If you’re writing a nonfiction book, you’re probably obsessed with the number. “How many words is enough?” “Am I overwriting? Underdelivering?”

Let’s look at the numbers and what they really mean.

Here’s the truth: the “right” length for your nonfiction book is the one that gets the job done without wasting your reader’s time.

Start with this: what’s the promise you’re making to the reader? If your book is teaching, explaining, inspiring, or persuading, length should be measured against that promise. Too short, and it feels like an essay in search of a publisher. Too long, and you risk padding: words spilling across the page to prove seriousness rather than delivering clarity.

For context:

• Business and self-help books often land between 50,000–70,000 words.

• Academic crossover or big-idea nonfiction sometimes stretch to 80,000–100,000 words.

• Practical guides and how-tos thrive in the 40,000–60,000 range.

But these are just averages, not commandments. The book you actually want to write might defy them, and that’s fine, if it’s serving the reader.

Here’s a better question: will a busy, distracted, skimming reader stick with you from first page to last? If the answer is yes, your book is the right length. If not, keep cutting until it is. Think of your manuscript like a dinner party: nobody remembers how many minutes the meal took! They remember whether they left satisfied, engaged, and glad they came. Your book length works the same way.

Here’s a table of approximate word counts for well-known nonfiction books (numbers rounded and compiled from various publishing sources and manuscript estimates):


Title	Author	Approximate word count	Category/Type
The Elements of Style	William Strunk Jr. & E.B. White	12,000	Writing/Reference
The War of Art	Steven Pressfield	40,000	Creativity/Motivation
Atomic Habits	James Clear	87,000	Personal Development/Psychology
Educated	Tara Westover	107,000	Big Idea/Nonfiction
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking	Susan Cain	105,000	Psychology / Big Idea
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up	Marie Kondo	45,000	Lifestyle/Practical Guide

Conclusion: Stop Counting Words, Start Shaping Ideas

There’s no magic number for a nonfiction book.

If you’ve written something that feels too short or too long, that’s a sign to bring in an editor: not to inflate or shrink it arbitrarily, but to help you see what belongs, what distracts, and what your book actually wants to be.

Ready to make your manuscript the right length for the right reasons?

Send me a message or book a free discovery call to find out how I can help you.