How can you tell how long your novel is going to be in print

Belle_91 · Feb 4, 2010

ok so I was discussing this with a friend and I wanted to know the answer. I know this sounds really sill but I've always assumed that if you've typed up lets say ten pages then if the story were to be published it would be 20 depending on the length of the actual book. I have 52 typed pages would it be safe to say that if I were to publish it right now it would be 104 pages? I know that the size of the book (not like the story but the cover I guess you would say) plays a big part of the page length as well

Chris P · Feb 4, 2010

Usually, one page single space ends up being two pages in final type. It varies based on a lot of factors, of course, but this is roughly accurate.

Remember, though, that when you submit to agents/publishers they will need to know the word count, not the number of pages.

Jamesaritchie · Feb 4, 2010

There's no real way to tell, except by a rough guesstimate. Publishers fiddle with fonts, margins, kernling, etc., to make a book fit between covers.

The closest you can come is to know the word count of your finsihed manuscript, and then find published books with that same word count.

It really isn't something you have to worry about. What you have to worry about is making your word count fit within publisher's guidelines for the genre you're writing.

scarletpeaches · Feb 4, 2010

You can't.

maestrowork · Feb 4, 2010

It depends on font size, layout, page size, etc.

Go out and look through the books you have. Most trade paperback, I think, is about 350 words per page (estimate). A manuscript (standard format) has 250 wpp (estimate).

So do your math.

Danthia · Feb 5, 2010

It varies wildly depending on book size, type design, margins. A great example, my book was 287 pages in manuscript form (standard 1 inch margins/12 point Times), 370 pages in the US hardcover edition, and 297 pages in the UK hardcover edition. Same story.

kellion92 · Feb 5, 2010

It seems like sometimes the publisher and book designer are trying to compress the type, and sometimes stretch it out. I often count the words on pages of designs that intrigue me, and the variance is high -- 280 to 380. That's for a full page with an average number of paragraph breaks, not too dialogue-heavy.

DennisB · Feb 5, 2010

From your subject heading, I thought your question was about the length of TIME your publisher would keep printing your novel!

Matera the Mad · Feb 6, 2010

Read. Other. Threads. :banana:

How can you tell how long your novel is going to be in print

Belle_91

With her nose stuck in a book

Chris P

Likes metaphors mixed, not stirred

Jamesaritchie

scarletpeaches

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray

Danthia

kellion92

A cat may not look at a king

DennisB

Matera the Mad

Bartender, gimme a Linux Mint