Word Counts

Ever wonder what the length difference is for short stories, novelettes, and novellas? I’ve wondered many times, and even though I’ve seen the cut-offs listed before I always manage to forget them. And I can never find them when I need them. Well, I found them again in Kate Wilhelm’s Storyteller, so I thought I’d just post them here for my own reference. And perhaps for yours.

Short story – up to 7,500 words
Novelette – from 7,500 up to 15,000
Novella – from 15,000 up to 40,000
Novel – Above 40,000
Tome – Robert Jordan length. (OK, OK, I just made up that one. But am I wrong?)

Now if someone would just tell me how long a microfiction or “short short” can be.