How Long Should a Self-Published Book Be | Free Self-Publishing Course | Video #2

About this video

The creator recommends aiming for 15,000 to 30,000 words for a self-published book, with 30,000 words presented as ideal. He explains that 30,000 words converts to roughly three-plus hours as an audiobook, and that clearing the three-hour mark can place an audiobook in a higher price tier with more royalties per sale. For nonfiction especially, he argues length matters less than quality: buyers want a problem solved, not a long book. Each book should tackle one main problem, and related problems should become separate books in a series in the same niche, so some overlap between books is acceptable as long as most content is unique and specific. As an action step, he tells viewers to study competitors in their target keyword — checking page counts in Amazon product details and inferring word counts from trim size and pages — then match the niche norm: if competitors sell well at about 100 pages, 15,000-20,000 words may suffice, but if competitors are at 200 pages or more, moving toward 30,000 words helps compete.

Key takeaways

• Aim for a minimum of 15,000 words and preferably around 30,000 words per book
• A 30,000-word book is about three-plus hours as an audiobook, which the creator says can mean a higher price and more royalties per sale
• For nonfiction, solving the reader’s problem matters more than length
• Cover one main problem per book and build a series where each book tackles a related, distinct problem in the same niche
• Research competitors’ page counts in your keyword to gauge the word count expected in your niche before deciding length

Episode details: published March 13, 2020 · 4:48 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are Sean Dollwet’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.

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