Genre guide · Fiction
Paranormal Fiction: word count & book length
How long a paranormal fiction book should be, which trim sizes suit it and what that means in printed pages. Typical length: 75,000–100,000 words.
75,000–100,000 wordstypical length
3,895works in Open Library
About paranormal fiction
Ghosts, psychics, vampires, shifters and other supernatural elements in a recognisable world, often blended with romance or mystery.
Printed length in recommended trim sizes
| Trim | Pages at 11 pt | Spine (white) |
|---|---|---|
| 5.5 x 8.5 in Digest | 292–398 pages | 0.66–0.9 in |
| 6 x 9 in US Trade | 258–348 pages | 0.58–0.78 in |
Page counts for these lengths
Tips for this category
- Spell out the blend (paranormal romance vs. paranormal mystery) in metadata.
About Paranormal Fiction
Paranormal fiction is a genre of fiction whose story lines revolve around the paranormal.
From the Wikipedia article “Paranormal fiction”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Most-published paranormal fiction works in Open Library
| Title | Author | First published | Editions |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Picture of Dorian Gray | Oscar Wilde | 1890 | 3,013 |
| The House of Seven Gables Readalong | Nathaniel Hawthorne | 1851 | 471 |
| The Great God Pan | Arthur Machen | 1894 | 431 |
| The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde | Robert Louis Stevenson | 1875 | 373 |
| Twice-Told Tales | Nathaniel Hawthorne | 1800 | 369 |
| A bid for fortune, or, Dr. Nikola's vendetta | Guy Boothby | 1895 | 246 |
| The Moon Pool | A. Merritt | 1919 | 230 |
| Brood of the Witch-Queen | Sax Rohmer | 1924 | 194 |
| Ghost Stories of an Antiquary | Montague Rhodes James | 1904 | 179 |
| Allan and the Ice-Gods | H. Rider Haggard | 1920 | 177 |
Open Library lists 3,895 works under this subject.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a paranormal fiction book be?
Typically 75,000–100,000 words. Ghosts, psychics, vampires, shifters and other supernatural elements in a recognisable world, often blended with romance or mystery..
What trim size is best for paranormal fiction?
Common choices are 5.5 x 8.5 in Digest, 6 x 9 in US Trade.
Sources & data
- Subject statistics from Open Library.
- Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).