When talking about book length, its common to talk about word count. If you are writing a selfhelp book containing 10 steps to life. In contrast, word count is finite and usually i can calculate book length with about 99% accuracy in part because also included in any calculation is a count of figures, tables, etc. Sharp objects has a word count of 80,565 and my utility calculates it at 80,7. Unfortunately, they dont offer word count so ive created an algorithm based on the number of pages, genre, and the dimensions of the book. Jun 12, 2009 as a nonfiction writer myself, i know this is tough. You want 50,000 to 85,000 words for a fulllength self help book, half that for a self published ebook. Its easy to extrapolate from this what your total expected editing cost could be. Im leaving this in the list to show that word count isnt offered for every book. Academic books might put 600 words on a page with works of reference squeezing in words. Janethis is a really good post on a topic that i get a lot, especially since some of my customers are therapists.
I have often looked this up and got different results, which makes it very confusing. A good self help book serves as an instruction manual to give you direction and as a cheerleader to get you motivated. If you are writing a selfhelp book containing 10 steps to life improvement and each step 1 chapter, and you think you manuscript is going to be 10 to 15 pages per chapter, but you want to create an intimate reading experience, your book might be way too long for the 5 x 8 trim size. Yuval noah hararis 21 lessons for the 21st century is a banal and risible selfhelp book. If theyre looking for a selfhelp book, they dont want to read a 600page turner.
Go out and find similar books to the one you want to write and figure out how many words are in the book. We hope this post has helped you determine a good ebook word count for your book. May 14, 2018 literary agent paula munier says a 90,000 word count is the sweet spot for debut fiction. Mar 20, 2020 a plan for your book that includes a word count helps you not write too little or too much. For example, atonement has a word count of 123,378 and my utility comes up with 110,765 words. How to write a selfhelp book that actually changes lives. Selfhelp books are typically in the 7590,000 word range, but the specific topic and intended audience has a lot to do with the specifics. Pencilthin books on narrow topics that are under 50,000 words are quite common. The books take their name from selfhelp, an 1859 bestseller by samuel smiles, but are also known and classified under selfimprovement, a term that is a modernized version of selfhelp. Jul 23, 2012 still unsure of how long to make your nonfiction book. I have therefore made some averages, based on what ive heard from publishers and agents at childrens book events, and from research and reading. However, there is a wide range of acceptable word counts for nonfiction books. Check out the best methods on how to write and publish a selfhelp book. Its too much hassle and timeconsuming time you couldve spent refining and perfecting your book content.
Unfortunately, the rest of the book turns into the same selfhelp drivel you see in any essentially, he says that the internet and the media demand that we give a fck about everything, but we only have so much time on earth and so many fcks to give and we have to choose who and what we spend those fcks on. Nov 22, 2008 the best answer to your question is on the shelves of most bookstores. Using the styles function in word can help you ensure your book s font and spacing is consistent. Say who you are, what your story is, what made you write the book, how you came up with the idea, how its different from the other selfhelp books out there and how it can help the reader. Feb 24, 2015 and dont forget to calculate what your word count will be. Editing and ghostwriting selfhelp books thomas hauck. Fantasy, scifi, and epic novel writers should be forewarned. And remember, keeping to word counts is important, but what makes or breaks your chances with a publisher is the quality of your manuscript. After that, your agent will be able to help you more. Generally i consider any novel that is less than 300 pages to be a short one, 500 page a medium sized novel and anything more than 750 a lengthy novel. How many words in the average selfhelp book answers. And remember, keeping to word counts is important, but what makes or breaks your chances with a publisher is.
That said, my best advice is not to get too hung up on how many pages or words other books have. Then you will see what the usual is in terms of word count and length. You want 50,000 to 85,000 words for a fulllength selfhelp book, half that for a. The market for self help books is huge, and with the right book, you can make an impact. A small print encyclopedia can have 200,000 words in just under 400 pages of course, so type size and format matter but this is a rule of thumb given amazons removal. Check that the book actually starts on page 1 sometimes the stuff before it starts is counted then go to the last page before any bibliography, acknowledgements, appendices, etc. If you are planning on writing a self help book, a suggested avenue would be to first read other self help books that have been successful. The market for selfhelp books is huge, and with the right book, you can make an impact.
Jan 08, 2018 calculate book page count using your word count. One rule of thumb is you can get 60 percent of a manuscript page into one typeset page said manuscript being in 12point type, doublespaced, preferably times new roman, with oneinch margins on an 8. Sep, 2015 say who you are, what your story is, what made you write the book, how you came up with the idea, how its different from the other selfhelp books out there and how it can help the reader. I am in the process of writing a book about my story and will also include tips and things that i have learned over the course of my journey in the hopes that it helps others who are trying to lose weight.
