Book Page Count Calculator

Turn your word count into an estimated page count for a KDP paperback or hardcover, and see roughly how wide the spine will be.

How the estimate works

The calculator works out how much text fits on a page at your trim size, using typical print margins (0.75" inside, top and bottom, 0.5" outside), your font size and your line spacing, and assumes a standard book typeface such as Garamond. It then allows for paragraph breaks and dialogue, which leave part of every page empty.

Chapters add pages because each one starts on a new page, usually part-way down. Other pages covers everything that isn't the story: title page, copyright, dedication, contents, about the author. Eight is a reasonable default.

Why this is an estimate

Two books with the same word count can differ by 15% or more. Lots of short dialogue lines, images, tables, a wider typeface or bigger margins all add pages. Use this number for planning: choosing a trim size, guessing your printing cost, or sketching a cover.

For the final cover, use the page count KDP shows after you upload your formatted interior. That is the number the spine is calculated from, and a cover built from an estimate is the most common cause of the "cover size doesn't match" message.

Next steps

Once you have a page count, the spine calculator gives the exact cover dimensions, and the royalty calculator shows what the book will cost to print. Still choosing a size? See the best trim size for a KDP paperback.