Middle Grade Novel Word Count
By Mary Kole
Mary Kole is a former literary agent, freelance editor, writing teacher, author of Writing Irresistible Kidlit, and IP developer for major publishers, with over a decade in the publishing industry.
Are you curious about middle grade novel word count? If you’re writing novels for tweens and want to make sure you’re meeting category expectations, you’ve come to the right place. The question of middle grade novel word count seems straightforward, but there’s some nuance involved. There’s a basic MG (industry slang for “middle grade”) word count to aim for, but there are also a few exceptions to it.
Middle Grade Novel Word Count
Some subsets of middle grade novel word count tend to run higher. In general, books for younger readers have a shorter word count while the middle grade novel word count for books targeting older kids can be longer. Stories for upper middle grade can be more complex and therefore longer.
Middle grade fantasy novels also run longer. They require more worldbuilding, more description, and more setting. They also tend to have more complicated plots, so readers expect slightly longer books. Other middle grade genres that tend to have higher word counts include historical and sci-fi, since more elaborate world-building is required there, too.
In a contemporary novel, readers don’t need the writer to stop and explain quite so many details, like what a school bus, a middle school cafeteria, or a pair of tennis shoes are. (Unless your book has an interesting and specific slant on these familiar items or ideas!) These are common concepts that young readers easily grasp. But if your world has three suns, if people are bonded to a pet who can read their minds, or if it’s crucial to know that kids didn’t go to school because they work in factories, it’s going to take a bit of time on the page to explain those concepts to readers.
Your own middle grade novel word count should echo the demands of the story. Familiar setting and rules? Fewer words are needed. Teaching about the past or creating a brand-new world for young readers to enter? That story will require more words.
Let’s go over some general middle grade novel word count guidelines.
Middle Grade Novel Word Count By Age
Young Middle Grade Novel Word Count: 15,000 to 30,000
Middle Grade Novel Word Count: 30,000 to 55,000
Upper Middle Grade Novel Word Count: 55,000 to 75,000
Fantasy/Historical/Sci-fi Middle Grade Novel Word Count: 65,000 to 85,000
Reader Expectations for Middle Grade Novel Word Count
The thing to keep in mind about middle grade word count is that you do want to stick within the core range, if you can. There is such a thing as too long a manuscript, no matter what Christopher Paolini is “allowed” to do with his books. There are going to be reluctant readers in this age group, which are sometimes (fairly or unfairly) stereotyped to be middle grade boy readers. Very long books seem intimidating to them. (And there’s always the argument that you can break writing rules and start freewriting once you’ve learned the rules and guidelines first.)
Books that are too short also sometimes miss the mark. If you don’t spend enough time developing characters, showing rather than telling, and crafting an interesting plot with a ton of story conflict, the project might run short. Not only that, but it runs the risk of being a flat story. The typical middle grade novel word count ranges above can guide you to writing a story that meets reader expectations.
By sticking to about 40,000-50,000 words, unless there’s a good reason to do otherwise, you are including more skill levels. The category younger than middle grade is chapter books. If your manuscript is nowhere near these figures, you might want to investigate writing for a different audience or getting some advice on how to bring your middle grade novel word count into an acceptable range. You’re dealing with readers in a specific part of their skills development, so these guidelines aren’t arbitrary. If you play within these numbers, you are more likely to attract attention to your work from literary agents, publishers, and middle grade book buyers (and readers!).
Click here to purchase Writing Irresistible Kidlit, my book on fiction craft for MG and YA novels, out from Writer's Digest Books. This will show you my writing craft philosophy and give you lots of valuable advice, including tips for the novel revision process and self-editing. There are over 35 example novels cited and discussed throughout. It’s a valuable resource for any writer’s toolkit.