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Topic: Number of pages in a book

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Subject: Number of pages in a book
Date Posted: 10/22/2009 7:12 PM ET
Member Since: 5/27/2009
Posts: 326
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Does anyone know why sometimes there is a discrepancy in the book descriptions where it states the number of pages in a book.  A lot of times I notice the number of pages in the actual book is 20 or so pages off than what it states in the descriptions.  I have noticed this with books matching the exact ISBN number, title and author.  I can understand there is a page difference when comparing a hardcover to a MMP, but if both are hardcovers or both are paperbacks shouldn't the number of pages in the book be the same?

melanied avatar
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Date Posted: 10/22/2009 7:22 PM ET
Member Since: 8/16/2007
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A few reasons I can think of off the top of my head:

  • sometimes the count includes miscellaneous pages included that are outside of the story, sometimes they don't
  • sometimes they are page counts from different printings. For instance, the original printing may have had smaller font size, but the re-release has bigger font size and therefore more pages.
  • for HCs, the bookclub edition and the general release can have the same ISBN, but different page counts.


Last Edited on: 10/22/09 10:58 PM ET - Total times edited: 2
EmilyKat avatar
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Date Posted: 10/22/2009 10:14 PM ET
Member Since: 7/19/2008
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There is now those ads in the back, the previews of other books. This is not in all editions of the book. And there are different ways to count the pages. A source concerned about the weight might want the count to include the blank pages. While another source might only want the text pages.
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Date Posted: 10/22/2009 10:27 PM ET
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I've also noticed that sometimes when they have book excerpts and ads they apply a page # to them and other times they don't.

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Subject: ...
Date Posted: 10/23/2009 6:40 PM ET
Member Since: 1/15/2008
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I've noticed this with almost every book I ever had. Publishers usually advertise books according to the total page count, not the numbered page count. The unnumbered pages up front (title pages, dedication page, table of contents, etc), as well as those blank pages in the back are added to the numbered pages.