The Average Word Count for Young Adult Novel
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.
The young adult category is one of the most popular niches in the publishing industry. YA offers a unique space for writers to explore, creating stories that resonate with young minds and exploring the challenges, fears, and joys of navigating life as a teenager. (It’s also no secret that adults read YA for its fast page and emotional engagement.) Writing for this age range can be both exhilarating and challenging, keeping in mind that the audience can be highly discerning and ruthlessly honest. Here, I’ll delve into the parameters for writing a young adult book, the young adult age range for the protagonist, the average word count for young adult novel, and other special considerations.
Parameters for Writing a Young Adult Book
Writing for young adults is a unique experience that requires you to tap into the emotions, thoughts, and feelings you might’ve experience when you were in this age range. It involves creating relatable characters that young adults can identify with, capturing their interests, struggles, and passions. A good young adult book must have a relatable and proactive protagonist who’s in pursuit of an objective, should revolve around a personal growth arc, and might want to deal with issues or struggles that are relatable to contemporary teens (even if the project itself is historical fiction). It should also be thought-provoking and be built around compelling themes and big questions.
The Young Adult Protagonist Age Range
The young adult age range for the protagonist character typically spans from fourteen to eighteen years, with fourteen considered young for a YA novel and eighteen considered the oldest potential age. If your protagonist is much younger, you are potentially writing middle grade fiction. If they’re older, this likely puts you in new adult territory. Children’s publishing is very concerned with its various age categories and guidelines, so there’s not a lot of wiggle room here.
Average Word Count for Young Adult Novel
Given the focus on guidelines and specific numbers, what is the average word count for young adult novel? For young adult fiction, the general word count recommended by publishers is between 60,000 to 80,000 words. This average word count for young adult novel can vary based on genre, with fantasy, science fiction, and historical examples tending to run on the longer side or even over this range. In terms of page count, young adult books usually range from 250-250 pages. Again, this average word count for young adult novel can vary, depending on the plot and formatting, especially when we talk about the finished book.
Writing a Series Idea for Young Adult Audiences
Writing a series idea for young adult audiences can be an excellent way to build a long-lasting readership and hook audiences into subsequent books. To create an engaging series, writers should develop a compelling world with plenty of potential for plot and action, build strong characters with multiple growth arcs, and maintain plot and world consistency throughout the series. Each installment in the series should land within the average word count for young adult novel. If you find your manuscript running quite long, consider splitting a 150,000-word project into a duology, for example.
Best Practices for Writing Young Adult
To write the perfect young adult book, you should immerse yourself in the world of your characters and build a plot that always connects back to character, creating an exciting and emotionally engaging journey which is more than the sum of its parts. It would be best if you also avoided talking down to young readers or teaching overt lessons, and instead aimed to treat them with respect. Approach writing for young adults with an open mind and an empathetic spirit, and you, too, can participate in this vibrant part of the publishing industry.
Writing for the young adult age range can be both challenging and rewarding. It requires you to immerse yourself in the minds and personalities of teenagers, capture their interest, spark their imagination, and take them on a journey that evokes empathy, thoughtfulness, and self-discovery. By following the parameters outlined in this article, including writing within the average word count for young adult novel, you can create a story that’ll resonate with young readers for years to come.
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