Book length and word count of standard paperback books

Update: 6/21/23

How long should nonfiction books be?

Advise from successful author Tucker Max (How long should your book be?)

* Keep your book as short as possible without leaving anything out.

* The spine has to be big enough where the name can go on the spine

* Traditional book publishers require non-fiction authors to write books that are 60,000 words or more. The reason is because bookstores demand wide spines.

* Your reader does not want a bunch of bullshit. Tell them what they want to know and then get out.

* Scribe tells their author to aim for between 100 and 199 pages.
** Why? Under 100 pages leads to a reduction in sales. Above 200 pages can also affect book sales. It's not about investment in money, it's about investment in time.

* Everything you write should be as short, simple, direct, and about the reader as possible.

* No one is reading your nonfiction for you, they are reading to get what they want out of it themselves.

* Even if you're a great storyteller, keep your book short.
* You do not have to be a great storyteller to write a great book.

How long are average nonfiction books?

If you’re writing a typical trade nonfiction book, it might on average range between 45,000 and 55,000 words. [Source: Ann Kroeker]

How many words are on each page of a book?

Totally depends on the font you’re using but 250-300 words per page is a good rule of thumb. [source] 

What page size to use?

6" x 9" for offset printers. [source]

How long is a 250 page book?

A 250 page book would be between about 62,500 words and 75,000 words, depending on the font size and layout.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

Paperback (Sept 2016 edition) - 224 pages

Hardcover - 224 pages

308 pages

Book size: 5.3 x 8 

Word count: 50,200 (via WordCounters.com)

The Gifts of Imperfection
Brene Brown

Attached

278 pages.

360 words per page

72,000 words (via WordCounters.com)

304 pages - all interior pages
30 lines x 12 words

Book size: 6 x 9 (paperback)

Prophet's Daughter

279 pages

304 pages (Word counters)

Average of 350 words of per page (calc = 98,000/279)

About 33 lines x 13 words per page.

~ 98,000 words (PDF > Text > Google Docs count)

72,000 words (via WordCounters.com)

22 Chapters (that’s an average of just over 12 pages per chapter)

Book size: 6.25 x 9.25