The average book on the planet is 65,000 words at 200 pages, which is pretty close to this method. For full titles, authors and descriptions of these books, see whats on my travel memoir bookshelf. The best thing that you can do is look over comparable books and try to judge word count by their size, average wordspage, and illustration content. I just popped into my office and pulled a few books off the shelf. Wordcounter will help to make sure its word count reaches a specific requirement or stays within a certain limit. The average nonfiction book, if such a thing exists, runs about 50,000 to 75,000 words, but this can vary depending upon category. You want 50,000 to 85,000 words for a fulllength selfhelp book, half that for a selfpublished ebook. Well, i have to tell you that 10,000 25,000 words is the acceptable range for personal development ebooks. This line count includes blank lines between paragraphs as well as lines with just a single word. Neither too long nor too short, this book length signals a novelists competency and knowledge of the publishing market to prospective agents and editors.
If you want details on any step or prefer written guidance, pause the video and check out the stepbystep instructions. For example, if an author has to write a minimum or maximum amount of words for an article, essay, report, story, book, paper, you name it. The total word and page count will vary from book to book and is dependent on your writing and overall book formatting. Jun 07, 2017 when talking about book length, its common to talk about word count rather than page count. The average adult novel runs approximately 100,000 words while those in other categories run 80120,000 words. These works can take the form of advice, courses or even fictional stories. Line count varies depending on page size, font size, etc. In transformational selfhelp or spiritual books, even if the words are. Basically, having an idea of how long you want your book to be helps you work smarter, not harder.
The total word and page count will vary from book to book and is dependent on your writing and overall book formatting average time to write this book. Aug 05, 2019 he used the 270,000word memoir as an example because 1 memoirs are close to impossible to traditionally publish, so a word count that long wont get past the agent, and 2 its very, very hard to sell a memoir even through selfpublishing, let alone at that word count. I use amazons data feeds to come up with the calculation. But keep in mind that the person has probably already bought the book, so its no place for trying to.
Divide it up by chapters so you remain aware of how long each should be. At one extreme you get large print books with 250 words on the page. Honestly, for new authors, word count and query letter seem to be the only things that matter. As a nonfiction writer myself, i know this is tough.
Enter your books word count press calculate number of pages. Yes, you should go through the novel revision checklist and take out anything extraneous no matter what. A self help book is one that is written with the intention to instruct its readers on solving personal problems. I am currently at about 12,500 words and probably half way through if i were to guess. Selfhelp books can take many forms, they give the reader the tools they. Apr 29, 2018 selfhelp books are typically in the 7590,000 word range, but the specific topic and intended audience has a lot to do with the specifics. It is 224 pages long and by my count, about 50,000 words. Oct 28, 2014 i agree with julie about studying the market. The actual word count for the hunger games is 99,750 and my utility calculates 94,743 words. All of these are average book word count ranges and should not be taken as the definitive word count you must reach in your book. If you want to write a memoir, for example, look at four or five similar memoirs and determine their word count.
Shorter novels such as fahrenheit 451, the hitchhikers guide to the galaxy, the great gatsby, and slaughterhousefive are between 4050,000 words. When i began in book publishing in the late 1980s, a standard selfhelp book was. But keep in mind that the person has probably already bought the book, so its no place for trying to promote it. Unfortunately, the rest of the book turns into the same self help drivel you see in any essentially, he says that the internet and the media demand that we give a fck about everything, but we only have so much time on earth and so many fcks to give and we have to choose who and what we spend those fcks on. We all know of outliers within each genre that have been published well under, or well over, these word counts.
That said, this figure differs from book to book and organization to. Once you know your word count, follow one of our two methods below to estimate your page count. Realize it over the maximum word count for erotic, science fictionfantasy genre. Using styles also saves you time because you dont have to format the font and spacing for each part of your book. Ive read some that were 70 pages, and ive read a lot of them that were in the 150200 page range. You can use the preset styles in microsoft word or modify them for a custom look. Never pad your manuscript just to meet a word count guideline.
Its a selfhelp book detailing how to escape monotony in your early 20s and do work that actually matters. Word count, with a little help from amazon alexis grant. Youll use the word count in your word document to calculate book page count. In itself, no measure is perfect but personally i find word count the most useful. Build your book format a paperback manuscript word for. This is a general list of age categories and word counts for childrens books. Author eve tells me her book came in at 95,000 words. So should i stay with this word count, or try to bring the word count down.
Heres your beginnerfriendly guide to writing for the selfimprovement niche. As far as word count number of pages, i think youll find the self help section is all over the place. Your approximate word count, the estimated completion date, and the number of chapters usually 9 to 15if you have fewer than 9 chapters, make sure you have enough material to be submitting a finished product. But at the end of the day, you have to write the novel you want to write. Before our book page count calculator, you had to dig around through multiple sources to figure out how many words per page for your exact font size and then do the math.
