Download Article Take a peek beyond their covers to see what sets books and novels apart
Co-authored by
Devin McSween
Reviewed by Gerald Posner
Last Updated: April 11, 2023 Fact Checked
|
Show more
|
Show less X
This article was reviewed by Gerald Posner and by wikiHow staff writer, Devin McSween. Gerald Posner is an Author & Journalist based in Miami, Florida. With over 35 years of experience, he specializes in investigative journalism, nonfiction books, and editorials. He holds a law degree from UC College of the Law, San Francisco, and a BA in Political Science from the University of California-Berkeley. He’s the author of thirteen books, including several New York Times bestsellers, the winner of the Florida Book Award for General Nonfiction, and has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History. He was also shortlisted for the Best Business Book of 2020 by the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing.
There are 11 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.
This article has been viewed 19,053 times.
As you’re strolling through the library, an interesting book catches your eye. When you inspect the shiny cover, you see “A novel” printed underneath the title. You know you have a book in your hand, so what’s the need to specify that it’s a novel? If you’ve been wondering how books and novels are different, we’re here to tell you how. We’ll go over the main differences between books and novels and tell you more about what each one is. Read on to learn more!
Things You Should Know
- A novel is a type of book written in sentences, or prose, while books are a general term for bound pieces of paper containing text or illustrations.
- Books are either fiction, describing made-up stories, or non-fiction, containing facts. Novels are always fictional narratives following a plot, characters, and theme.
- Novels are typically no less than 40,000 words long, while books have no set length.
Steps
Section 1 of 3:
Key Differences Between Novels and Books
-
1 A novel is a type of book, while a book is a bound collection of pages. Okay–you’re probably familiar with books. But just to remind you, books are objects consisting of text or illustrations on pieces of paper that are bound together. [1] X Research source Novels are a type of book that’s written in prose. This means that novels contain sentences and paragraphs, as opposed to lines and stanzas of poetry. [2] X Research source
- So, a novel is a book, but a book isn’t always a novel!
- Electronic books, or e-books, that you read online are considered books even though they’re not physical objects.[3] X Research source
-
2 Novels are purely fiction, while a book can be fiction or non-fiction. A novel covers a structured narrative, or story, that is fictional. This means that the novel contains a plot, setting, and characters that are imaginary or made up. [4] X Research source Some books are fiction, while others are non-fiction. Non-fiction books cover real-life facts, history, and educational concepts. [5] X Research source
- For example, comic books and children’s picture books are works of fiction, but they are not novels.
- Non-fiction books include textbooks, historical diaries, biographies, and cookbooks.
- Novels are some of the most popular types of books. The Great Gatsby, Pride and Prejudice, and The Hunger Games are all some you’ve likely heard of (and read)!
Advertisement
-
3 Books have no set length, while novels contain more than 40,000 words. There’s no real amount of words or pages that a book has to have to be considered a book. Children’s picture books are often only 20 pages long and contain several words per page, while encyclopedias tend to have hundreds to thousands of pages. [6] X Research source To be considered a novel, it typically has to contain at least 40,000 words. [7] X Research source
- Most novels average around 60,000 to 100,000 words, which is about 300 pages of text.
-
4 The writer of a book is called an author, while a novelist writes novels. An author refers to anyone who writes a book, whether they wrote a children’s book, textbook, or memoir. [8] X Research source When someone writes a novel, you call them a novelist. While they’re technically an author because they wrote a type of book, it’s most accurate to call them a novelist. [9] X Research source -
5 A novel entertains you, while a book records and communicates info. When a novelist writes a novel, they want to transport you to a different place and make you feel for their characters as you follow their story. [10] X Research source Historically, people wrote books to record information and pass it on to others. While you might find fiction and non-fiction books entertaining, a book’s general purpose is to convey information and educate you about a subject. [11] X Research source
- A novel is supposed to get an emotional response out of you. The novelist wants you to get so absorbed in the story that you can’t put the novel down until you finish it.
- Because books are more educational, you tend to read them in little bursts over a longer period of time.
- Novels often contain important and influential societal commentary and themes. While that often makes them educational, their main purpose is still to entertain you.
Advertisement
Section 2 of 3:
What is a novel?
