Book length non fiction

However, many authors, frustrated with the low price of ebooks, have taken to writing ebooks that are between 40,000 and 50,000. However, there is a wide range of acceptable word counts for non fiction books. Paperback fiction and nonfiction the digest format is the smallest of what are termed trade sizes in the states. Indeed, most traditional publishers limit non fiction authors to 80,000 words for standard 6 x 9 books, between 240 and 280 pages. In fiction, a book about between 50,000 and 80,000 words about 200 to 300 pages in paperback. With that in mind, ive tried to put together the definitive post on word count for fiction novels, young adult, middle grade, childrens books and even memoir. You might be more surprised if a ya novel required olympianlevel arm strength to lift. By 2017, however, that number has dropped to 273 pages. Typically, fiction makes use of 250 words each web page, although 300 is additionally an usual worth. Aug 05, 2019 before diving into the specifics of genrebased word counts, lets look at the broader picture of average book length. I know that in fiction book chapter lengths can vary dramatically for various reasons.

In todays market, this is the goto paperback size range for many novels, memoirs, and nonfiction books. An article on various word count methods in fiction publishing. A selfpublishing manifesto for non fiction authors indie author success series book 1 kindle edition by meunier, nathan. One of the concerns that brandnew authors constantly ask is how long should my nonfiction publication be. How many words should be in an adult nonfiction book. When talking about book length, its common to talk about word count rather than page count. If you picked up a scifi or historical novel from a bookshelf, you wouldnt be surprised if it was pretty hefty and probably had a dragon on the cover. Book length average length of a non fiction book 29th june 2018 posted in.

Nonfiction books best selling nonfiction books waterstones. I offer manuscript intensives that assess not only book length, but structure, content, and craft. Yet any piece of fiction climbing over the 110,000 word mark also tends to give editors. What is the ideal kdp book length when writing a non fiction book. Nonfiction requires more thinking time from your reader, so you need to consider the role of your book. In fact, the average nonfiction book on amazon is 10,000 words, which translates to 80 pages. Microfiction and flash fiction are the tweets of the fiction world. Awards, too, often categorize a book by how long it is.

Alternatively, this is an acceptable length for a short work of nonfiction. I infrequently see selfpublished authors attempt this length. Then, more importantly, lets talk strategy and consider some case studies. Fiction refers to literature created from the imagination. In 2011, the average length of a bestselling nonfiction book was 467 pages, but that dropped to 273 pages in 2017. By the standards of fiction that is considered very short size news, actually. While there are two routes you can take when publishing your nonfiction book, the focus of this guide will be on traditional publishing, i. 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. How long will it take to write your nonfiction book. How to write the first draft of your nonfiction book. How to turn a boring nonfiction book into an engaging read. Prolific press is now accepting full length poetry, fiction, and non fiction manuscripts for book publishing no sample chapters please.

Available in ebook, print, audiobook and workbook formats. I dont know what i can say to add to what has already been said. That number actually lines up pretty well with the data we have on this, but again, that number should neither be. You definitely dont need to write the equivalent of the 300,000 word novel that you might pick up when youre going on holiday. A selfproclaimed guardian of writers and creators, august. 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. Can one chapter be very long and then the next one be much shorter. Want to download this infographic to share and reference whenever you like. What is a reasonable estimate for the minimum length, in word count, for a nonfiction book.

I guess 50,000 is a short novel and some early novels before goes as low as 40,000 which can be considered to be a novella. Book length average length of a non fiction book a 10 minute training video from video discusses how to determine the av. Lets take a look at some generally accepted rules for fiction and nonfiction lengths and how they might fit into your overall writing career. If you have an idea for a nonfiction book, its better to write a couple of chapters and then pitch a book proposal. The average fiction book is about 80,000 to 100,000 words, which is about 246 to 307 ebook pages. Mysteries, science fiction, romance, fantasy, chick lit, crime thrillers are all fiction genres. Pencilthin books on narrow topics that are under 50,000 words are quite common. My experience is that a book reaches its right length when the story follows the beats in save the cat writes a novel, the characters come alive and become memorable, their development is believable, and the plot develops and wraps up properly. How to finally write your nonfiction book the new york times. Browse our range of best selling nonfiction books with free uk delivery on orders over. Aka the book mechanic is both a fiction and nonfiction author from michigan, usa.

