65 Bestselling
WORD COUNTS
Target your novel’s word count based on the most popular length for your genre
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Contents
Introduction
Young Adult
Dystopian
Fantasy
Mysteries & Thrillers
Science Fiction
Romance
Children’s Books
Children’s Chapter Books
Memoir
Historical & Literary
Horror & Zombies
Harry Potter, Twilight, and The Hunger Games Series
Conclusion
Introduction
Better Novel Project is all about deconstructing
bestselling novels, one index card at a time.
Deconstructing your favorite novels and genres
can help you write your own story.
The first step is to get a “big-picture” overview of
the structure of the book. I like to start by knowing
the word count and number of chapters that are
typical for the genre.
After all, stories are written one word at a time, and
having a word count goal per chapter can help the
process feel less intimidating.
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In this e-book,
• I picked bestsellers that I considered to be
especially well-known and good examples for
the genre.
• Each section is organized by genre. Some
bestsellers fall into several genres so I just had
to make my best choice. You might disagree
with that choice.
•Before each section, you’ll see an average word
count for the genre, based just on the samples
in this e-book.
•I am an Amazon affiliate member. The
thumbnails used are the publicity cover images
from amazon.com, and they link back to the sales
page. These are affiliate links, meaning if you
click through them and buy a product, I will get a
small percentage of that sale. Thank you for
supporting Better Novel Project!
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Young Adult
Average Total Word Count: 65,444
Average No. of Chapters:
35
Average Words Per Chapter: 1,870
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Stargirl
by Jerry Spinelli
Total Word Count: Number of Chapters:
intro and conclusion)
Average Per Chapter:
41,214
35 (including
1,178
The Lovely Bones
by Alice Sebold
Total Word Count: 87,914
Number of Chapters: 25 (including
prologue and epilogue)
Average Per Chapter: 3,517
The Curious Incident of
the Dog in the Night-Time
by Mark Haddon
Total Word Count: Number of Chapters:
Average Per Chapter:
62,005
48
1,292
The Catcher in the Rye
by J. D. Salinger
Total Word Count: Number of Chapters:
Average Per Chapter:
73,404
26
2,823
The Fault in Our Stars
by John Green
Total Word Count: Number of Chapters:
Average Per Chapter:
65,752
25
2,630
The Perks of Being a
Wallflower
by Stephen Chbosky
Total Word Count: 62,376
Number of Chapters: 52, including
epilogue
Average Per Chapter:
1,200
Dystopian
Average Total Word Count: 83,820
Average No. of Chapters:
33
Average Words Per Chapter: 2,540
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The Maze Runner
by James Dasher
Total Word Count: Number of Chapters:
epilogue
Average Per Chapter:
101,182
52, including
1,945
The Handmaid’s Tale
by Margaret Atwood
Total Word Count: Number of Chapters:
Average Per Chapter:
Uglies
by Scott Westerfield
Total Word Count: Number of Chapters:
Average Per Chapter:
87,274
50
1,745
90,240
16
5,640
The Giver
by Lois Lowry
Total Word Count: 43,617
Number of Chapters: 23
Average Per Chapter: 1,896
Divergent
by Veronica Roth
Total Word Count: Number of Chapters:
Average Per Chapter:
105,143
39
2,696
Legend
by Marie Lu
Total Word Count: Number of Chapters:
Average Per Chapter:
75,464
18
4,192
Fantasy
Average Total Word Count: 197,898
Average No. of Chapters:
40
Average Words Per Chapter: 4,947
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The Lord of the Rings
(Fellowship of the Ring)
by J.R.R. Tolkien
Total Word Count: Number of Chapters:
Average Per Chapter:
177,227
22
8,056
A Game of Thrones
by George R. R. Martin
Total Word Count: Number of Chapters:
prologue
Average Per Chapter:
292,727
73 with
4,010
The Princess Bride
by William Goldman
Total Word Count: Number of Chapters:
Average Per Chapter:
91,426
8
11,428
The Lion, the Witch
and the Wardrobe
by C.S. Lewis
Total Word Count: Number of Chapters:
Average Per Chapter:
36,363
17
2,139
Jonathan Strange &
Mr. Norrell
by Susanna Clark
Total Word Count: Number of Chapters:
Average Per Chapter:
Inheritance
by Christopher Paolini
Total Word Count: Number of Chapters:
Average Per Chapter:
280,712
53
5,296
308,931
69
4,477
Mysteries &
Thrillers
Average Total Word Count: 128,576
Average No. of Chapters:
41
Average Words Per Chapter: 3,136
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And Then There Were None
by Agatha Christie
