Children's book length word count

Even consider contacting agents and publishers asking for guidelines before sending them a copy of a manuscript. We wish there was a simple, onesizefitsall answer to this. Your guide to book word counts fiction and nonfiction. What follows is a rough guide to book length expectations in certain genres. When i started to work on novels i wanted to keep an estimate of how many words and book pages. May 11, 2009 in contrast, word count is finite and usually i can calculate book length with about 99% accuracy in part because also included in any calculation is a count of figures, tables, etc. When it gets closer to 1,000, editors and agents may shy away.

Surely when writing the important thing is to get words on the page even if theyre in pink comic sans. If the content is stepbystep and high quality, 15 pages is enough for a 99 cent kindle book or a freebie used for lead generation. I was quickly flooded with emails from many an angry author for daring to put a word count on a level of book. How many words does it take to write a young adult book. One rule of thumb is you can get 60 percent of a manuscript page into one typeset page said manuscript being in 12point type, doublespaced, preferably times new roman, with oneinch margins on an 8. For average word counts based on genre, see this handy reference. When i started writing three years ago, the mg word count i kept hearing was no more than 30,000 words. Apr 04, 2020 how many words are in a middle grade novel.

Based on this list compiled by nicole humphrey cook. Jun 26, 2018 i have found the website dogobooks to be the most useful place to check the word count of popular books for kids. Usually a larger format, 32page planned in double paged spreads book with an illustrations and text with a word count of about 600. This just goes to show how there are no rules set in stone when it comes to length.

However, there is a wide range of acceptable word counts for nonfiction books. Many, yes, but there are exceptions due to the layout and font size of a particular book. But the word count of a chapter matters if you want your story to flow right. Genre in childrens writing meg rosoff the guardian. Board books are those tough little things you give to the smallest of readers. I am very happy that it comes out to the 3 page standard like the printed childrens books i have in my collection. Of course, word count wont matter if a story doesnt hook the target audience. If you are an author of a book or know of a book s accurate wordcount, contact me. Also, heres another list i may swipe and add in here. All book publishers and book designers have a standard they go by to estimate page length. Id guesstimate that nonfiction books generally yes, this is very rough run perhaps 150450 pages, and at about 350 wdpage that works out to something like 50150k words. Jun 05, 2017 so childrens book manuscript chapter length is a big question that ive received many times about all sorts of childrens books that have chapters.

The 57 year old reading range straddles a few different categories of books. Children s book writers must adhere to strict industry standards for word counts. How long does a book have to be at writing for children and teens. Your best bet is to go to a good childrens bookstore and look at books like your own in terms of target audience. May 14, 2018 readers of individual genres anticipate certain book lengths, and so do publishers. While anything over 40,000 words can fall into the novel category, 50,000 is considered the minimum novel length. Understand how the childrens book publishing industry works, including writing, revising, submitting, publishing, and marketing a book for children, teens, or young adults. Aug 02, 2008 the manuscript is 2 double spaced pages and the word count is 515. Aug 05, 2019 coyne uses the nanowrimo wordcount length of 50,000 words for his examples, calling 50,000 words a good foundation to build upon. I use microsoft word and a print page is different then a book page. In 2011, the lists average length peaked at 467 pages.

Ideal childrens book length as christacarol says, there are different accepted manuscript length word count limits for different genres and age groups. Many writers hoping to be published turn to childrens books as an easy option, but find that it is in fact one of the most difficult genres the market for childrens books is far from saturated, but competition is intense and to arouse a publishers interest you need to produce work which is original in content or approach, and which meets the demands of. Word count dictates the number of pages in a print book, and this defines the spine thickness. You can use comparable, successful books as models to determine the length you book should be. Minimum realistic word count of nonfiction book writing. That said, this figure differs from book to book and organization to. As for nonfiction books, the standard bestsellers have word counts similar to adult novels. I remember reading some westerns in high school and, if i. In fact, the majority of printed books are turned into ebooks. Even with the wiggle room allowed by ebooks, authors follow commonlyaccepted book word count. Reading length is a participant in the amazon services llc associates program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to and affiliated sites.

Word count for famous novels, in ascending order by number of words. Can be publisher specific, ranging from 3,000 to absolute max 5,000. Anything over 110,000 words is considered too long for a fiction novel. Childrens fiction is so varied in terms of length, type, illustration. Put simply, the sweet spot for a novels word count is generally said to be around 8090k. Let me tell you about how i had to remove my membership from a children s writer forum because i responded to a newbie about this topic. When writing a longer book that is aimed at 12yearolds and could maybe be considered tween, using the term upper middle grade is advisable. These are basic learning books that creatively teach colors, numbers or simple, fun stories for bedtime. Word count estimates are not guaranteed to be accurate. Understand how the childrens book publishing industry works, including writing, revising, submitting, publishing, and marketing a.

Shorter novels such as fahrenheit 451, the hitchhikers guide to the galaxy, the great gatsby, and slaughterhousefive are between 4050,000 words. Although the median word count of those novels was 73,000 right around where conventional wisdom would suggest the existence of 25,000 word novels in the ya genre is enough to show you, and hey maybe even me, that anything is possible. In microsoft word i inserted comments where illustrations would go. Of course, when youre writing the first draft of your story, you want to just get your words out on paper. The harry potter books are young adult titles, and ya publishers generally look for manuscripts in the 50,000 to 80,000word range.

