By Bookstorez · Updated
As a rough guide, a short guide ebook is usually 2,000 to 10,000 words, a practical how-to ebook 10,000 to 30,000 words, a full non-fiction book 40,000 to 60,000 words and a novel 70,000 to 100,000 words. These are typical ranges, not rules: the right length is the one that fully keeps the book's promise and no longer. Below are word counts by ebook type, how many pages that makes and how to choose a length for yours.
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Typical ebook length by type
| Ebook type | Typical word count | Rough pages |
|---|---|---|
| Checklist or short guide | 2,000 to 10,000 | About 7 to 40 |
| Practical how-to ebook | 10,000 to 30,000 | About 35 to 120 |
| Full non-fiction book | 40,000 to 60,000 | About 135 to 240 |
| Novella | 20,000 to 40,000 | About 65 to 160 |
| Novel | 70,000 to 100,000 | About 235 to 400 |
| Children's picture book | Under 1,000 | Often around 32 |
The page counts assume about 250 to 300 words on a page, which is typical of a book-sized page. Workbooks, planners and illustrated guides are measured in pages rather than words, because worksheets, images and white space take up most of the room.
How many pages should an ebook be?
There is no set number. A PDF with large type, images or exercises will have fewer words on each page, so a 10,000 word guide might run to 50 or 60 pages. An EPUB has no fixed pages at all: the page count changes with the reader's screen and font size. So plan in words, and quote pages only for a PDF, where the number is fixed.
How to choose the right length
- Start from the promise. List everything the reader needs to get the result you promised. That list sets the length.
- Cover each step fully, once. If a step needs an example, a checklist or a worked case, include it. If it does not, leave it out.
- Cut the padding. Long introductions, repeated summaries and chapters that exist to make the book look bigger make it worse, not better.
- Match what buyers in your subject expect. A reader looking for a quick checklist wants it short; a reader buying a full course in a book expects depth.
Signs your ebook is the wrong length
- Too short: readers finish it with the same question they started with, or steps say "do this" without saying how.
- Too long: chapters repeat each other, or you can remove a whole chapter and the book still works.
Does a longer ebook earn more?
Not on its own. Buyers pay for the result a book delivers, not its word count, and a tight 40 page guide that solves one problem can be worth more to a reader than a long one that wanders. Our guides on how to write an ebook and ebook pricing cover the rest.
Ready to list it?
Whatever the length, say it on the product page: the word count or page count and the format, so buyers know what they are getting. On Bookstorez you can keep up to 10 drafts on the Free plan while you finish, then publish when it is ready. See how selling on Bookstorez works.
What selling on Bookstorez costs
Bookstorez is a global marketplace where creators sell ebooks, printables, planners, workbooks and templates, and buyers browse every seller's work in one catalogue. The Free plan has no monthly charge: 3 live products and 10 drafts, at 12% + 30¢ per sale with card fees and tax handling included. The fee is the same whether a buyer arrives through your own link or finds you in the catalogue.
Creator and Pro add featured weeks, which put your products in featured placements across the site, and more books a month from the built-in AI ebook generator. See every plan side by side.
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Questions
- How long should an ebook be?
- As a rough guide, 2,000 to 10,000 words for a short guide, 10,000 to 30,000 for a practical how-to, 40,000 to 60,000 for a full non-fiction book and 70,000 to 100,000 for a novel.
- How many pages should an ebook be?
- There is no set number. At about 250 to 300 words a page, a 10,000 word guide is roughly 35 to 40 pages, more if it has large type, images or exercises.
- What is the minimum length for an ebook?
- There is no fixed minimum. A short guide of a few thousand words can work well if it fully solves one specific problem.
- Should I show the length on my product page?
- Yes. State the page count or word count and the format, so buyers know exactly what they are downloading.
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