Total Word Count: 52,656
Number of Chapters: 17 with epilogue
Average Per Chapter: 3,097
The Da Vinci Code
by Dan Brown
Total Word Count: 138,952
Number of Chapters: 108, with
prologue and epilogue
Average Per Chapter: 1,287
Gone Girl
by Gillian Flynn
Total Word Count: 145,719
Number of Chapters: 64
Average Per Chapter: 2,277
The Girl with the
Dragon Tattoo
by Stieg Larsson
Total Word Count: 165,392
Number of Chapters: 30 with
prologue and epilogue
Average Per Chapter: 5,513
The Hunt for Red October
by Tom Clancy
Total Word Count: Number of Chapters:
Average Per Chapter:
Jurassic Park
by Michael Crichton
Total Word Count: Number of Chapters:
Average Per Chapter:
117,645
8
14,705
151,091
18
8,394
Science Fiction
Average Total Word Count: 96,879
Average No. of Chapters:
18
Average Words Per Chapter: 5,382
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The Hitchhiker’s Guide to
the Galaxy
by Douglas Adams
Total Word Count: Number of Chapters:
Average Per Chapter:
46,333
35
1,324
Ender’s Game
by Orson Scott Card
Total Word Count: Number of Chapters:
Average Per Chapter:
100,609
15
6,707
Fahrenheit 451
by Ray Bradbury
Total Word Count: 45,910
Number of Chapters: 3 parts
Average Per Part: 15,303
Dune
by Frank Herbert
Total Word Count: Number of Chapters:
Average Per Part:
181,493
3 parts
60,498
Slaughterhouse-Five
by Kurt Vonnegut
Total Word Count: Number of Chapters:
including preface)
Average Per Chapter:
Stranger in a Strange Land
by Robert A. Heinlein
Total Word Count: Number of Chapters:
Average Per Chapter:
157,471
39
4,038
49,459
10 (not
4,946
Romance
Average Total Word Count: 183,793
Average No. of Chapters:
44
Average Words Per Chapter: 4,177
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Safe Haven
by Nicholas Sparks
Total Word Count: Number of Chapters:
Average Per Chapter:
101,107
43
2,351
The Time Traveler’s Wife
by Audrey Niffenegger
Total Word Count: 155,717
Number of Chapters: 48
Average Per Chapter: 3,244
Outlander
by Diana Gabaldon
Total Word Count: Number of Chapters:
Average Per Chapter:
294,555
41
7,184
Children’s Books
Average Total Word Count:
557
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Madeline
by Ludwig Bemelmans
Total Word Count: 418
Number of Chapters: Average Per Chapter: -
Where the Wild Things Are
by Maurice Sendak
Total Word Count: 336
Number of Chapters: Average Per Chapter: -
Oh, The Places You’ll Go!
by Dr. Suess
Total Word Count: 917
Number of Chapters: Average Per Chapter: -
Children’s
Chapter Books
Average Total Word Count: 49,158
Average No. of Chapters:
21
Average Words Per Chapter: 2,340
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Where the Red Fern Grows
by Wilson Rawls
Total Word Count: Number of Chapters:
Average Per Chapter:
75,528
20
3,776
Charlotte’s Web
by E. B. White
Total Word Count: 31,938
Number of Chapters: 22
Average Per Chapter: 1,452
Matilda
by Roald Dahl
Total Word Count: Number of Chapters:
Average Per Chapter:
40,009
21
1,905
Memoir
Average Total Word Count: 98,193
Average No. of Chapters:
20
Average Words Per Chapter: 4,910
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Angela’s Ashes
by Frank McCourt
Total Word Count: Number of Chapters:
Average Per Chapter:
141,977
19
7,472
I Know Why the
Caged Bird Sings
by Maya Angelou
Total Word Count: Number of Chapters:
Average Per Chapter:
The Glass Castle
by Jeannette Walls
Total Word Count: 74,218
Number of Chapters: 4 parts
Average Per Part:
18,555
78,384
36
2,177
Historical & Literary
Average Total Word Count: 127,369
Average No. of Chapters:
24
Average Words Per Chapter: 5,307
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The Help
by Kathryn Stockett
Total Word Count: Number of Chapters:
Average Per Chapter:
158,012
34
4,647
The Kite Runner
by Khaled Hosseini
Total Word Count: Number of Chapters:
Average Per Chapter:
107,052
25
4,282
The Secret Life of Bees
by Sue Monk Kidd
Total Word Count: Number of Chapters:
Average Per Chapter:
93,316
14
6,665
Memoirs of a Geisha
by Arthur Golden
Total Word Count: Number of Chapters:
Average Per Chapter:
186,418
35
5,326
Water for Elephants
by Sara Gruen
Total Word Count: Number of Chapters:
Average Per Chapter:
100,483
25
4,019
The Book Thief
by Markus Zusak
Total Word Count: 118,933
Number of Chapters: 12, with
prologue and epilogue
Average Per Chapter: 9,911
Horror/Zombies
Average Total Word Count: 107,286
Average No. of Chapters:
37
Average Words Per Chapter: 2,900
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Lullaby
by Chuck Palahniuk
Total Word Count: Number of Chapters:
prolgoue
Average Per Chapter:
62,779
