Over 110K is defined as "epic or saga," not a cozy mystery/etc.
80,000 - 89,999: Totally cool
90,000 - 99,999: Generally safe
70,000 - 79,999: Might be too short; probably all right
100,000 - 109,999: Might be too long; probably all right
Below 70,000: Too short
110,000 or above Too long

 

[T.Allen.Smith]

The amount of words a fantasy story should have? You limit yourself on this? I find that priority #1 is the content, and structure, and characters, and all that ladida, but never limit yourself on the word count. A story should never focus on reaching a particular word/page count - it should focus on the story and the maintaining the wholeness and excitement of it.

I understand this sentiment. However, most limits are set in place by agents, publishers, or the author's own publishing budget. Typically, agents & publishers aren't going to take a chance on a new author toting around a 200k word manuscript. They're already taking a chance on a new author right out the gates...they don't want to double publication costs during that initial risk.

Now, assuming your an author whose established a fan base, you're going to receive a bit more latitude. Or, if you're self-publishing and you're not concerned with budget (assuming you can hold reader attention during massive works) then do as you please.

 

[TheokinsJ]

How long is a piece of string? A novel is art, it can be as many words and pages as you want. Take an example such as George RR Martin who writes 1800 page books, and then someone such as John Flanagan who writes perhaps a little over 200 pages. It's ultimately how many words are necessary to tell your story, however many words you want to write.

 

[Philip Overby]

I'm just curious, but how many self-published writers release 1,800 page books? It seems like most self-published stuff is probably in the 300-400 page range, which is usual for most standard novels in the market. People who publish "what they want" are usually either people who have established themselves in the market and can, in fact, do what they want within limits. Self-publishing grants leeway, but as others have pointed out, you'll be bearing the cost of a longer work if you do so.

If you're a new writer, it's usually better to try to conform to a certain degree by industry standards. Some people may say "well, so and so did this or that," but that is "so and so." If you want to try the well-worn path, you'll probably receive more interest. If you "write what you want" you may receive more push back than you expect.

As everything is in publishing, it's case by case.

 

[advait98]

How long is a piece of string? A novel is art, it can be as many words and pages as you want. Take an example such as George RR Martin who writes 1800 page books, and then someone such as John Flanagan who writes perhaps a little over 200 pages. It's ultimately how many words are necessary to tell your story, however many words you want to write.

John Flanagan only wrote 200 page books from books 1-5 of RA, after that it was all 300 and 400 pages.

As quite a few people have already said, first time authors should conform to the ideals of the publishers, who really don't want to take unnecessary risks and (probably) would even throw an outstanding manuscript away from a first time author without even a glance just because of its length.
I guess you have to look at it from their perspectives most of the times when you're writing a book.

Not many people have success with even normal 200 or 300 paged stories, and I suppose you can forgive the publishers for throwing away the 800+ stuff.

 

[wordwalker]

I'm just curious, but how many self-published writers release 1,800 page books? It seems like most self-published stuff is probably in the 300-400 page range, which is usual for most standard novels in the market. People who publish "what they want" are usually either people who have established themselves in the market and can, in fact, do what they want within limits. Self-publishing grants leeway, but as others have pointed out, you'll be bearing the cost of a longer work if you do so.

True. But, there's a lot less per-page cost if it's a self-published e-book.

Now, what plans an author has to do with 1,800 electronic pages the world hasn't heard of, that's another kind of story.