Novels and short stories are pretty different from each other. The main differences are how long they are and how complex they can be.

Length:

• Novels: These are usually longer than 40,000 words.
• Short Stories: These are much shorter, averaging between 1,500 and 7,500 words.

Character Development:

• Novels: They provide a chance to develop many characters in-depth, often having more than one main character.
• Short Stories: These tend to be simpler and focus on one main character.

Themes:

• Novels: They can explore many themes at once.
• Short Stories: These usually stick to one strong theme.

Because of these differences, novels and short stories attract readers in different ways. In fact, novels make up about 90% of all fiction sales, while short stories are around 10%.