How many pages do 80000 words make

I believe the accepted average words/page is 250. So, 80,000 / 250 = 320 pages. Of course, actual page count can vary based on several factors.

Pages on screen aren't going to line up to pages in a novel. The formatting is different. Typeface, print size, margins, etc. will all be factors in how large a novel ends up. You generally end up with more book pages than you do document page as seen on your computer.

On a related note -- how does one find out an accurate word count for published books?

The density of the book will also make a big difference. Lots of dialogue, for example, takes up lots of page space. As in:

"The density of the book -- "

"Will also make a big difference."

"Stop interrupting me."

"Oh, sorry."

"Lots of dialogue -- "

"For example -- "

"Takes up lots of page space."

"Y'think?"

"Bugger off, loser. Like you've ever cracked a book."

c.e.lawson said:

On a related note -- how does one find out an accurate word count for published books?

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Google [book title] word count. (not snarking, it's usually that easy to find.)

There are also some education based sites that include word count as an indication of reading level (or "AR lists"), but only for the books they have on their lists, so it's not always possible to find what you're looking for.

There really is no answer. In a printed book, formatting choices by the publisher, typography and page size make huge differences in page numbers, as does the author's writing style. My 80K of words will take up a different number of pages from yours, and yours will be different from others.

c.e.lawson said:

On a related note -- how does one find out an accurate word count for published books?

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One takes a published book, counts the words on a couple of typical pages, and does the relevant page-multiplication. By doing so, one will arrive at a close enough figure.

Published books vary widely in average number of words per page, depending on typeface, margins, and other formatting. On average, though, a rough estimate of 300 words per page is middle of the spectrum, in my experience.

Remember also that passages of dialogue will have lots of short lines and white space. The word count will be smaller through these passages than through longer paragraphs of straight narration.

And 80,000 words is a common standard novel length.

caw

Thanks, Cyia and blacbird. (And I know you weren't being snarky, Cyia -- you spend so much time on this board being helpful. )

c.e.lawson said:

On a related note -- how does one find out an accurate word count for published books?

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Have a look at Renlearn. They list exact word counts for probably thousands of books.

msd said:

How many pages do 80000 words make in a paperback and a hardcover book?

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My 92000 word novel came to 326 pages. I used an 11 point book font and a 6x9 format. There was Word 'auto' paragraph and line spacing, which was comfortable to read.

Page count can be increased or decreased by manipulating fonts and line/para spacing, as well as margins. But the idea is to make the novel comfortable to read, not to max or min the page count.

Regardless of page count or word count, the really important thing isn't quantity of words.

It's quality of words. And that's what any good writer concentrates on.

cw

Enough words to make a novel publishable by most SF lines. That's all that really matters. Most guidelines have a lower limit of 80,000 words, so you're probably on safe ground.

blacbird said:

Regardless of page count or word count, the really important thing isn't quantity of words.

It's quality of words. And that's what any good writer concentrates on.

cw

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Good writers may concentrate on quality, but good writers who want to sell concentrate on quality and length. There's no good reason to ignore either. Guidelines are there to be followed, and it simply isn't that difficult to write quality at the proper length.

I liked to take books from my shelf, count the average signs-per-line and then the lines on a page and then open my manuscript in MS Word where I adjusted the margins so they reflected that. That gives me an idea how many pages I would have in a given book format. It's pretty fun too

msd said:

How many pages do 80000 words make in a paperback and a hardcover book?

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How many pages does the designer want it to have?