The main difference between a novella and a novel is length. A novella runs 17,500 to 40,000 words, while a novel runs 40,000 words or more. But word count is only the surface. The two forms handle plot, character, and scope in genuinely different ways.
In this guide, you’ll learn:
- The exact word count that separates a novella from a novel
- How plot, character, and structure differ between the two forms
- Well-known examples of each, from Of Mice and Men to Harry Potter
- Which form to choose for your story and your publishing goals
Here is everything that actually separates the two.
What Is the Difference Between a Novella and a Novel?
The difference between a novella and a novel comes down to length, scope, and structure. A novella is 17,500 to 40,000 words with a single, focused storyline. A novel is 40,000 words or more and can carry multiple plotlines, larger casts, and deeper world-building.
Length is the line most publishers and award bodies draw first. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) sets the novella band at 17,500 to 40,000 words for its Nebula Awards, and anything above 40,000 words counts as a novel.
But two books of the same length can still feel like different forms. A novella tends to move fast, follow one character, and resolve one central question. A novel has room to wander, layer subplots, and build a world you can get lost in. Merriam-Webster defines a novella as a work “shorter than a novel,” which captures the everyday distinction most readers make by feel.
Novella vs. Novel Word Count
A novella is 17,500 to 40,000 words. A novel is 40,000 words or more, with most published novels landing between 70,000 and 100,000 words. The gap between the two forms is filled by the novelette (7,500 to 17,500 words) and bordered below by the short story (under 7,500 words).
Here is how the major fiction lengths compare, using the word-count bands recognized by the Hugo Awards and SFWA:
| Form | Word Count | Approx. Pages | Read Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short story | Under 7,500 | Under 30 | 30 min or less |
| Novelette | 7,500 – 17,500 | 30 – 70 | 1 – 2 hours |
| Novella | 17,500 – 40,000 | 60 – 150 | 2 – 4 hours |
| Novel | 40,000+ | 150+ | 4+ hours |
Genre shifts these numbers. A commercial thriller novel might run 90,000 words, while an epic fantasy novel can pass 120,000. Publishing resources like Reedsy and MasterClass use these same bands. For a full breakdown, see our guides on novel word count and average novella word count.
One practical marker: if your manuscript is longer than a short story but you can still read it in a single sitting, you are almost certainly writing a novella.
Why Does the 40,000-Word Line Exist?
The 40,000-word boundary between a novella and a novel exists because award bodies and publishers needed a consistent cutoff for judging, pricing, and shelving books. It is a convention, not a law, but it is a convention nearly the whole industry agrees on.
The line traces back to the major genre awards. Both the Nebula and Hugo Awards codified 40,000 words as the floor for their “novel” category decades ago, and the rest of publishing largely followed suit. Writer’s Digest and most agents use the same benchmark when evaluating submissions.
Traditional publishers care because word count drives cost. A 40,000-word book and a 90,000-word book require different print runs, cover pricing, and marketing. Knowing the category up front tells everyone how the book will be produced and sold.
That said, readers rarely count words. What they feel is scope. The 40,000-word line is really a proxy for the deeper structural differences in plot and character that separate the two forms.
Novella vs. Novel Word Count by Genre
Genre expectations shift where the novella and novel lines land in practice. A cozy romance novel can run shorter than an epic fantasy novella-plus-sequel arc. Here are the ranges traditional publishers typically expect:
| Genre | Novella Range | Novel Range |
|---|---|---|
| Romance | 20,000 – 40,000 | 50,000 – 90,000 |
| Science fiction | 17,500 – 40,000 | 90,000 – 120,000 |
| Fantasy | 17,500 – 40,000 | 90,000 – 120,000 |
| Mystery / thriller | 20,000 – 40,000 | 70,000 – 90,000 |
| Literary fiction | 20,000 – 40,000 | 70,000 – 100,000 |
Romance and science fiction have the healthiest novella markets, largely because readers of those genres consume books quickly and welcome shorter, series-friendly installments. Literary fiction leans toward the standalone novella as an artistic choice.