But rules are made to be broken, and the most successful publishing phenomenon in history did just that. For the classic picture book group, i realize that 48 is a pretty big age range. So that usually includes everything from chapter books, to middle grade, to young adult novels. Since 2011, the average length of a bestseller has dropped steadily from year to year. Better to have solid, clear information than rambling to make a page count. Counting chickens a few words about word counts at hope vestergaards site.

I am on the record as saying i dont really care about word counts unless they are so offthe wall out of bounds that it is absurd. The best research tool is to read lots of books and see which publishers print books at which lengths. Therefore, the word count of a novel is crucial if you want your book to be fit for publication. Middle grade is from 20,000 55,000, depending on the subject matter and age range, and the word count of these books has been trending up in recent years. In contrast, word count is finite and usually i can calculate book length with about 99% accuracy in part because also included in any calculation. Cutting words and scenes and killing your darlings, as i like to put it, is one of the most hardwon revision skills any writer can have. Picture books for children up to age eight average words though many are shorter. The page count is 32 or 40 pages with a word count of under 1,500. Coyne uses the nanowrimo wordcount length of 50,000 words for his examples, calling 50,000 words a good foundation to build upon. Childrens books cover a huge range, from books for babies up to young adult fiction.

That doesnt mean you can submit a manuscript twice the length a publisher recommends. If youre working on a novellength book, aim for 50,000 words at the very least but its better to aim for 90,000. Amazon ebook page length by genre kindle page length. Really the appropriate length of the text has everything to do with your story and how its written. The thicker the better, because there is more room for the title and author name. This is the part i hesitate to do, but i will throw my hat in the ring and suggest some ballpark and maximum word counts for different types of projects. Readers of individual genres anticipate certain book lengths, and so do publishers. Pencilthin books on narrow topics that are under 50,000 words are quite common. Search for word count totals in books word counters. Word count for novels and children s books at the guide to literary agents blog. Deconstructing five spooky picture books with spoilers and word counts.

I have found the website dogobooks to be the most useful place to check the word count of popular books for kids. Im curious about your advice compose the novel in the standard format from the start rather than changing it later why does this matter. For example, atonement has a word count of 123,378 and my utility comes up with 110,765 words. Obviously, the examples under each category are above and below what is generally accepted. The graph shows the average length of the top 100 bestsellers in each of the 30 main amazon kindle categories, measured in terms of the number of pages. Multiply up by the number of pages and get to a rough word count. Nov, 2009 ideal childrens book length as christacarol says, there are different accepted manuscript length word count limits for different genres and age groups. So you may not want to tempt fate on the shortshortshort end of the scale. Jun 27, 2019 put simply, the sweet spot for a novels word count is generally said to be around 8090k. From picture books to ya information to get you started at.

Children s books cover a huge range, from books for babies up to young adult fiction. The manuscript is 2 double spaced pages and the word count is 515. I was trying to keep it under 500 but i am happy with the flow and rhythm of the story. Let me tell you about how i had to remove my membership from a childrens writer forum because i responded to a newbie about this topic.

But, truthfully, if your childrens book length is anything over 100k, it better be higherthanhigh ya fantasy. Apr 08, 2019 consider joining us for this 9week online course. Some publishers issue guidelines as to word length usually between 2,000. So if you want to write and publish a book successfully, this is vital information to know even if it seems trivial.

The truth about word counts for childrens book is nothing is set in stone, so it can be a good idea to do as much research as possible on current expectations. A 95,000 word bookeven by page countis a different story than a 70,000 word book. There are no set rules for how long a childrens novel should be, and the lack of clear guidance can be frustrating. So childrens book manuscript chapter length is a big question that ive received many times about all sorts of childrens books that have chapters. Every category will have an average length, including childrens books, young adult, business books, etc.

While its important that every story find its natural length, it takes time to develop an instinct as. Nov, 2015 the truth about word counts for childrens book is nothing is set in stone, so it can be a good idea to do as much research as possible on current expectations. Word counts for children, mg, ya, and adult books, by genre august 7, 2017 august 3, 2018 sarahnicolas ive been getting a lot of word count questions from pitch wars hopefuls, so i though id write everything out in a post for ease and convenience. Mar 20, 2020 every category will have an average length, including childrens books, young adult, business books, etc. Dont let the word count dictate what you want to write, but definitely keep it in mind. The word count range for each age level is only a guideline. Picture book word count, and other rules that are meant to be.

An ebook could be 3,000 words or as long as a fulllength book. Every word does count and careful consideration must be taken to ensure the pacing of the story and the illustratability is supported in a way that fits a picture book format. Many of these books are written in rhyme or in a simple singsong meter that is catchy and fun. The average nonfiction book is about 50,000 to 75,000 words, which is about 153 to 230 ebook pages. A minimum count for a nonfiction ebook is about 10,000 words, as long as the content is solid. On average, how long is a childrens book for children. Sharp objects has a word count of 80,565 and my utility calculates it at 80,7. What is a reasonable estimate for the minimum length, in word count, for a nonfiction book. Childrens chapter books word count age 69 word count. Word count for famous novels organized commonplace book. Most suitable for 47 years, although some might cover 09 years. If youre writing your first novel, the general rule of thumb for novel writing is a word count in the 80,000 to 100,000 range.