Estimate Your Page Count
Knowing your approximate page count before you format is essential. It strongly influences your gutter margin, your spine width and your printing cost, and is one of several factors that feed into your retail price.
Not sure how long your book should be? How many words in a novel gives the usual range for each genre, and shows what every extra 10,000 words adds to your printing cost.
How the estimate is worked out
The calculator divides your word count by a typical number of words per page for the trim size (about 200 for 5 × 8 in, 225 for 5.5 × 8.5 in, 250 for 6 × 9 in and 300 for 7 × 10 in), adds about 10 pages for front and back matter, and rounds up to an even number, because every printed leaf has two sides. So 60,000 words at 6 × 9 in is 60,000 ÷ 250 = 240, plus 10 = 250 pages.
Treat it as a planning figure. Your real page count depends on the typeface, type size, line spacing, margins and how many chapters start on a new page, and only the formatted file gives the exact number. The spine figure uses Amazon’s paper thickness: 0.002252 in per page for white paper and 0.0025 in for cream (Create a Paperback Cover, read 28 October 2026).
Frequently asked questions
How many pages is 50,000 words? About 210 pages at 6 × 9 in, or about 260 at 5 × 8 in, using this calculator’s averages. A larger type size or more chapter breaks adds pages.
How many words fit on a page of a paperback? Roughly 200 to 300, depending on trim size and type. A smaller trim size holds fewer words per page.
Does page count change my royalty? Yes. On Amazon.co.uk a black-ink paperback of 110 to 828 pages costs from £0.85 per book plus £0.010 per page to print, and that comes off your royalty (KDP printing cost). Work it out with the KDP royalty calculator.
Does page count change my cover? Yes, through the spine. Use the spine width calculator or the KDP cover calculator once you know the real count.
Which trim size should I choose? See standard book sizes in the UK.
Want the exact page count?
When we format your book, you get the real page count, margins and spine width for your trim size, with print-ready KDP files back within 24 hours.
See what you get →