How long is the average book?

[The Mythwriter]

I would guess 200-300 pages, standard hardcover size. But I don't think anyone should weigh their book by word count. Brolie is right, classics were of all sizes, and it's just another facet of our culture that we judge books by length. You should write whatever you want to write, and if its better short, let it be short! Sometimes less really is more.

[PlaypitsPark]

Don't panic about length. I get the impression that publishers would rather take a risk on publishing 50,000 words than 150,000.

[Russell Brooks]

If you're a first-time author, you're safe with 75,000-80,000 words. You don't want to write more than that until you're a better known author with a bigger author's platform.