Im just saying that some things are more important than word counts. Many wouldbe authors worry that readers will not take a short book seriously. It makes quite a difference whether you want to publish a childrens picture book, a 50recipe smoothie book, a science fiction novel or a technical encyclopedia. As for non fiction books, the standard bestsellers have word counts similar to adult novels. Can i write a non fiction book if im not an expert. This looks like a simple question, but you have to look at several factors before you can determine optimum length. Is it expected that chapter lengths are more or less of similar length. Average fiction word counts flash fiction word count.

Id guesstimate that nonfiction books generally yes, this is very. Ten days in a madhouse nellie bly 1864 1922 in 1887 nellie bly, one of. The length can vary greatly between genres, though. The book surveys the history of humankind from the evolution of archaic human species in the. Make it actionable, helpful, and great value and the length wont matter. Nonfiction readers, in particular, want value fast. In this writeup im mosting likely to try to respond to that inquiry. Non fiction requires more thinking time from your reader, so you need to consider the role of your book. Jul 17, 2017 not necessarily, according to a new study by book in a box of 272 non fiction books that hit the new york times best sellers list between 2011 and 2017.

Decisions are based on several factors including the popularity of the author, the market for similar books at the time of distribution, and the features of the book including quality, size, and genre. What is the ideal kdp booklength when writing a nonfiction book. A selfpublishing manifesto for nonfiction authors indie author success series book 1 kindle edition by meunier, nathan. Decisions are based on several factors including the popularity of the author, the market for similar books at the time of distribution, and the features of the book including quality, size, and. May 11, 2009 ive completed a small book 34,000 words. Book length average length of a non fiction booki youtube. With digital as well as print books available, the length of books varies. Nevertheless, you would be wise to come close to these suggested manuscript lengths.

You would be wise to come close to these suggested manuscript lengths. A word count guide for 18 book genres, including fiction. Not necessarily, according to a new study by book in a box of 272 nonfiction books that hit the new york times best sellers list between 2011 and 2017. This is about the length readers want for general non fiction, and it keeps publishers happy given the high cost of paper. This is about the length readers want for general nonfiction, and it keeps publishers happy given the high cost of paper. But rules are made to be broken, and the most successful publishing phenomenon in history did just that. That number actually lines up pretty well with the data we have on this, but again, that number should neither be a goal, nor a constraint. Minimum realistic word count of nonfiction book writing stack.

A type of popular business book runs from 25,000 to 75,000 words. I heard 10,000 words can be accepted as an e book at a short length at least for non fiction. When youre pitching a nonfiction book to a publisher, just about everything is different. So 50,000 words is the minimum for a non fiction book. Id guesstimate that non fiction books generally yes, this is very rough run perhaps 150450 pages, and at about 350 wdpage that works out to something like 50150k words. For most publishers, a book is novellength when its between 50,000 and 110,000 words.

Amazon ebook page length by genre kindle page length. The 1 thing you need to do to write a new york times best. A word count guide for 18 book genres, including fiction and. Prolific press is now accepting fulllength poetry, fiction, and nonfiction manuscripts for book publishing no sample chapters please. Word count for novels and books is something i dont think about too often until i travel to a writers conference, and then someone asks a simple, innocent question. One of the questions that new writers always ask is how long should my non fiction book be. In this article im going to attempt to answer that question. Jul 23, 2012 so 50,000 words is the minimum for a non fiction book. I dont know if the question is meant as a mentalstatistical exorcise. So 50,000 words is the minimum for a nonfiction book.