And dont forget to calculate what your word count will be. For help formatting your paperback manuscript, see our guides for microsoft word for windows, microsoft word for mac and pages for mac. Literary agent paula munier says a 90,000 word count is the sweet spot for debut fiction. Count the number of lines on each page to get the linesperpage. Im not sure if im pushing the word count over, been trying cut back the word count. To help ensure that your book meets kdps basic specifications, follow all the steps in this guide except those marked advanced. For example, our own student success strategist, lisa zelenak, wrote this book called find your thing. For paperbacks you get 2550 lines per page, with 35 being a good average. Each manuscript should be long enough to adequately tell its story. Jun 27, 2019 put simply, the sweet spot for a novels word count is generally said to be around 8090k. A good selfhelp book serves as an instruction manual to give you direction and as a cheerleader to get you motivated. Every selfhelp book begins with a problem that you, the author, propose to solve.
It turns out a better book in the end as well, which means your readers enjoy it moreand youll sell more copies. Yes, having a book that is overly short or overly long for its genre will incrementally decrease your odds of finding traditional publication. A plan for your book that includes a word count helps you not write too little or too much. If you are planning on writing a selfhelp book, a suggested avenue would be to first read other selfhelp books that have been successful. Book page count calculator how many pages is my novel. Every self help book begins with a problem that you, the author, propose to solve. Sep 20, 2019 for that reason, if you have a motivational or selfhelp book idea, keep it at a lower word count will actually help you more.
If yours is too short, restructure it and add more tightly written stuff. If you have any questions or comments, let us know below. What do you think is an attainable daily word count for a writer trying to write a. Not sure how to get started with your selfhelp book. The best answer to your question is on the shelves of most bookstores. How to write and publish a book in less than 30 days. Many of them are engaged in writing what they feel will be the best of both worldsthe self help book and a memoir, and i do know a memoirist who did that. Yuval noah hararis 21 lessons for the 21st century is a. Using your current word count and the appropriate formula below, calculate the number of pages you can expect in your finished book. Selfhelp books moved from a niche position to being a postmodern cultural phenomenon in the. If youre still struggling to decide the word count and overall length of your book, then this may be the decider. Also note here if your book is going to have any illustrations, charts, or graphs, and give an idea of the general format. And remember, use our book page count calculator to.
Selfhelp books are typically in the 7590000 word range, but the specific topic. As for nonfiction books, the standard bestsellers have word counts similar to adult novels. The 3 golden rules of writing a selfhelp book standout books. Calculate book page count using word count for book design. For example, a selfhelp book for writers about writing can probably sustain 100,000 words, because the aud. These guidelines are intended for designers of paperbacks with black and white or color interiors, with fullcolor covers. The books take their name from self help, an 1859 bestseller by samuel smiles, but are also known and classified under self improvement, a term that is a modernized version of self help.
Count up the total number of words on 10 random full lines from different places and divide by 10 to get the average wordsperline count the number of lines on each page to get the linesperpage check that the book actually starts on page 1 sometimes the stuff before it starts is counted then. Put simply, the sweet spot for a novels word count is generally said to be around 8090k. Theres just a minimum cost of printing a book, trucking it to a store, marketing it, and everything else. Words the reader can repeat positive affirmationher stellar idea. Your guide to book word counts fiction and nonfiction.
Anyways, could you tell me the typical length of a selfhelp fiction book paperback by a debut author. If you want to write a memoir, for example, look at four or five similar memoirs and determine their wordcount. Never pad your manuscript just to meet a wordcount guideline. Search for word count totals in books word counters. Heres your beginner friendly guide to writing for the selfimprovement niche. We limit title submissions to 1,000 per week per account. Self help books, which are nonfiction, are shorter, as expected, and more expensive. Selfhelp literature, also known as therapeutic or philosophical literature, is a huge market that does a lot of good. For a 120,000word book, your editing costs could be.
All book publishers and book designers have a standard they go by to estimate page length. Then produce a manuscript that falls within a similar range. Everything you need to know about novel word counts nathan. To do this, count the number of words on one page then multiply the outcome by the number of pages. A selfhelp book is one that is written with the intention to instruct its readers on solving personal problems. If you are writing a self help book containing 10 steps to life improvement and each step 1 chapter, and you think you manuscript is going to be 10 to 15 pages per chapter, but you want to create an intimate reading experience, your book might be way too long for the 5 x 8 trim size. Popular self help books meet your next favorite book. Of course, rules are made to be broken, especially in literature. As far as word countnumber of pages, i think youll find the self help section is all over the place. Oct 10, 2016 its an interesting post and extremely helpful, especially for new authors who have to find out the bitter truth about word count.
First of all, find your word count in word by opening your document and looking at the bottom left of your screen. Your selfhelp book should not be a thinly disguised memoir. Aug 31, 2010 linda joy myers august 31, 2010 at 10. Many, yes, but there are exceptions due to the layout and font size of a particular book. Like an undergraduate struggling to reach the word count, harari writes in pointless asides and cringeworthy platitudes of fortunecookie quality. Its writers tend to be experts in their field, either through educational or experiential pathways, who have distilled what they know into something that can offer help to their readers. Theyd often choose the shorter one that is more concise and direct to the point. If you want your book to meet the standards many designers follow, complete all the steps.