The Ideal Length for Your Nonfiction Book
When it comes to writing a nonfiction book, one of the most asked questions is, “How long should my book be?” The length can greatly influence your book’s success, especially in genres such as self-help, how-to, and travel. Generally, the average nonfiction improvement book falls between 40,000 to 50,000 words. The memoir genre tends to be from 60,000 to 90,000 words.
As these vary widely – and writing long texts is a lot of work – ensure you check with either your desired publisher or desired genre on Amazon. Find out the appropriate length for your book. According to Mark Coker of Smashwords, the top 100 bestselling ebooks at Smashwords (sales could be from other sites) averaged 115,000 words. Largely, this means fiction.
Why Word Count Matters
The number of words in your nonfiction book isn’t everything, but it plays a role in how effectively you communicate your message. In the self-help genre, readers often look for clear, concise, and actionable insights. Ensure you have enough space to cover the topic while keeping your reader engaged.
How Many Chapters and Pages Will Your Book Have?
In planning your book, you might estimate say 8 – 12 chapters. It’s helpful to then write a chapter summary for each chapter, which outlines what you will cover. Michael Larsen (How to Write a Book Proposal) recommends the number of lines for each chapter summary in a book proposal can relate to the number of pages written for each chapter. So, the summary – if 16 lines long say – would equate to 4,400 words per chapter or 16 double-spaced manuscript pages, very roughly. (Per that rate, 12 chapters = 52,800 words)
The average A4 page (in 12 point, Times New, doubled spaced) has 275 words, so if you have 180 pages in Word, it might be 50,000 words (you can check with word count in tools).
But of course, type style, margins, final page size, and illustrative elements will make a huge difference to final page count in your print book. Amazon automatically calculates average page count for their Kindle readers, as well. You can work with your book designer (if indie) to space your book as per your desired page count outcome—not forgetting white space.
Balancing Quality and Length
While meeting the average word count is important, quality should never be sacrificed for the sake of quantity. Focus on delivering valuable content that resonates with your audience. If your message requires less word count to be effective, don’t hesitate to slim it down. Remember, brevity can enhance clarity.
If you want a self-published book to look ‘professional’, I advise you to aim for 30,000 – 70,000 words, ergo typeset between 140 and 250 pages. My book ‘Power Marketing’ is about 27,000 words and takes 136 pages in the traditional 6 x 9” format. I can’t help but edit my book to death!
In summary, aiming for a length of 40,000 to 50,000 words is a solid benchmark for nonfiction books, striking the right balance between thoroughness and reader engagement. Find your unique voice and let it guide you in conveying your message effectively. Then seek an editor or writing coach to polish and weed out any repetition.