Word count to page count

How many pages a novel runs to

At 11 point, normal leading, standard margins, thirty chapters and ten pages of matter.

The page is worked out from its own measurements first, then the words are poured into it.

• The text block. Margins come off the trim. Standard takes a quarter of the width and just under a fifth of the height, which is roughly what a trade paperback uses.
• Lines per page is the height of that block divided by the leading. Normal leading is 1.28 times the type size, so 11 point sets on about 14 point.
• Characters per line is the width of the block divided by the average character width of a book serif, which runs near 0.46 of the type size. That lands a 6 by 9 page at around 64 characters, which is where a line should be.
• Words per page is characters times lines, divided by six for an average word plus its space, then multiplied by how full the lines actually run. Dialogue breaks early and often, so a page of it holds far less than the geometry says.
• Chapter openings cost about a third of a page each for the drop, plus half a page on average for the blank verso when chapters open on the right.

Front and back matter is a flat ten pages: half title, title, copyright, dedication, a contents page and an about the author. Swap in your own count if your edition carries more, and the front and back matter checklist lists what goes where.

Galley does this live. The page estimate sits in the status bar and moves as you type, because the editor is already set to your real trim and typeface. See how the page is set.

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