Quote:
Originally Posted by VydorScope
Again, I know there is this "250 words per page" number, but IME it has nothing to do with actual print.
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You are correct. The 250-words-per-page formula is one formula that is used by editors to establish a uniform manuscript page count. It is based on the old, typewriter-created manuscripts where 250 words was all that would fit on a typewritten page WHEN
- all margins were 1 inch
- the type size was 12 point
- the font was Courier
- line spacing was double space
IOW, all of the above had to occur in order for a manuscript page to equal 250 words.
The formula is invoked today largely for these reasons:
- some editors charge by the manuscript page rather than by the hour and this is a way to precalculate (or come to an agreement on) the page count
- as a way to estimate manuscript size solely for editing
- as a way to estimate how many hours editing should take assuming some basic parameters are met (e.g., some categories of editing, based on long experience, assume that a particular genre/type of manuscript can be edited at a rate of 6 pages an hour. The manuscript length is determined via the formula and divided by 6 to get an estimate of the hours it will take to edit the manuscript)
- the estimated hours and/or pages is used to set a books editing budget
- the 250 words formula is also used because too many authors do not follow the standards for manuscript submission and try to "design" their books using Microsoft Word with the result being that some things are 30-point type, some are 7-point, some are 10-point, etc.; spacing is sometimes single, sometimes double, sometimes something else; and margins are whatever -- the formula ignores all these variables and thus gives an accepted measure
In many instances, depending on the final trim size of the print edition, you can determine final print page count by using the formula 375 words = 1 print page (generally for a mass market paperback). That will get you a rough count.
It is worth noting that the 250-word formula is not the only standard formula used by editors to determine a manuscript page count. Many editors who charge by the page use the formula 1500 characters, including spaces, equals 1 manuscript page. This formula is used so that there is a better balance in word size for the count. This is especially true in nonfiction where compound words are common -- for example, in medical texts 10-letter and larger words are very common, but 3-letter and fewer words are less common (than in fiction). Another variation on that formula is 1600 characters, excluding spaces, equals 1 manuscript page.
An author should clarify with his editor how estimates/costs are being calculated before contracting.