Imagine a world where books are strictly limited to a certain number of pages. A world where a novel’s worth is determined by its length alone. Sounds preposterous, doesn’t it? But hold on because this might not be too far from the truth. Yes, you read that right – how long is the average fiction book is quite a surprise. And it might just challenge your perceptions of what makes a good read.
The average fiction book varies in length, and throughout the years has been determined by a variety of factors. These include production costs (eBooks excepted), genre, and reader habits, often determined by what is happening in the outside world. Average length is irrelevant.
For years, we’ve heard shorter is sweeter, brevity is the soul of wit. But when it comes to fiction, reality is far from what we expect. A good rule of thumb is any book over 150 pages (or 40,000 words) constitutes a fiction novel. below that you have Novellas, Novellettes, and Short Stories.
So, get ready to be surprised as we dig into the world of fiction books, and find out just how long the average fiction book is.
Fiction Background
As far as we know, fictional storytelling has been going on as long as people have existed. Long before the written word, people gathered around fires and told stories. The stories reflected a culture’s values and were often used to teach. People shared stories and passed them on via the oral tradition.
Development of writing and printing
Then writing developed, which allowed storytellers to capture their words on paper. No longer did they have to memorise stories which often altered their meaning with each telling. Now definitive versions could be preserved, but had to be copied by hand, until the invention of the printing press.
That is until around 1436, when Johannes Gutenberg made his remarkable invention, allowing for mass copying and distribution of text.
The printing press, though slow by modern standards, produced, affordable copies.
Finally, the stage was set for the fiction book.
What is a Fiction Book?
A fiction book is a story captured in text, often printed on paper, bound, and contained in a hard or paperback cover. At least this has historically been the case. Now, of course, e-books exist as well, and people can read a book on a screen.
As opposed to non-fiction, fiction books tell stories that are imagined. When they’re inspired by true events, the reality within the story has been altered to the point it isn’t true. Strictly speaking, fiction authors tend to create emotional truths.
A fiction book may be a novel, where the entire book is a single, long-form story. Or it may be a collection of shorter works or stories. Sometimes stories are united by a common theme, as in a series, but this is not always the case.
Regardless, they are all fiction books.
How have fiction book lengths evolved?
The question of how long is the average fiction book length throughout history is a complicated one. That’s because, while it’s tempting to look for a narrative of shorter to longer, there is no straightforward trajectory.
To some extent, how long is a fiction book, is like asking how long is a piece of string.
That are both as long as they need to be.
However, the cost of printing, production of paper, ink, and distribution has determined how many longer books have existed. Due to this, historically, the price of longer books was more expensive, and only wealthier people could afford them. Even today, publishers request slight edits to make an edition more affordable to print.
Books in the Victorian Era
When the novel flourished in the Victorian Era, there were many thick volumes.
Some of Charles Dickens novels had as many as 900 pages. Meanwhile the works of Jane Austen were closer to the 300 to 400 page range.
But for people who couldn’t afford full-length fiction books, there were thousands of chapbooks. They were short novels and stories printed cheaply on flimsy paper which ranged from 8-40 pages.
Compare the Average Lengths of Different Types of Fiction Books
Cost of production
Over the years, books have become less expensive to produce.
- No longer is the physical typesetting of the printing press a factor.
- Now, we have digital printing technology.
- The production of paper is more automated, therefore
- length is no longer an issue from a cost standpoint.
Modern determining factors
If anything, the average length of a fiction book is most determined now by genre. A standard popular fiction book, the type generally recommended for mainstream book clubs, is often in the 300 to 400 page range. Readers now tend to gravitate towards slice-of-life stories that are more straightforward.
But when it comes to science-fiction or fantasy books, it’s not uncommon to still see doorstopper sizes, from 600 to 1100 pages. That’s often because fans of these genres expect dense, made-up worlds full of epic events. This sort of set-up requires rich detail that takes many more words to describe.
How the Modern World Has Influenced Current Fiction Books Lengths
As time has passed, the average fiction book length, has actually gone down. We can see this by looking at the New York Times bestseller lists. The average length has decreased from 437.5 pages to 386. Meanwhile, books over 400 pages are disappearing from the list altogether.
This is likely due to a variety of factors, but many believe the most prominent is the internet. In what has been referred to as culturally induced ADD, people are used to reading in short, simple bites now. Readers consume their information via tweets and short posts. Even a lot of visual entertainment is now in the form of short videos.
The pace of modern life and the decreasing attention spans of most people means longer forms of writing and entertainment suffer. And there is an overwhelming plethora of media to take up people’s time. There is more television and film being produced than ever before, not to mention video games.
What does this mean for fiction books? Simply put, people are less likely to buy or read longer books any more. The classics, Dickens and Tolstoy, will still be read, but by far fewer from the current and probably future generations.
Final Thoughts
And there you have it. The average length of a fiction book is a surprisingly complex subject with many hidden depths. We’ve uncovered some interesting trends and patterns. Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of what goes into determining the length of a novel.
But most importantly, we’ve shown that length isn’t everything, and there’s much more to a good book than the number of pages it contains. Catcher in the Rye (288 Pages), The Great Gatsby (224 pages), and Animal Farm (128 pages) are perfect examples.
A good rule of thumb is any book over 150 pages (or 40,000 words) constitutes a fiction novel. below that you have Novellas, Novellettes, and Short Stories. Average length is irrelevant.
Thanks for joining us on this journey, and we hope you have a newfound appreciation for the complexities of fiction book lengths.
Happy reading.
FAQs
Q: What factors influence the length of fiction books?
A: Historical evolution, reader preferences, and various other factors all influence the length of fiction books.
Q: How does the length of a fiction book affect its worth or quality?
A: The length of a fiction book does not necessarily determine its worth or quality. There are many other factors that contribute to the value and excellence of a novel, and the length is just one aspect of it.
Q: Are there any notable differences in the average lengths of different genres of fiction books?
A: Yes, there can be notable differences in the average lengths of different genres of fiction books, which were discussed in the article.
Sources
The Evolution of Storytelling – Melissa Mendoza – May 1, 2015
Treasures of the McDonald Collection: The Gutenberg Press
What price books? – Simon Eliot – Feb 20, 2014
How the invention of paper changed the world – Tim Harford – March 13, 2017
Chapbooks – Ruth Richardson – May 15, 2014
How Books Became Cheap – Lapham’s Quarterly – July 30, 2020
How Many Pages in a Novel, Novella, Novelette and Short Story? – Mairead Beeson – August 6, 2022
Bestselling books have never been shorter – Dimitrije Curcic – June 20, 2022
Books are getting shorter; here’s why – Daryl Nelson – April 26, 2013
