What Is a Novella? Definition, Word Count and How It Differs from a Novel

Quick answer: a novella is a work of fiction longer than a short story and shorter than a novel: long enough for a real arc and a small cast, short enough to read in one sitting. The most precise published definition is the one used for the Nebula Awards: at least 17,500 words but fewer than 40,000 (SFWA, Nebula rules). Outside award rules, the bands are publishing conventions rather than fixed definitions, and they vary by publisher and market.

Key takeaways

• A novella is fiction; the term is not used for non-fiction of the same length.
• The Nebula bands: short story under 7,500 words, novelette 7,500 to under 17,500, novella 17,500 to under 40,000, novel 40,000 or more.
• One central idea, few characters, one plotline. A novella usually has room for a single arc, not a structure full of subplots.
• Length is a craft choice, not a lesser form: The Old Man and the Sea, Of Mice and Men, Animal Farm and A Christmas Carol are all novellas.
• Magazines, contests and imprints set their own word limits, so check the rules of the market you are writing for.

Where each form sits

Read the table as bands, not walls. Many publishers and writers use looser ranges (you will often see 20,000 to 50,000 words quoted for a novella), so a manuscript near a boundary is judged on craft first; only the label and the market rules change.

What actually makes it a novella (not just a short book)

Word count is the shorthand. The craft definition is more useful:

• One protagonist arc. A novella almost always follows one character through one change. There is rarely room for two leads or a full subplot alongside the main line.
• A small cast. A handful of named characters do most of the work. Every extra character takes words away from the arc.
• Compressed time or place. A single season, journey or town: the tight setting is often what gives a novella its intensity.
• No filler. Because there is no space for it, a novella tends to be denser than a novel, not thinner. Set-ups pay off quickly and scenes do double duty.
• One emotional register. It usually commits to one tone instead of moving between the comic and the tragic the way a longer novel can.

If a manuscript has novella length but novel structure (several subplots, a large cast, many years), the fix is usually either to trim it to its core arc or to expand that arc until it earns novel length. Length alone does not decide which it is.

Different markets, different limits

You will find conflicting numbers online because each market sets its own. Science fiction and fantasy awards use the Nebula bands above. Magazines, contests and publishers' imprints publish their own word limits in their submission guidelines, and those limits are the ones that count for that market.

Before you set a target length, decide which award, magazine, imprint or shelf the book is for, and write to that market's definition rather than a general range found on a blog.

Common mistakes, and how to avoid them

• Padding to reach novel length. Adding subplots to clear a word count usually thins the book. If the story is a novella, let it be one.
• Treating it as a failed novel. A novella is a form with its own discipline, and there is little room to hide weak scenes.
• Assuming it can only be an ebook. Novellas are published in print too: as single titles, in pairs, and in anthologies and boxed sets.
• Ignoring submission rules. Magazines and contests set hard word limits. An entry over the limit can be turned away on length before anyone reads it.
• Confusing it with the novelette. The novelette is mainly an award category. When you describe your book to readers, "novella" is the useful word.

A short self-check for your manuscript

1. Count the words: the real count, not an estimate. This tells you which band you are actually in.
2. Name the single arc. If you cannot state it in one sentence, the book may be a novel squeezed into novella length.
3. Count the named characters doing real work. A long list is a signal to look at focus.
4. Look for a subplot that could stand alone. If one can, the book may want to be longer, or the subplot may want to go.
5. Match the market. Find the word limit for the specific magazine, award, imprint or category you are aiming at, and write to that number.
6. Read it in one sitting. That is the novella's promise to the reader. If it does not hold in one go, pacing is the first thing to edit.

If the self-check tells you the story is a novella, that is a publishing plan, not a problem. Our self-publishing packages cover fiction at novella length, from editing, cover design and layout to ISBN, print and distribution, and you keep 100% of your rights and royalties.