If you are writing to submit to agents or traditional publishers, match your genre’s expected novel range. Coming in far under or over the norm is one of the fastest ways to draw a rejection.
How Many Pages Is a Novella vs. a Novel?
A novella is roughly 60 to 150 printed pages, while a novel is 150 pages or more. These are estimates. Page count depends on trim size, font, and formatting, so word count is always the more reliable measure.
A standard paperback fits about 250 to 300 words per page. Run the math and a 30,000-word novella lands near 100 to 120 pages, while an 80,000-word novel fills roughly 280 to 320 pages.
Publishers care about page count because it affects printing cost and shelf presence. Readers care because a slim spine signals a quick read, while a thick one promises immersion.
Plot and Structure: The Real Difference
Beyond length, the biggest difference between a novella and a novel is narrative scope. A novella tells one story with one main thread. A novel can braid several plotlines together and still tie them off by the end.
A novella usually skips the subplots. There is no time for a secondary romance, a rival’s backstory, and a political intrigue arc all at once. You pick the one storyline that matters most and follow it hard.
A novel earns the space for all of that. You can open loops in chapter three and close them in chapter thirty, letting tension build across hundreds of pages. This is why chapter planning matters more in long-form work. See our guide on how many words in a chapter for pacing benchmarks.
The structural rule of thumb: a novella is a single powerful arc, and a novel is an arc made of arcs.
Character Depth and Cast Size
Character handling separates the two forms as clearly as word count does. A novella typically follows one protagonist through a single transformation. A novel can develop a full ensemble, giving multiple characters their own arcs, motivations, and growth.
In a novella, every character on the page earns their spot. You rarely have more than three or four named characters who matter, because there is not enough room to develop more.
A novel can afford a sprawling cast. Think of the dozens of named characters in a fantasy series versus the tight trio at the heart of a novella. Both approaches work. They just serve different reading experiences.
Novella vs. Novel: Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Novella | Novel |
|---|---|---|
| Word count | 17,500 – 40,000 | 40,000+ |
| Page count | 60 – 150 | 150+ |
| Plotlines | One main thread | Multiple, layered |
| Cast size | Small, focused | Can be large |
| Time span | Often compressed | Often expansive |
| Read time | One or two sittings | Multiple sittings |
| World-building | Light, efficient | Deep, detailed |
| Typical price | Lower | Standard |
Use this table as a quick gut check. If your story wants sprawl, subplots, and a big cast, it is asking to be a novel. If it wants speed, focus, and a single emotional punch, it is a novella.
Famous Examples of Novellas
Some of the most celebrated works in literature are novellas. Their short length is a feature, not a limitation. Each one delivers a complete, resonant story without a wasted word.
- Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck — about 30,000 words
- The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway — about 27,000 words
- A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens — about 29,000 words
- Animal Farm by George Orwell — about 30,000 words
- The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka — about 22,000 words
Notice the pattern. Each of these books follows a single premise to its emotional conclusion. That focus is exactly what the novella form rewards.
Famous Examples of Novels
Novels give authors room to build entire worlds. These titles show the range, from tight literary novels to sprawling epics.
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald — about 47,000 words (a short novel)
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling — about 77,000 words
- 1984 by George Orwell — about 89,000 words
- The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien — over 450,000 words across the trilogy
The Great Gatsby sits just over the novella line, which shows how blurry the boundary can be near 40,000 words. Length alone does not make a novel great; scope and ambition do.
Novella vs. Novelette vs. Short Story
A novella (17,500 to 40,000 words) sits above the novelette (7,500 to 17,500 words) and the short story (under 7,500 words). All three are shorter than a novel, and each is a distinct category in most literary awards.
The novelette is the least-known term. It is longer than a short story but shorter than a novella, and it appears mostly in science fiction and fantasy award categories rather than in bookstore marketing.
If you are working at the short end of these ranges, our guides on how to write a short story and building a short story collection will help you choose the right container for your idea.
Should You Write a Novella or a Novel?
Write a novella if your story has a single strong idea, a small cast, and a clear emotional arc. Write a novel if your story needs subplots, a large cast, deep world-building, or a longer time span to breathe.
