How long should a novel be?
The answer will vary depending on the genre, intended audience, and whether you're self-publishing or trying to find a traditional publisher. Most adult commercial novels are between 70,000 and 100,000 words, though there's some wiggle room here, and some types of literature (such as literary fiction or some genres like fantasy or historical fiction) might have word counts that are either above or below that. The rule of thumb is that your novel should be long enough to tell the entire story, but not so long that it feels padded, or so short that it feels rushed.
How long should a novel be?
There's not really one magic word count for any novel. But there is some importance to your word count when it comes to planning your manuscript and submitting your work to agents and publishers. It could affect production costs, set reader expectations, and influence whether or not your work meets industry norms for its market.
Typical word counts
Most adult commercial/literary novels fall somewhere between 70,000-100,000 words. Commercial genres tend to have different expectations. For example, romance and mystery novels may often be shorter than large fantasy or historical novels (though individual novels vary widely). Young adult and middle-grade fiction also have different expectations because of reading age and story complexity.
These are guidelines rather than rules. If you're a first-time author looking to get traditionally published, it might be easier to stay within the normal limits for your genre. More well-known authors might have more leeway in the length of their books.
Let the story decide
Avoid filler chapters or scenes in order to reach a specific word count. Each chapter or scene must be meaningful. Every chapter or scene must advance the plot, deepen character, increase conflict, enrich the setting, or advance the theme.
If the manuscript is too short, examine whether you have sufficiently explored the central conflict, or whether the ending feels earned. If the manuscript is too long, look for repetition of information, plot lines unrelated to the primary story, an overly protracted beginning, or scenes that can be merged.
Keep track of your progress
Pick a target for your draft that you can stick to. Maybe it's a certain word count per week, or a certain number of writing sessions. Don't determine what length your novel will be until you've written a complete draft.
During the revision process, work on the quality of the story first and the pacing of the story second. Once you've finished this process, you can either trim the word count by making selective cuts, expand it by adding material you need, or restructure it to fit your desired word count.