As a writer, you’ve probably read there are recommended lengths for a manuscript depending on the genre you write in. We’ve done some research and thought we’d share that with you.

In order of length, word count guidelines for a few of the popular genres are:

• Novellas: 20,000 to 30,000
• Middle Grade: 25,000 to 40,000
• Romance: 40,000 to 100,000
• Young Adult: 50,000 to 80,000
• Mysteries, thrillers, and suspense: 70,000 to 100,000
• Paranormal: 75,000 to 95,000
• Fantasy: 90,000 to 100,000
• Horror: 80,000 to 100,000
• Science Fiction: 95,000 to 125,000
• Historical: 100,000 to 120,000

Genre length may vary with different publishers, so check submission guidelines carefully. If you’re self-publishing, readers of the genres have come to expect a certain word count, and you don’t want to disappoint them, so think about the word count and make a conscious decision on the length of your novel.

But what about word count per scene?

When you’re about…