You know when you get that sad feeling when you're writing a novel - you think you're nearly finished and you realise that you've only written about 10,000 words! It is so annoying and is constantly happening to me! Do you know how long a novel (on average is) i.e. Over 20,000, 50,000, 100,000 words?
Generally, 10K words or less is considered a short story. Stories between 10K and 40K are usually classified as novellas, and anything above 40K is considered a novel.
These numbers vary, though, depending on publisher and genre.
I'd say don't stress about meeting a particular word count. Some stories just aren't meant to be novel-length, and forcing them to become novels rarely works out well.
Also, one thing to keep in mind that short stories and novellas are very publishable. Novels aren't the only market out there; they're simply the most well known.
A writer is a world trapped in a person— Victor Hugo
Ink is blood. Paper is bandages. The wounded press books to their heart to know they're not alone.
