WORD COUNT/ MSS FORMAT CONFUSION!!

I would remind your client that both trade paperback and hardback books (the primary formats for non-fiction) are 6"x9", rather than 8-1/2"x11". Using the standard ms. formatting, one page of 6x9 = 1-1/4 pages of double-spaced manuscript.

Also each publisher chooses the size of font that is most likely to be user-friendly and still maintain a size that would equate to a price the public will pay. It's a complicated formula. I think the length depends a great deal on what his subject matter is. Some topics do require a longer length (such as scholarly treatises or some self-help). But I think that 200K is still too long to be picked up by a major commercial house (McGraw-Hill, Scholastic, etc.)

As for self-pubbing (and I'm talking about REAL self-pubbing, where you own the imprint), the only constraining factor on selecting a length of manuscript is the price you're willing to pay the printer. Most printers charge by the page. The longer the book, the higher the fee and, hence, the higher the cover price. The format will also depend on the price you want to pay, and the printer will tell you how they want the manuscript formatted.

Hope that helps!

wordlancer said:

Hi Everyone,

This question relates to NON-FICTION book manuscripts.
Ok, I understand standard formatting is double spaced, courier new, etc. and the average page length would be about 400-450 pages or/ 100,000-140,000 words.

Now, my potential client (who wants me to edit his book) says that when he looks at comparable books already in print, they are about 400 pages SINGLE spaced (or rather final printed format) and he estimates that their word count would be about 200,000. He is absolutely convinced that the traditional standard formatting is way off and that HIS book should be ok if it's longer - and he's basing this on printed books.

I do not know what to tell him. Are non-fiction books judged differently? Are the manuscripts typically longer? I assume the format SHOULD conform but if I have missed somethign PLEASE ENLIGHTEN ME!!

Also, as an aside, what about if you want to self-publish. Can you basically choose any format you want for the pre-pub mss, and also any length?

Thanks in advance.
Please post or email me directly at:
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Deborah

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There really is no such thing as an average for nonfiction. The book should be the length a publisher wants it. Each type of nonfiction is likely to have specific length demands, and just how long this hould be varies temendously. It isn't nearly as simple as fiction.

The only real way to know how long a nonfiction book should be is to look at publishes who publish books of the same type you're writing and check their guidelines for such books. Photo and diagram content, etc., also makes a big difference in word count.

Most self-help books are nowhere near 200K, many are nowhere near 100K, but some are, so you have to check the guidelines publishers issue for such books. There is no other way.

As for self-pubbing, you can have any length you want within reason. There is a point where spines start to crack, and a point where the cover has to be put on by a special machine, and a point where each increase in page number means the book's dimensions also have to increase. You can only place so many pages between 5.5x8 inch covers, for example.

Here's my two cents: Jenna's latest book, The Street-Smart Writer, came in at just under 100,000 words, and we struggled to get the page count down to 306. A 200,000-word self-help book is an awfully long book--with front and back matter, indices, and all the other additional stuff, you're likely talking about a book that will top 450-500 pages, easy. That's an expensive book to publish. If your author is a well-known expert in his field, you have a much greater chance at getting a deal for a giant book, but I'm hard pressed to imagine any problem that can't be effectively addressed in under 100,000 words.