Non fiction usually has longer sentences and also much less white room since it does not have discussion. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading write short kindle books. At a writers conference i recently attended, publishing veteran jane friedman said 80,000 words is good for most fiction, below. The harry potter books are young adult titles, and ya publishers generally look for manuscripts in the 50,000 to 80,000word range. If youre new to selfpublishing on amazon and wondering, just how much should i write for my kindle book. Although science fiction and some other kinds were now invasive and can exceed 400 pages 200,000 words. Book length average length of a non fiction book book n. However, there is a wide range of acceptable word counts for nonfiction books. That extra length gives the book more heft and can be a fatter book on the shelfthereby having more perceived value. One of the questions that new writers always ask is how long should my nonfiction book be. Aka the book mechanic is both a fiction and non fiction author from michigan, usa.

My current historical fiction novel of the sea ended up at 85,000 words after nine revisions. A typical nonfiction book ranges between 55,000 and 80,000 words. Indeed, most traditional publishers limit nonfiction authors to 80,000 words for standard 6 x 9 books, between 240 and 280 pages. Book length average length of a non fiction book one of the questions that new writers always ask is how long should my nonfiction book be. Jul 14, 2011 book length average length of a non fiction book a 10 minute training video from video discusses how to determine the av. As for nonfiction books, the standard bestsellers have word counts similar to adult novels. How long will it take to write your non fiction book. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. A selfpublishing manifesto for nonfiction authors indie author. If you stick to these when youre writing your non fiction book, youll be fine.

Well look at whats working, what adjustments could improve your book, and how your book supports your strategic goals. Because thrillers are about pulsepounding action and maybe some character development especially if its part of a series, the word count isn. Most print publishers prefer a minimum word count of around 70,000 words for a first novel, and some even hesitate for any work shorter than 80,000. If youd like some guidelines, you can assume that the average nonfiction book is 50k words, and that they have 12 chapters, so around 4k words would be an average chapter length.

If you think about the math it changes from 100 pages to one around 140 pages. However part why the new writers, the answer is difficult to identify because the answer is so difficult. Youll probably be familiar with these premium formats. Generally speaking, traditional publishers expect completed nonfiction book manuscripts to be between 50,000 to 75,000 words. These are amongst the most widely circulated paperback sizes in the country, and suit both fiction and nonfiction titles. However sometimes, like today, the reverse happens. If yes, then most publishers still work on specific word count lengths for books so youll probably be aiming for around 60,00080,000 words for nonfiction. Your guide to publishing a nonfiction book ny book editors. Secrets to developing the best title for your nonfiction book. Obviously, my point is not that you should submit a first book of anywhere near 200,000 words.

Choose from a wide range of nonfiction books including. Michaels, melisa 2005, focusing on the wrong things, science fiction writers of america, archived from the original on april 17, 2009 an article on the relative importance of various word count methods in fiction publishing. The average nonfiction book, if such a thing exists, runs about 50,000. Dec 31, 2017 the 100 best nonfiction books of all time. Ten days in a madhouse full audiobook by nellie bly by non. Jun 07, 2017 to answer the immediate question, lets look at some numbers. I heard 10,000 words can be accepted as an ebook at a short length at least for nonfiction. That includes scenes like the hero at the mercy of the villain, but it also includes book length. Recently i got asked this question, what is the ideal length word count wise for my first book. What is a reasonable estimate for the minimum length, in word count, for a non fiction book.

That doesnt mean you can submit a manuscript twice the length a publisher recommends. Alternatively, this is an acceptable length for a short work of non fiction. Oct 10, 2016 the right answer to how long should my book be. If you plan to turn your ebook into a print book at some point, you might want to consider length. Your guide to book word counts fiction and nonfiction. A word count guide for 18 book genres, including fiction and nonfiction. Minimum realistic word count of nonfiction book writing. Look at the books that sell well, and are in competition with yours. Oct 27, 2018 chapter length matters more than you think. The 1 thing you need to do to write a new york times. What is the difference between fiction and nonfiction.