From December and Beyond forums -- Look what WIthAnticipation [Lisa] found!
Ihave been looking for this information forever, since it's so hard for us to extrapolate what our computer typed pages will turn out to be in a published book. There still isn't a formula I've found, however I came across this info and thought I'd share.
You can find out the word count of many, although certainly not all, published books. If you look up the book on Amazon and scroll down past the editorial reviews and the product details to a section called "Inside this Book". In that section is a heading called "New!" and under that is something called "Text stats". Click on that, and along with some other information, is the total word count for the book. You can check the number of pages under the product details. Those will vary depending on whether it is a hardback, paperback, or different edition etc. The word count remains the same.
You can find out the word count of many, although certainly not all, published books. If you look up the book on Amazon and scroll down past the editorial reviews and the product details to a section called "Inside this Book". In that section is a heading called "New!" and under that is something called "Text stats". Click on that, and along with some other information, is the total word count for the book. You can check the number of pages under the product details. Those will vary depending on whether it is a hardback, paperback, or different edition etc. The word count remains the same.
I did this for most of the novels listed under my favorites on my author page and it was enlightening. I had heard that publishers won't touch a first time novel that's over 180,000 words (and that's pushing it). "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt was a first novel and it clocked in at 200,360, which is 524 pages hardback. Of course, she knew some well connected folks . . .
What a handy tool! I've gotten rough calculations based on counting every single flippin' word on a random page in a published novel, multiplying, averaging, etc. etc. This is MUCH easier! (and more accurate too, I'm sure) :-D
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50,011 / 50,000
Dec 16, 2007 - 14 12
What a great idea! I didn't know this existed.
Thanks!
118,026 / 50,000
Dec 18, 2007 - 21 01
Hmm.. I'm having troubles. I know that it was said that not all novels would have that wordcount feature but I've looked up a whole bunch of books and none of them have it. Any advice?
----------I iz teh Batman. I haz built-in pecs.
2007: Waddle 118K
54,246 / 50,000
Dec 19, 2007 - 10 14
Hmmm. Which books did you look up?
So far I've checked the stats and word counts for each of about a dozen books I checked out (before I realized I was taking procrastination to a whole 'nother level..;-D) Some had stats, some didn't
e.g., found stats/word count for The Crystal Cave (fantasy saga), I Dreamed I Married Perry Mason (chick-lit-detective), Whose Body? (mystery)
but NOT for Harry Potter (Chamber of Secrets), To Kill a Mockingbird, Star Trek: TNG - Resistance
There didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason for which books have this "new" feature. It probably has something to do with marketing b/c bookstores and libraries would find the info valuable (re: shelf space, reading levels, etc. etc.)
Why not query Amazon?
118,026 / 50,000
Dec 19, 2007 - 19 07
I guess I'll just go and look up more books then. Maybe I didn't vary my search enough the first time. Thanks. :)
Edit//: I just looked up "I Dreamed I Married Perry Mason" and I couldn't find the "new" feature let alone the text stats... Where is the new feature located on the page? maybe I'm going blind...
----------I iz teh Batman. I haz built-in pecs.
2007: Waddle 118K
54,246 / 50,000
Dec 19, 2007 - 19 45
On Amazon, on the book's page, scroll down past the "customers also bought..." , past "Editorial Reviews," past "Product Details" to "Inside This Book"
In that section there's a bold heading that says "New!"
under that are links for "books on related topics," "concordance" [?] and -- TA-DA!!! -- Text Stats
Click on Text Stats and you'll discover, among other things, that "I Dreamed I Married Perry Mason" has 71,435 words.
http://www.amazon.com/I-Dreamed-Married-Perry-Mason/dp/sitb-next/0060581...
118,026 / 50,000
Dec 19, 2007 - 22 45
Found it! Thank you so much for your advice and patience. I owe you one and good luck with your NaNoWriMo crusades! :)
----------I iz teh Batman. I haz built-in pecs.
2007: Waddle 118K