novelette

A novelette is a length of fiction that sits between a short story and a novella. In many markets it is defined by word count, roughly 7,500 to 17,500 words, though exact ranges vary by publisher or award; some definitions extend up to about 20,000 words. The form is commonly used in magazines and anthologies, especially within science fiction and fantasy, where editors seek a mid-length work that can sustain extended ideas without becoming a full novel.

Compared with a short story, a novelette typically provides more developed plot, characterization, and thematic exploration, while remaining centered on a single premise or situation. Compared with a novella, it stays more compact, with fewer subplots and a faster pace, prioritizing concise storytelling over breadth.

Publication and recognition: Novelettes have long occupied a middle tier in periodicals and genre anthologies. In science fiction and fantasy, major awards commonly include a Best Novelette category, defined by word count and sometimes by publication form, alongside Best Short Story and Best Novella. Markets outside specialty fiction may use different terminology, such as long short story, or simply refer to works by their word-count bracket.

Origin of the term: The term reflects historical publishing practice of dividing longer fiction into mid-length forms and derives from the idea of a short novel.