As I do the final edit of my large manuscript, for weeks I’ve been keeping a close eye on the word count, using Project/Statistics. It sank from 500,000 to below 350,000. Then while trying to export a chapter, I changed the boxes clicked under File/Compile. I also deleted two small sections, so I know there are fewer words, but Project/Statistics now claims there are 480,000 words! I rechecked all the boxes under File/Compile, but I’m still getting the high word count.
How do I get an accurate word count?
Add <$wc> to the copyright page somewhere and compile the manuscript.
Ask your editor what tool they use, and use that one.
As part of a dispute with an editor, I once counted the exact same text in Scrivener, Word, pages, and Wordpress. Got four different totals.
Yes, the <$wc> placeholder will give what Scrivener believes to be the accurate count of your output manuscript. Within Scrivener, you can also enable the Word Count column in Outline view to get a document-by-document total. (Total Words will give the total for a folder.)
Katherine
Do I create the copyright page, or it is supposed to be there already? I just created one, just below the title page. Do I just stick <$wc> at the top of the page?
Anywhere you put <$wc> in your manuscript it will be replaced with the word count on compile.
OK, but is there any way to get Project/Statistics to give me an accurate count? Why did it jump 130,000 words on the day I deleted two sections?
Some ideas:
Project > Statistics > Options (SHIFT OPT CMD S)
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Check the setting for current compile group or whole manuscript
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Check the setting for all, included, or not included documents
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Check the setting for either “estimate” or “accurate”
Merx
[attachment=0]Statistics.png[/attachment]
Yes, my settings were the same as what you show. This time, however, I changed Estimate to Accurate, but the total count came out the same.
To give you a better answer, I’d need to see the project or do a Zoom session with you.
This looks like the odds-on candidate for what altered the total that you saw reported in Project Statistics (in addition to the sections you deleted).