Estimating Word Count
Pam McCutcheon © 1996
When you query a publisher, it's customary to include your novel's
estimated word count. Assuming you use the standard conventions for manuscript format (1" margins, 25
double-spaced lines per page, and a 12 point non-proportional font like Courier), then a
good rule of thumb is one page equals 250 words.
For the math-impaired, that means you multiply the number of
manuscript pages times 250 to get your word count. To make it even easier, here's a chart:
200
pages = 50,000 words
360
pages = 90,000
240
pages = 60,000
400 pages = 100,000
280
pages = 70,000
440 pages = 110,000
320 pages = 80,000
480 pages = 120,00
Now, I know your word processor will give you the exact word count,
but that's not what the publisher is looking for. According to my computer, my
second book has 62,389 words. But if I calculate it using the formula, 272
manuscript pages times 250 words/page equals 68,000 words. That's a big difference.
Why the difference? Because short sentences/dialogue, chapter
breaks, and scene breaks take up more space on the page, but use fewer words. For
example, the sentence "Rick laughed." is only two words, but it occupies an
entire line of text.
From the publisher's standpoint, it's more important to know how
much space will be used in the printed book than to know the exact word count. So by using
this method of estimating word count, you can give the publisher what they really want.
|
| <%if NOT RSad.EOF then
do while NOT RSad.EOF%>
![<%=RSad("altText")%>](images/lagniappe/<%=RSad("myimage")%>)
<%RSad.MoveNext
Loop
else%>Become a NovelTalk author! Read more
here.
<%end if%>
|
|
