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Readers decide in seconds whether a sample feels like a quick read or a commitment. Reading time turns an abstract word count into something human: a 1,500-word chapter is about six minutes of silent reading, which feels light, while a 6,000-word chapter is close to twenty five minutes, which many readers will postpone. Audiobook narrators plan by speaking time instead: at roughly 130 words a minute, a 80,000-word novel is about ten hours of finished audio.
Word count also drives print cost. On KDP, every extra page adds printing cost to a paperback, which comes straight off your royalty. If you are weighing a longer manuscript, run the numbers in our KDP Royalty Calculator before you commit to a price.
| Type of work | Usual word count |
|---|---|
| Short story | 1,000 to 7,500 |
| Novella | 17,500 to 40,000 |
| Novel | 50,000 to 110,000 |
| Memoir | 60,000 to 90,000 |
| Business or self-help book | 30,000 to 60,000 |
| Blog article | 800 to 2,500 |
Reading time uses an average silent reading speed of 238 words per minute; speaking time uses 130 words per minute, a common narration pace.