Word count to pages
How many pages is 30,000 words?
30,000 words is about 120 double-spaced manuscript pages, 60 single-spaced pages or 100 pages in a 6" x 9" paperback.
Pages in a 6" x 9" paperback
100
At about 300 words a page
Double-spaced manuscript
120
Industry standard: 250 words a page
Manuscript, double-spaced
12pt, 1-inch margins · ~250 words a page
120 pages
Single-spaced document
12pt, Word or Google Docs · ~500 words a page
60 pages
Paperback 5" x 8"
Typical trade layout · ~250 words a page
120 pages
Paperback 5.5" x 8.5"
Typical trade layout · ~275 words a page
110 pages
Paperback 6" x 9"
Common nonfiction size · ~300 words a page
100 pages
Reading time
2 h 6 min
Audiobook length
3 h 14 min
30,000 words is a typical length for a short business book or novella (sfwa).
Pages
30,000 words in pages
Page counts for the common formats. Paperback numbers assume a typical trade layout; your designer's font and margins decide the final count.
| Format | Words a page | Pages |
|---|---|---|
| Manuscript, double-spaced (12pt, 1-inch margins) | 250 | 120 |
| Single-spaced document (12pt, Word or Google Docs) | 500 | 60 |
| Paperback 5" x 8" (Typical trade layout) | 250 | 120 |
| Paperback 5.5" x 8.5" (Typical trade layout) | 275 | 110 |
| Paperback 6" x 9" (Common nonfiction size) | 300 | 100 |
Time
How long is 30,000 words to read?
Average adult speeds from a review of 190 reading studies, plus the audiobook rate ACX uses.
| Activity | Speed | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Silent reading, nonfiction | 238 words a minute | 2 h 6 min |
| Silent reading, fiction | 260 words a minute | 1 h 55 min |
| Reading aloud or a speech | 183 words a minute | 2 h 44 min |
| Finished audiobook | 9,300 words an hour | 3 h 14 min |
More options, or paste your own text, in the reading time calculator.
Book length
What is a 30,000-word manuscript?
At this length it matches the typical range for: novella, middle grade and short business book.
- Novella: 17,500 to 39,999 words
- Middle grade: 20,000 to 55,000 words
- Short business book: 20,000 to 35,000 words
Writing it takes about 60 days at 500 words a day, or 30 at 1,000. Typical lengths for every genre are in how many words in a book.
Other word counts
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