Word Count for a Short Story

Quick Answer: The standard word count for a short story is 1,000 to 7,500 words. Flash fiction is under 1,000 words. Novelettes are 7,500 to 17,500 words. The exact word count depends on the publication you are targeting.

Whether you are writing your first short story or submitting to literary magazines, knowing the correct word count for a short story is essential. Submit too few words and editors will reject your work as underdeveloped. Submit too many and it will not fit the publication’s format. This complete guide covers word count for every type of short fiction.

Writing your short story and need to track your word count? Use our free Word Counter tool to count your words instantly as you write — no signup needed.

Word Count for a Short Story — Complete Breakdown

The word count for a short story varies depending on the subgenre and the publication you are targeting. Here is the complete breakdown of all fiction length categories recognized by most publishers and writing organizations:

What is the Ideal Word Count for a Short Story?

The ideal word count for a short story submitted to literary magazines and competitions is 2,500 to 5,000 words. This length gives you enough space to develop a character, build tension, and deliver a satisfying ending — without overstaying your welcome.

Most literary magazines publish short stories in the 2,000 to 6,000 word range. Stories under 1,500 words are often categorized as flash fiction and published in different sections or different publications entirely. Stories over 7,500 words are generally considered novelettes and face a much smaller market.

According to the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), the official word count boundaries for their Nebula Awards are: short story under 7,500 words, novelette 7,500 to 17,500 words, novella 17,500 to 40,000 words, and novel 40,000 words and above. These definitions are widely accepted across the publishing industry.

Word Count for a Short Story by Genre

Different fiction genres have different expectations for short story word count. Understanding these expectations helps you target the right publications and competitions for your work.

Flash Fiction Word Count

Flash fiction is a distinct category of short fiction with a word count of 100 to 1,000 words. It has become increasingly popular with the rise of online literary magazines and writing competitions. Flash fiction requires extreme economy of language — every single word must earn its place in the story.

Within flash fiction there are even shorter subcategories. The famous six-word story format — often attributed to Ernest Hemingway — is the ultimate example of micro fiction. The 100-word story or “drabble” is a popular flash fiction format with an exact word count of 100 words. The 500-word story is one of the most common flash fiction formats for competitions.

Use our free Word Counter tool to check your flash fiction word count precisely. For competitions with strict word limits, even being one word over can result in disqualification.

Short Story Word Count for Competitions

Writing competitions typically specify exact word count limits that must be followed strictly. Here are the most common competition word count categories:

How Long Does it Take to Write a Short Story?

The time it takes to write a short story depends heavily on your writing speed, the complexity of your story, and how much planning you do before you start writing.

At an average writing speed of 500 to 1000 words per hour for creative fiction, here is a realistic estimate:

Tips for Hitting Your Short Story Word Count Target

1. Plan before you write. Knowing your beginning, middle, and end before you start writing helps you pace your story correctly and hit your target word count without padding or cutting essential scenes.

2. Track your word count as you write. Use our free Word Counter tool to check your word count at any point during your writing process. Paste your draft and instantly see exactly how many words you have written.

3. Write long, edit short. Write your first draft without worrying about word count. Then edit down to your target. It is much easier to cut words than to add them while maintaining the natural flow of your story.

4. Know your target publication. Always check the submission guidelines of the publication or competition you are targeting before you start writing. Different markets have very different word count requirements for short stories.

5. Read published stories at your target length. The best way to understand what a 3,000-word short story feels like is to read published examples at that length. This trains your instincts for pacing and structure at your target word count.

Conclusion

The standard word count for a short story is 1,000 to 7,500 words. Flash fiction runs from 100 to 1,000 words. Novelettes are 7,500 to 17,500 words. The ideal length for most literary magazine submissions is 2,500 to 5,000 words. Always check the specific submission guidelines of your target publication before submitting.

Need to check your short story word count? Use our free Word Counter tool — paste your story and instantly see your exact word count, character count, and reading time. Perfect for writers hitting competition deadlines.