Estimator Tools
Below are several tools that will help an author during the book creation process. The various estimators will help you calculate word count, number of pages for any set trim size based on your manuscript’s word count, how much your book will cost to manufacture, and appropriate prices to charge based on royalties, etc.
Word Count
If your word processing tool does not have any word count function, you can use this tool instead. Highlight your whole document, copy it, then paste it into the box below. It will tell you exactly how many words there are.
Estimate How Many Pages in Your Book Based on Words in Your Document
In order to help you determine what size and page count your book might be best in, Picky Press offers this exclusive Word-to-Book Pages Estimator tool designed to match the number of words in your manuscript to the format for our book templates in the various trim sizes we offer. (Binding type, such as paperback or hardcover is irrelevant to number of pages.) This estimator works with five different popular fonts at 11-12 point sizes and single (1.0)-1.5 line spacing. All of these factors greatly affect the page count of a book. Depending on your program or operating system, you should have these fonts.
Most word processing programs have a function to count the number of words in a document, or highlight all your text, copy and paste into our Word Count Calculator above. To estimate the number of pages in your book’s main body, enter the word count in the “Number of Words in Document” field. Four mandatory pages are added to the count automatically. If your book has extra white space, pictures and charts, or other additional pages such as a Table of Contents or Index, these must be added to the total page count. If the result is an odd number, round it to the next even number, since pages have two sides and there can never be an odd number of pages.
Every book is different, so this estimator will not be 100% accurate, but it is still a very helpful guide. Used in conjunction with the Print Book Cost Calculator below, it can give you a very good idea of how much a single book copy will cost to make in various formats (not including shipping and handling charges).
Words-to-Pages Estimator Tool
Print Book Cost Calculator
Retail Price Estimator
This Retail Price Estimator tool will help you determine a minimum price to set for your book’s retail price. Usually, you will want to charge more than this. In order to be competitive, compare it with prices of other books in your genre. It is extremely important to not overprice your book, or people may not want to buy it.
Since hardcover books differ so greatly from paperbacks, they must be priced differently due to the quality of their construction materials. Select the one you want to view from the Book Type field.
This can work with the previous tool to determine how much in royalties you receive for each book sold. If you are doing an e-Book, they are typically somewhere from $2.99 to half the price of your print book, but must always end in $.99.
To use this estimator, use the Book Cost Calculator and enter in for the book cost.
Royalty Estimator
Royalty Estimator
The Royalty Estimator tool will tell you how much you will make from the retail sale of each book sold through booksellers. (Note: Royalties are not paid on any books purchased by the author at cost from us.)
Royalties are the amount of profit after the book production cost and the booksellers and publisher are paid. Booksellers may put their own lower prices on your book, but this does not affect your royalty, as all of these factors have been included in the equation.
Keep in mind that hardcover books are higher quality, but cost more to make. If you are in the business just to make money, you may want to do a paperback or e-Book. If you are in it for the love of writing and are passionate about your subject, you should consider hardcover books.
To use this estimator, use the Book Cost Calculator from above and enter it in the “Book Cost” field. Then put the desired retail price of your book. It will give you the result of the amount of royalty you should get per book copy. (Books sold outside of the USA will vary as all currencies constantly fluctuate up or down.)