How many words a day are realistic? Which metric fits which project? Numbers, calculators and real-world figures.
A 6 by 9 page holds 273 words or 453, depending on how it is set. Measured tables for four KDP trim sizes, and the arithmetic from word count to page count.
Should you track words, hours or pages? Count words while you draft, hours while you research and revise, and pages only when a contest or publisher fixes them.
A standard manuscript page holds 250 words by convention and 233 when you count real prose in the 25-by-60 frame. Here is where the gap comes from.
A handwritten page holds anywhere from 145 to 328 words depending on your hand and your ruling. Measure your own figure in ten minutes with the calculator.
Target length, due date, the days you actually write. The calculator returns words per writing day, counted from the real calendar and with a buffer.
NaNoWriMo asked for 1,667 words a day. Its own final tally averaged 762. Here is the arithmetic for your project, including the buffer for the days you lose.
