How to find word count on your favorite novels

The writing process, writing advice, and updates on your work in progress
Post Reply
User avatar
klbritt
Posts: 119
Joined: February 2nd, 2012, 11:16 pm
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Contact:

How to find word count on your favorite novels

Post by klbritt » August 20th, 2012, 6:29 pm

I was wondering if there was a website anywhere that gives you the word count of books. I wanted to compare the length of my WIP to some of the books that I like to read to see if I'm about right in word count...Any suggestions?

~Kristie
~Kristie

-: Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read - Groucho Marx :-

http://www.BKRivers.blogspot.com

User avatar
Hillsy
Posts: 303
Joined: December 9th, 2009, 4:33 am
Location: Gravesend, UK
Contact:

Re: How to find word count on your favorite novels

Post by Hillsy » August 20th, 2012, 6:56 pm

For some books, amazon.com have a section called "text stats" which sometimes have the word count in there....the text stats section is below the customer reviews bit....unfortunately they more often than not don't have the word counts

Other than that you can do the LinexPagexwords per line formula.....it's rough, but it takes into consideration font size

so for example The Name of the Wind (which is officially 303K I thnk) is 38x662x12 which gives us 301,872...a reasonable approximiation (but it'll vary wildly with dialogue heavy novels)

breathe
Posts: 18
Joined: August 11th, 2012, 10:05 pm
Contact:

Re: How to find word count on your favorite novels

Post by breathe » August 20th, 2012, 7:06 pm

Try this: http://www.renlearn.com/store/quiz_home.asp

You just click on "Quiz store" in the above tab (I think the page is open to it now) and enter the title of the book in the prompt there...it doesn't have all the titles I've looked for, but it has a lot!!

User avatar
polymath
Posts: 1821
Joined: December 8th, 2009, 11:22 am
Location: Babel
Contact:

Re: How to find word count on your favorite novels

Post by polymath » August 20th, 2012, 8:27 pm

Word count doesn't give a useful metric for publication. Page count is how publishers estimate book size. A simple formula is 350 words per page.

Actual estimating formulas take into account variant word length, varying from writer to writer as much as fifteen percent, and chapter opening page sinks, chapter end risers, chapter recto and verso pages, headers, footers, front matter, back matter, and factor in print run based on divisions of four leaf and signature cutting and folding.

A book may have blank pages to make up a four division. For example, 250 pages is not divisible by four. 252 pages is. Front matter and back matter often do not have page numbers. The front and back leaf, two blank pages each, are glued to the board of case cover bound books, too.
Spread the love of written word.

User avatar
Sanderling
Posts: 187
Joined: July 3rd, 2011, 4:47 pm
Location: Ontario, Canada
Contact:

Re: How to find word count on your favorite novels

Post by Sanderling » August 20th, 2012, 8:29 pm

The site I've used a lot is this one: http://www.arbookfind.com/UserType.aspx

You have to specify an identity (student/parent/teacher/librarian - no option for "reader", but it doesn't really matter what you pick, it doesn't affect site usage), then you can type in the name of the book in the quick search. It'll give you the word count in the book's summary when you click on its title. I think it mostly only has kids' (ie YA and younger) books.

RE: polymath's comment, it will also give you page count for all the different editions, so you can get an idea of how word count translated. Obviously page count depends partly on the font/margins/etc the layout designers have chosen to use.
My blog / Twitter
.
"Because if you have at least a modicum of talent and if you live by these six rules, you will make it."
--Robert J. Sawyer, speaking here of Heinlein's Rules.

User avatar
klbritt
Posts: 119
Joined: February 2nd, 2012, 11:16 pm
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Contact:

Re: How to find word count on your favorite novels

Post by klbritt » August 21st, 2012, 12:26 am

Thanks! Sanderling that AR site is just what I needed, thank you!!

~Kristie
~Kristie

-: Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read - Groucho Marx :-

http://www.BKRivers.blogspot.com

kilane
Posts: 1
Joined: November 23rd, 2022, 10:49 pm
Contact:

Re: How to find word count on your favorite novels

Post by kilane » November 24th, 2022, 1:29 am

Thanks. It's what I needbasketball stars
Last edited by kilane on November 24th, 2022, 1:31 am, edited 1 time in total.

henrypope
Posts: 1
Joined: November 25th, 2022, 1:37 am
Contact:

Re: How to find word count on your favorite novels

Post by henrypope » November 25th, 2022, 1:42 am

nice

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Ahrefs [Bot] and 19 guests