Let me count the ways...

Sassee · Nov 5, 2008

So I've seen at least three different ways to do word count -- two are posted in Cathy's helpful sticky thing in the FAQs, but there was a third I read about somewhere on these boards and now I can't find it. (And in my brief search of the forums, someone mentioned the per page word count was different between Times New Roman and Courier New even if they were same size font.) Anyway, what are some of the ways to get a good accurate count or guesstimate how many pages it will be in print? Anyone have some good tips or tricks?

Bufty · Nov 5, 2008

For a novel? I'm curious - why would anyone but the publisher be concerned as to the accuracy of how many printed pages the novel would occupy?

It depends upon so many variables - font, page size etc..

I assume Word's count is close enough for a publisher to estimate a final page count using whatever their specific font and page size is, but why the writer would want to know that in detail, I don't know.

Using Word's count divided by 250 seems close enough for a page guesstimate.

dclary · Nov 5, 2008

He's a blind ninja rabbit. Do not question his ways.

Maryn · Nov 5, 2008

Sassee said:
...someone mentioned the per page word count was different between Times New Roman and Courier New even if they were same size font...

Of course. Times New Roman is proportional--a W takes up way more space than an i. Courier, being monospaced, allots each letter the same amount of room. So, depending on what letters are in the words you've chosen, the odds are excellent that your page of TNR includes more characters than your page of Courier.

Maryn, clearing that right up

Let me count the ways...

Sassee

Momma Wolf

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

dclary

Unabashed Mercenary

Maryn

At Sea