Your Book Goal
Map out a realistic word count and timeline for your masterpiece.
Step 1: What kind of book are you writing?
These are rough estimates. To get an accurate word count for your specific genre, see the chart below.
π
Children's
500 β 1k words
βοΈ
Nonfiction
40-70k words
π
Fiction Novel
70-100k words
Step 2: TARGET Word Count
Words
Step 3: WORDS WRITTEN SO FAR
Words
Step 4: TIMELINE
"You don't need to write a whole book today. Just focus on the next step."
Your Writing Plan
To finish on schedule, your targets are:
Words Remaining to Finish
75,000
β Youβre closer than you think.
Weekly Target
6,250
words per week
Per Session (3x/wk)
2,084
words per session
Total Volume
30
estimated chapters
Word Count Reference
Set the right target before you calculate your writing pace.
| Genre / Format | Typical Word Count Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Picture Book | 500 β 800 words | Focus time goes into revision and page layout, not word count. |
| Early Reader | 5,000 β 10,000 words | Controlled vocabulary. Chapter length matters more than total count. |
| Middle Grade Fiction | 20,000 β 50,000 words | Lean toward 35,000β45,000. |
| Young Adult (YA) Fiction | 50,000 β 90,000 words | Fantasy YA often runs longer β 80,000β100,000 acceptable. |
| Literary Fiction (Adult) | 70,000 β 100,000 words | Debut literary fiction: 80,000β90,000 is the sweet spot. |
| Commercial / Genre Fiction | 70,000 β 100,000 words | Romance: 55,000β90,000. Thriller/Mystery: 70,000β90,000. |
| Fantasy / Sci-Fi (Adult) | 90,000 β 120,000 words | Epic fantasy can exceed 120k for established authors. Debut: keep below 110k. |
| Nonfiction (Business/Self-Help) | 40,000 β 70,000 words | Readers prefer concise. 50,000β60,000 is the practical target. |
| Memoir / Narrative Nonfiction | 60,000 β 90,000 words | Structure like fiction β arc and pacing matter as much as word count. |
| Children's Nonfiction | 5,000 β 30,000 words | Varies widely by age range and visual content. |
