How to Write a Children’s Book: How Long Should My Story Be?

Advice blogs on writing fiction for kids!

So how long should your story be?

As long as a piece of string?

The length of a ten-minute bedtime routine?

Long enough to keep them occupied for an afternoon?

Obviously, there are as many answers to this question as there are children’s books, but nevertheless, it is a useful thing to think of before you start writing.

The short answer is, it is as long as you’d like it to be!

But the longer answer is… there are some generally accepted lengths. Some specific lengths that most books will be. Aside from what I have written before in my other post — Who Are You Writing For? — with the estimated word counts depending on the categories you are writing for, there are also some very common industry standards.

For any book that is around 1000 or so words, up to about 3000 words, and which uses quite simple language, the length is usually 26 pages. This can change, obviously, and if you feel like it needs less, or indeed more, then there is no reason to limit yourself to the template. This is just the length that makes a generally appealing children’s storybook.

(Storybook here meaning a book that tells a story, yes, but also one that can be happily read in one sitting. A bedtime story might be a nice way to think about it.)

However, if you are writing simpler stories, it is more often than not very helpful to limit yourself to a nice round number. Knowing that a story is going to be 500 words, 1000 words, 2000 words before you begin can help you to, firstly, divide the intended word count by the number of pages, so you know how many words should roughly be on each page to make it a smooth reading experience and, secondly, give you a conservative estimate of how long it will take you, so you can work out a workable writing schedule for yourself.

This way of dividing the words by the page number might seem quite a restrictive or clinical way of writing a book. I want to just write and see where it goes, you might be shouting. But in all my experience, I have found it quite the opposite. It helps me to tell a better story, because it helps me into the flow of it.

Simply put, this technique can help you to be more economical during your writing. If you know that a 1000 word story, which is 26 pages long, should have about 38 words on each page, you are subtly encouraged to choose your words and sentences more carefully in order to tell a clear, engaging and appealing story that does not meander or stray from its narrative.

Personally, I also find this technique extremely helpful in making sure that my story fits and that my beats are in the right places. If I know I have 26 pages in which to write a story and I have made it halfway through without having introduced the main character to their obstacle yet, then I know I had better either hurry it up, or go back and rewrite certain pages. Using this technique, I will already be able to tell that, if I have made it to the 13th page without the story being halfway through, then the next 13 pages are going to feel rushed.

In the economical world of short children’s books, it is important to use your word count and page count well, yes, but this can only be done by having an easy way of keeping track of where you are. Knowing what wordcount you are working with is a good way of doing this.

Knowing how many words should ideally go on each page can also allow you to choose the moments that you stray from this. And straying from the rhythm is just as important as sticking to it when writing an exciting story.

If the pages so far have had a consistent amount of words and have been flowing regularly, then suddenly having a page just contain one or two words: ‘BOOM’ or ‘OH NO! they will have a much more powerful effect than they would have had in a story that did not have such an awareness and economical use of the amount of words on each page.

Knowing your wordcount can also help you create the form of the story as it goes. You can be in total control of your story’s ups and downs, rises and falls and slow builds and exciting finales.

So, this is all to say two things.

Your story can be as long as you want it to be. Absolutely.

But know how long it is before you begin and use this knowledge to your advantage to stay in control of your story.