45 including
1,395
Pet Sematary
by Stephen King
Total Word Count: Number of Chapters:
epilogue
Average Per Chapter:
World War Z
by Max Brooks
Total Word Count: Number of Chapters:
Average Per Chapter:
117,167
8
14,646
141,912
59 with
2,405
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Example Novels
The first books of
Harry Potter, Twilight, and The Hunger Games
Average Total Word Count: 98,744
Average No. of Chapters:
23
Average Words Per Chapter: 4,293
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Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer’s Stone
by J. K. Rowling
Total Word Count: Number of Chapters:
Average Per Chapter:
77,508
17
4,559
Twilight
by Stephanie Meyer
Total Word Count: Number of Chapters:
preface and epilogue
Average Per Chapter:
The Hunger Games
by Suzanne Collins
Total Word Count: Number of Chapters:
Average Per Chapter:
99,750
27
3,694
118,975
26, including
4,576
Series Word Counts
The Harry Potter Series
by J. K. Rowling (7 books)
Grand Total Word Count:
1,084,808
Average Words Per Book: 154,973
Average Words Per Chapter: 5,479
The Twilight Saga
by Stephanie Meyer
(4 books)
Grand Total Word Count:
587,246
Average Words Per Book: 146,812
Average Words Per Chapter: 4,894
The Hunger Games Trilogy
by Suzanne Collins
(3 books)
Grand Total Word Count:
301,583
Average Words Per Book: 100,528
Average Words Per Chapter: 3,770
The Harry Potter Series
1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
77,508 words, 17 chapters, avg. 4,559 words/chapter
2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
84,799 words, 18 chapters, avg. 4,711 words/chapter
3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
106,821 words, 22 chapters, avg. 4,856 words/chapter
4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
190,858 words, 37 chapters, avg. 5,158 words/chapter
5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
257,154 words, 38 chapters, avg. 6,767 words/chapter
6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
169,441 words, 30 chapters, avg. 5,648 words/chapter
7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
198,227 words, 36 chapters, avg. 5,506
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The Twilight Saga
1. Twilight
118,975 words, 26 chapters (including preface and
epilogue), avg. 4,576 words/chapter
2. New Moon
132,758 words, 26 chapters (including preface and
epilogue), avg. 5,106 words/chapter
3. Eclipse
148,971 words, 29 chapters (including preface and
epilogue), avg. 5,137 words/chapter
4. Breaking Dawn
186,542 words, 39 chapters, avg. 4,783 words/chapter
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The Hunger Games Trilogy
1. The Hunger Games
99,750 words, 27 chapters, avg. 3,694 words/chapter
2. Catching Fire
101,564 words, 27 chapters, 3,762 words/chapter
3. Mockingjay
100,269 words, 26 chapters, 3,857 words/chapter
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Conclusion
If you have a suggestion for another novel or
genre to include in this list, let me know at
[email protected].
You are welcome to share “65 Bestselling Word Counts”
with other writers. Please don’t change it, charge for it, or
embed it on a webpage. Here are some ways to share:
Link: www.betternovelproject.com/blog/bestselling-wordcounts
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About Better Novel Project
Better Novel Project is all about
deconstructing bestsellers,
discovering what elements they
have in common, and using
these elements as a backbone
for a new novel outline.
We’ve started by breaking down three immensely popular
novels—Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, The Hunger
Games, and Twilight—and categorizing them based on their
common elements, from word counts to character
archetypes to scene structure.
Each element gets its own index card, and then each index
card finds a place in the master outline.
Currently, the outline has 90+ elements, and I’m pretty proud
of how it’s shaping up.
Follow along, index card by index card, as we use research
instead of luck to write a better novel.
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About the Author
Hi there! I’m Christine: Writer.
Joyous Outliner. Obsessed
with patterns and their creative
application.
I studied creative writing at
The Johns Hopkins University,
and then discovered the joy of
research and outlines while in
law school. Yes, joy.
Now I’m combining my two passions to create a better
novel– one that gets finished, gets published, and gets
read.
Read more at BetterNovelProject.com
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