Ask yourself three questions:
- How many storylines does this idea need? One points to a novella. Several point to a novel.
- How much world-building is essential? Light touch means novella. Deep immersion means novel.
- What is your publishing goal? Novellas suit serialized fiction, ebooks, and reader magnets. Novels suit traditional publishing and full-price releases.
There is no wrong answer. Some of the best stories ever written are novellas precisely because the author resisted padding them into novels.
Common Mistakes When Choosing a Form
- Padding a novella into a novel. Adding filler subplots to hit 70,000 words weakens a tight story. If the idea is a novella, let it be one.
- Cramming a novel into a novella. Forcing an epic into 35,000 words leaves characters underdeveloped and plots rushed.
- Ignoring genre expectations. Romance, fantasy, and thriller readers expect certain lengths. Check our novel word count guide before you commit.
- Confusing word count with quality. Length is a structural choice, not a measure of value. A 25,000-word novella can outshine a bloated 100,000-word novel.
- Skipping the outline. Both forms benefit from planning. Longer books simply need more of it.
How Long Does It Take to Write a Novella vs. a Novel?
A novella takes most writers one to three months to draft, while a novel typically takes six months to a year or more. The difference tracks word count directly: fewer words means fewer drafting sessions and a faster path to a finished manuscript.
At a steady 1,000 words a day, a 30,000-word novella drafts in a month. An 80,000-word novel at the same pace takes closer to three months of drafting, plus revision. For a full timeline breakdown, see how long it takes to write a book.
AI writing tools can compress that timeline dramatically. Over 2,147 authors have used Chapter to move from outline to finished draft in a fraction of the usual time, whether they are writing a lean novella or a full-length novel.
Do Novellas Sell as Well as Novels?
Novellas can sell very well, especially in digital and serialized formats. Ebook readers happily buy novellas at a lower price point, and many authors use them as fast-to-read entry points into a larger series.
In print, novels still dominate bookstore shelves because their spine width and price point fit traditional retail. But online, the shorter form thrives. Romance and science fiction authors in particular use novellas to keep readers engaged between longer releases.
If your goal is a series, a novella makes an excellent reader magnet or prequel. If your goal is a single flagship title, a novel usually carries more perceived value.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a novella just a short novel?
A novella is not just a short novel. A novella runs 17,500 to 40,000 words and focuses on a single storyline, while a novel is 40,000+ words and can carry multiple plots and a larger cast. The novella is a distinct form with its own structure, not a trimmed-down novel.
How many words is a novella vs. a novel?
A novella is 17,500 to 40,000 words, and a novel is 40,000 words or more. Most published novels fall between 70,000 and 100,000 words. Award bodies like SFWA and the Hugo Awards use the 40,000-word mark as the official dividing line between the two forms.
Can a novella become a novel?
A novella can become a novel if the story genuinely supports more scope. Expanding a novella into a novel means adding subplots, developing secondary characters, or deepening the world — not padding with filler. If the extra material strengthens the story, the expansion works. If it dilutes the central arc, keep it a novella.
What is longer than a novel?
There is no formal category longer than a novel, though very long books over 110,000 words are sometimes called epic novels or doorstoppers. Works like The Lord of the Rings are often split into multiple volumes. In practice, “novel” covers everything from 40,000 words to well over 200,000.
Is 50,000 words a novel or a novella?
A 50,000-word manuscript is a novel, since it exceeds the 40,000-word threshold. It sits at the shorter end of the novel range, similar to The Great Gatsby. National Novel Writing Month set 50,000 words as its target precisely because it marks a short but complete novel.
The Bottom Line
The difference between a novella and a novel is length first, scope second. A novella (17,500 to 40,000 words) tells one focused story fast. A novel (40,000+ words) has room for subplots, larger casts, and deep world-building.
Neither form is better. The right choice depends on your idea, your genre, and your goals. Once you know which one your story wants to be, the next step is getting the draft written — and tools like Chapter can help you go from outline to finished manuscript, whichever length you choose.
