how long does a children’s book have to be?
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Posted by Cynthea on May 21st, 2006 filed in chapter books, easy readers, middle grade and YA novels, picture books, writing basics |
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Knowing the typical word counts of different types of children’s books will help you understand what goal you need to hit. These are only guidelines. If your word count comes in too high or low, you could raise eyebrows with publishers. Some might not even consider your work.
- Picture books - you’ll hear many people say the shorter the better. A good goal is 500 words or less. Definitely strive for under a 1000. Today’s editors and agents are looking for more story with less text.
- Emergent readers - Emergent readers might have as few as 32 words.
- Easy readers - word count will vary depending on the level. But the longer the book, the higher the level. Your best bet is to look up word counts of existing books written for the level you are writing. A level 1 reader might have 200 words. A typical level 3 or 4 reader might have any where from 800 to 1200 words.
- Chapter books - once you move to chapter books, word counts could range anywhere from the high-5000s to 25,000.
- Middle grade novels -here’s where you’re going to see a big spread, too but a good minimum goal is around 30-35,000 words. The upper end would be around 45,000. But it’s not that uncommon to see novels that exceed this.
- Teen novels -your minimum target will be slightly higher, starting from 40,000 and up.
There are figures based on my own research and numbers given to me by editors and agents. If you want to run your own analysis, Renaissance Learning is the best place for this kind of research. You may also hear people swear by different ranges. But in the end, try to come in at something “normal.” And don’t get hung up on word count if you just can’t get your work any shorter or longer. Sometimes your story won’t “fit” perfectly in the box it’s supposed to be in. And if that’s the case…I’ll tell what you can do.
Now go back to step three.
Hi Cynthea. I had a comment about the length of picture books. I subscribe to the Children’s Book Insider (from Write4kids.com) and they say the average length is around 1000 words. You mentioned about 500–much lower than I would have thought. I know you said they’re guidelines, but is 800-1000 (mine is around 900) too much now? (By the way, I like your site! Thank you for all your “tips!”)
The average length of picture books coming out today is NOT 1000. It’s going to be much closer to 500. It used to be around 1000, but as parents become more pressed for time, the market is now delivering books these parents can read to their kids without passing out. Picture books published near 1000 words or more are quickly becoming the exception to the rule.
Really the appropriate length of the text has everything to do with your story and how it’s written. Every word does count and careful consideration must be taken to ensure the pacing of the story and the illustratability is supported in a way that fits a picture book format. (See the article Revision 9-1-1 for Fiction Picture Books). Today’s contemporary picture books often come in at 500 words or less. But that is a guideline and not something to get worried about if your text “requires” more. The key word being “requires.” I’d say a word count over 1000 words will certainly raise some eyebrows for many editors. And 500 words or less will certainly get the attention of many editors, provided the story is appropriate and well-written for the PB market.
Best sources for critique groups for young children’s picture books? Love so love your site, your tenacity, your giving. Bless you and that beautiful Snoop Boy. Cathy Stroud
Critique Circle is one option at http://www.critiquecircle.com.
Or if you prefer something more personal, put out a call on the Blue Board.
Another place to get hooked up with picture book writers in your area is your local SCBWI chapter.
Hope that helps!
Cynthea, do you have any wisdom on picture story book length? Is anyone publishing in this genre anymore? Supposedly it’s a picture book for a slightly older audience–a little more words, a little less illustration. A classic example is “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” (although that one is fully illustrated). Love the site! Thank you!
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs has about 1200 words in it. That’s not that far out of range for a publishable manuscript if the story warrants the length.
If your manuscript is geared toward the upper range of the 4-8 bracket and it’s longer than the typical contemporary picture book, the range of publishers who will take a chance will become quite narrow. Unfortunately, a lot of it has to do with the house and the editor acquiring the manuscript. And there’s not a trade publisher I can think of off-hand who specializes in what you speak of. That doesn’t mean they’re not out there. I just don’t know of any.
One broader market you may want to consider is the magazine market (if the text is older and the length is longer). Some stories just fit better for the magazine market (Highlights, Cricket, etc.,) than they do for the picture book market.
Hope that helps. Cynthea