How Long Should Chapters Be?

9/28/2020

I’ve heard this question many times. At the beginning of my writing journey, over a decade ago, I had the same question. "How long should my chapter be?" One answer was given over and over: There isn’t one way to write a chapter, and your chapter should be as long or as short as it needs to be.

Well, that answer wasn’t beneficial. But after writing many books, I have three tips that will help you figure out how long your chapters should be (if you enjoy planning and outlining as I do).

3 Tips

How long do you want/need your book to be? The answer to that question can be extremely helpful. Once you figure out the overall length (on average), guestimate the number of chapters you’re aiming for. Then divide the total length by the number of chapters; this will give you a reasonable estimate of the number of words each chapter should hover around.
By the end of writing your first draft, go back and observe the length of each chapter. Typically, each chapter should end up with a similar amount of words, which means you might have to move a few words around. This tip doesn’t mean every chapter has to be the same length, but if most of your chapters are 1500-2000 words, and then suddenly, there’s a chapter that’s 4000-5000 words, then there might be an issue with the abnormal chapter. In general, be consistent! (Some books don’t have consistent chapter lengths, but many do. It's okay to have chapters that are shorter or longer than others if it's for a specific reasons, such as pacing, etc. For more on this matter, check out "How to Pace Your Novel: How Long Should Book Chapters Be?".)
If you’re still unsure and are struggling to figure out the length of your chapters, observe three books in a similar genre/category to the one you’re writing. How many words are in their chapters? Aim for this as an average.

Don’t let the confusion over chapter lengths stop you from writing. But make sure the length of your book is on par with others in your genre. A great rule of thumb is: When in doubt, read some newly released, successful books in the same genre you’re writing. You can learn a lot by studying what today’s readers are enjoying.

If you found this post helpful, please consider sharing it on social media. To hire me as your editor or ask a question, email me. I also offer free sample edits for the first 500 words. Have fun writing!

Author

Dawn Husted progressed into offering her editing services to clients in 2016, eventually opening Yaupon Berry Press LLC. She's constantly learning new ways of helping clients stay relevant in today’s market, whether by using an SEO strategy targeting high-trafficked keywords or simply editing their content. Dawn lives in central Texas with her husband, two energetic kids and an adorable golden retriever.

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