Word Count to Page Count Calculator
How many pages will your manuscript make? Enter the word count, pick a trim size, font size and line spacing, and see the page count, spine width and KDP printing cost for every trim at once.
At 6″ × 9″
135 pages
132 body pages + 3 front matter · about 384 words per page
- Spine width
- 0.304″ · 7.7 mm
- KDP printing cost (B&W)
- $2.62
| Trim size | Pages | Spine | Print cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5″ × 8″ | 195 | 0.439″ | $3.34 |
| 5.5″ × 8.5″ | 159 | 0.358″ | $2.91 |
| 6″ × 9″ | 135 | 0.304″ | $2.62 |
| 7″ × 10″ | 99 | 0.223″ | $2.30 |
| 8.5″ × 11″ | 63 | 0.142″ | $2.30 |
Estimates use the same page model Built&Written prints with: chapters open on a new page, plus a title page, copyright page and one-page contents. Printing cost is Amazon's US black-and-white rate; the actual count depends on your headings, images and paragraphing.
The KDP 2026 toolkit
Amazon changed the royalty and printing math. These cover the new rules end to end.
KDP royalty calculator
What your book actually earns per sale under the 2025-2026 rates.
Spine width calculator
Exact spine width from your page count and paper stock.
What Amazon changed
The 2026 pricing rule changes, explained with the new numbers.
Format your book for KDP
Upload your manuscript; trim, margins, and files handled.
How to turn a word count into a page count
- 1
Enter your word count and chapters
Paste in the manuscript's word count. The chapter count matters too: every chapter opens on a fresh page, so twenty short chapters take more pages than five long ones.
- 2
Pick a trim size
6×9 is the standard for non-fiction and most paperbacks; 5×8 and 5.5×8.5 suit fiction and memoir; 7×10 and 8.5×11 suit workbooks. The table below shows all five at once.
- 3
Set font size and line spacing
11pt with 1.5 leading is a comfortable default for print. 12pt with double spacing is a manuscript format and roughly doubles the page count, so do not price your book from it.
- 4
Read the page count, spine and cost
The page count drives your spine width (for the cover) and your printing cost (for the royalty). Under 24 pages KDP will not print; under 100 pages there is no spine text.
How long should your book be?
Typical word counts by genre, and what they come to at 6×9, 11pt, 1.5 line spacing. Readers judge a book by its thickness before its content, and printing cost rises with every page, so the target is a range, not a maximum.
| Genre | Typical word count | Pages at 6×9 |
|---|---|---|
| Business or expert book | 35,000–55,000 | 93–143 |
| Self-help | 40,000–70,000 | 111–183 |
| Memoir | 60,000–90,000 | 163–243 |
| Short guide or lead magnet book | 12,000–25,000 | 35–67 |
| Novel | 70,000–100,000 | 178–253 |
| Novella | 20,000–40,000 | 53–103 |
Ranges reflect what sells in each category on Amazon today, not rules. A tightly written 30,000-word business book outsells a padded 80,000-word one.
Frequently asked questions
- How many pages is 50,000 words?
- At 6×9 with 11pt type and 1.5 line spacing, a 50,000-word book with 12 chapters comes to roughly 150 pages including front matter. At 5×8 it is closer to 190, and at 12pt with double spacing it passes 250. Word count alone does not fix the page count: trim size, type size, leading and the number of chapter openings all move it, which is why this calculator asks for them.
- How many words are on a page of a book?
- A printed 6×9 page at 11pt with 1.5 leading holds about 380 words of running prose. A 5×8 page holds fewer, around 290; an 8.5×11 page holds about 650. The common rule of thumb of 250 to 300 words per page describes 12pt double-spaced manuscript pages, not the printed book, which is why manuscript page counts run so much higher than the finished paperback.
- Why is my page count different in Word?
- Word shows manuscript pages: 8.5×11 paper, 12pt, double spacing, one-inch margins. A printed paperback is a smaller page with tighter leading, so the same text takes a different number of pages, and each chapter opens on a fresh page with a heading block. Use the calculator with your intended trim and type settings rather than Word's count.
- What is the minimum page count for KDP?
- Amazon KDP prints paperbacks from 24 pages. Black-and-white books go up to 828 pages; standard colour books need at least 72 and top out at 600. KDP also requires at least 100 pages before it will print text on the spine, so a slim book gets a blank spine.
- Does the page count change my printing cost?
- Yes. Amazon's US black-and-white printing cost is a fixed fee plus a per-page charge, so every page you add costs you on every copy sold, and your royalty is the list price minus Amazon's share minus that printing cost. The calculator shows the cost per trim; the KDP royalty calculator turns it into royalty per sale.
- How accurate is this?
- It uses the same page model Built&Written prints books with, calibrated against a real render of an 85,000-word manuscript. Your actual count will move with headings, images, block quotes, part pages and how you paragraph, typically within ten percent. Treat it as a planning number and confirm the final count from the exported PDF before setting a price.
Page model and KDP printing rates last checked . Printing cost is Amazon's US rate for black-and-white interiors.