Book & Print Tools › Page count estimator
Estimate book page count from word count
Before you typeset, it helps to know roughly how long the book will be. Page count decides the price of printing and the spine width, so even a rough number is useful early on.
The estimator works out how many words fit on one page. It takes the trim size, subtracts standard margins, and divides the text block into lines using your font size and a 1.3 line spacing. It then trims the total by 10 percent for headings, paragraph breaks and white space.
This is an estimate, not a promise. Images, chapter openers on new pages, front matter and tables all change the real count, so the tool shows a likely range of plus or minus 10 percent. For an exact number, typeset the book and count the pages in the PDF.
How to use it
- Get a word count from your editor or the word count tool.
- Choose trim size and font size.
- Use the range, not a single number, when budgeting.
Worked example
60,000 words at 11 pt on 6 × 9 in comes to about 152 pages, with a likely range of 136 to 166.
Sources and figures
- Layout assumptions are listed in figures.json under 'layout'.
Questions
- How accurate is it?
- Within about 10 percent for plain prose. Books with many images or short lines can differ a lot.
- Does it count front matter?
- No. Add a few pages for the title page, copyright page and contents.
- Why is the result always even?
- Printed pages come in pairs, one on each side of a sheet.
- Which assumptions does it use?
- Margins of 0.75 in inside, 0.5 in outside, 0.75 in top and bottom, 1.3 line spacing, and an average serif font width.
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