-
A novel is a long work of fiction written in narrative form. All novels are written works of fiction that follow a story with a plot, or series of events. So, the story, setting, and main characters in a novel are all made up by the novelist. There is typically an underlying idea, or theme, that the novelist weaves into their story, such as practicing self-love or fighting against injustice. There’s a novel out there for everyone, as they come in different genres like romance, science fiction, fantasy, mystery, and thrillers. [12] X Research source
- Novels are typically written with a relatable main character that goes through a journey or transformation. You tend to connect with the character, putting yourself in their place in the story, and root for their success.
- Novellas are a shorter type of novel. These are also fictional narrative books, but they typically contain around 10,000 to 40,000 words, while novels contain upwards of 40,000 words.[13] X Research source
Section 3 of 3:
What is a book?
-
1 A book is an object made of text or images bound together at 1 end. This is a pretty general definition because books cover all sorts of works of literature, like poetry compilations, nature guides, autobiographies, and chapter books. Books have always been a way for people to document and transmit their knowledge to others, whether it’s with made-up stories or factual accounts of history. In fact, books originate back in 3000 BCE Egypt! Back then, they were nothing more than scrolls of papyrus paper. [14] X Research source
- Today, books can be physical or digital. It’s easy to pick a book up from the library, find it online as a pdf, or download it to your e-reader.
-
2 Most books have specific information in the front, back, and middle. In the beginning pages of a book, you’ll usually see the title, author, publisher, International Standard Book Number (ISBN), and copyright information. Sometimes that’s followed by a table of contents, a foreword, and a preface. In the middle is the actual content of the book. Then, at the end, the author might give acknowledgments, provide a glossary defining the terms used in the book, and list their references in a bibliography. [15] X Research source
- A foreword introduces the author and is written by someone else, while the preface is written by the author to explain why they wrote the book.
Advertisement
Expert Q&A
Search
Add New Question
Ask a Question 200 characters left Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
Advertisement
Tips
Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial
Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
You Might Also Like
How to Wrap Books As a Gift 
How to Share Kindle Books with Family and Friends
How to Order a Phone Book
How to Fix Wavy Book Pages with Water & Heat
4 Ways to Know If an Old Book Is First Edition
How to Tell the Edition of a Book
How to Write a Book Summary: Expert-Backed Tips & Advice
A Beginner’s Guide to Writing a Book Report (with Examples)
Download Google Books to Your Phone, Tablet, or Computer
How to DIY a Totally Fetch Burn Book
How to Understand Homestuck Quadrants
How to Get Free Books by Mail: Everything You Need to Know
How to Sign a Book
How to Quote a Book Advertisement
References
- ↑ https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/book
- ↑ https://www.britannica.com/art/novel
- ↑ https://guides.library.ucla.edu/content-types/books
- ↑ https://www.britannica.com/art/novel
- ↑ https://guides.library.illinoisstate.edu/comparetypes/typesofbooks
- ↑ https://lithub.com/what-exactly-do-we-mean-by-a-book/
- ↑ https://www.ignitedinkwriting.com/ignite-your-ink-blog-for-writers/whats-the-difference-between-a-novel-novella-and-short-story-and-why-should-you-care/2021
- ↑ https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/author
- ↑ https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/novelist
- ↑ https://www.languagehumanities.org/what-is-a-novel.htm
- ↑ https://open.lib.umn.edu/mediaandculture/chapter/3-2-history-of-books/
- ↑ https://www.languagehumanities.org/what-is-a-novel.htm
- ↑ https://www.ignitedinkwriting.com/ignite-your-ink-blog-for-writers/whats-the-difference-between-a-novel-novella-and-short-story-and-why-should-you-care/2021
- ↑ https://open.lib.umn.edu/mediaandculture/chapter/3-2-history-of-books/
- ↑ https://openpress.universityofgalway.ie/guide/chapter/what-is-in-a-book/
About This Article
Reviewed by:
Gerald Posner Author & Journalist This article was reviewed by
Gerald Posner and by wikiHow staff writer,
Devin McSween. Gerald Posner is an Author & Journalist based in Miami, Florida. With over 35 years of experience, he specializes in investigative journalism, nonfiction books, and editorials. He holds a law degree from UC College of the Law, San Francisco, and a BA in Political Science from the University of California-Berkeley. He’s the author of thirteen books, including several New York Times bestsellers, the winner of the Florida Book Award for General Nonfiction, and has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History. He was also shortlisted for the Best Business Book of 2020 by the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing. This article has been viewed 19,053 times. 11 votes – 88% Co-authors:
2
Updated: April 11, 2023 Views:
19,053 Categories:
Books
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 19,053 times.
Did this article help you?
Yes No
Advertisement