Answers.Body: <p>This is not straightforward but there is a Calibre extension that you can install : <a href="https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=134000#post1547631" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><strong>Count Pages</strong></a> (it counts pages but it also counts words). It works <strong>only for MOBI and EPUB</strong> files so it won't be able to show the word count of books you have only in Amazon Kindle format for instance.</p>
  <p>First you need to <strong>install Count Pages</strong> :</p>
  <ul>
  <li>In Calibre Preferences window, go to <em>Extensions</em>, then click on <em>Get new extension modules</em></li>
  <li>Look for <em>Count Pages</em> and install it</li>
  </ul>
  <p>You also have to <strong>create a custom column</strong> :</p>
  <ul>
  <li>In the Preferences window, click on <em>Add a custom column</em> and then on the + button</li>
  <li>Name the column &quot;Words&quot; for instance (the first field is used for advanced search and does not allow capitals so you can enter &quot;words&quot;)</li>
  <li>Select <em>Integer</em> as the column type</li>
  <li>Create the column and apply changes</li>
  <li>Check that the column now shows up in your library (but it is empty and you need to populate it)</li>
  </ul>
  <p>Finally, <strong>use Count Pages to populate your new column</strong> :</p>
  <ul>
  <li>You should have a new <em>Count pages</em> button in the main menu : Select <em>Customize the extension module</em> in the drop-down list</li>
  <li>In the <em>Word count options</em> select your custom column</li>
  <li>You don't need to bother with the other options but you could create a &quot;page&quot; count column too if you'd like</li>
  <li>Select all the books you need counted and click on the <em>Count pages</em> main menu button</li>
  <li>You might get an error message saying that it could not process x books because it did not find them in a supported format</li>
  <li>It takes a while because the plugin needs to open and process each file</li>
  <li>Your column finally gets updated.</li>
  </ul>
  <p>Each time you add a new book in the library you will need to use that <em>Count Pages</em> button to fill in the column for this book.</p>
  <p>Calibre will need to be restarted several times in the process. My Calibre is in French so the words I used in my answer might not exactly be the ones used in the English interface, sorry.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-05-01T16:41:54.467Z
Answers.Text: Boy this could be simpler! Thanks for your help.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Colonel Panic
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2020-09-07T12:27:35.873Z
Answers.Text: Where's the main menu in calibre? I don't appear to have one.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Ian Wardell
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2020-09-09T20:05:49.787Z
Answers.Text: I was talking about the big icon bar at the top of Calibre window.
Answers.UserDisplayName: nathou
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2021-07-21T15:39:12.323Z
Answers.Text: Thank you! This was killing me.
Answers.UserDisplayName: MTBooks
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2023-07-09T17:04:37.180Z
Answers.Text: I don't have the Count Pages button on the main menu! Help!
Answers.UserDisplayName: Cathal
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2023-09-24T09:14:31.453Z
Answers.Text: @Cathal did you install the extension? Maybe the menu bar is too wide for the screen and you need to click the double arrow at the right?
Answers.UserDisplayName: nathou
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-12-20T22:54:58.357Z
Answers.Text: Your words are close enough that I could figure it out.  Thanks :)
Answers.UserDisplayName: James Jenkins
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-12-19T16:25:03.573Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2023-11-26T15:07:21.970Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2023-11-26T15:07:21.970Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: nathou
Body: <p>I use <a href="http://www.calibre-ebook.com/">Calibre</a>, to manage my library of eBooks.  It is easy to include the size of the book, but with images and such that can be misleading.   I notice on <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/">Smashwords</a> they often include a word count in the books in the description.  Is the word count an attribute that Calibre can display?  If so how?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2015-05-01T16:36:26.677Z
Comments.Text: Can we make a feature request? I'd like to see word count too.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Colonel Panic
Tags: <calibre><metadata>
Title: How can I display 'word count' in Calibre while browsing my Library?
UserDisplayName: James Jenkins
ThreadText: # How can I display 'word count' in Calibre while browsing my Library?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2013-12-19)
  
  I use [Calibre](http://www.calibre-ebook.com/), to manage my library of eBooks. It is easy to include the size of the book, but with images and such that can be misleading. I notice on [Smashwords](http://www.smashwords.com/) they often include a word count in the books in the description. Is the word count an attribute that Calibre can display? If so how?
  
  **Tags:** calibre, metadata
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: Can we make a feature request? I'd like to see word count too.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2013-12-19. Score: 26 | Accepted answer
  
  This is not straightforward but there is a Calibre extension that you can install : [**Count Pages**](https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=134000#post1547631) (it counts pages but it also counts words). It works **only for MOBI and EPUB** files so it won't be able to show the word count of books you have only in Amazon Kindle format for instance.
  
  First you need to **install Count Pages** :
  
  * In Calibre Preferences window, go to *Extensions*, then click on *Get new extension modules*
  * Look for *Count Pages* and install it
  
  You also have to **create a custom column** :
  
  * In the Preferences window, click on *Add a custom column* and then on the + button
  * Name the column "Words" for instance (the first field is used for advanced search and does not allow capitals so you can enter "words")
  * Select *Integer* as the column type
  * Create the column and apply changes
  * Check that the column now shows up in your library (but it is empty and you need to populate it)
  
  Finally, **use Count Pages to populate your new column** :
  
  * You should have a new *Count pages* button in the main menu : Select *Customize the extension module* in the drop-down list
  * In the *Word count options* select your custom column
  * You don't need to bother with the other options but you could create a "page" count column too if you'd like
  * Select all the books you need counted and click on the *Count pages* main menu button
  * You might get an error message saying that it could not process x books because it did not find them in a supported format
  * It takes a while because the plugin needs to open and process each file
  * Your column finally gets updated.
  
  Each time you add a new book in the library you will need to use that *Count Pages* button to fill in the column for this book.
  
  Calibre will need to be restarted several times in the process. My Calibre is in French so the words I used in my answer might not exactly be the ones used in the English interface, sorry.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: Your words are close enough that I could figure it out.  Thanks :)  
  > **username_1**: Boy this could be simpler! Thanks for your help.  
  > **username_3**: Where's the main menu in calibre? I don't appear to have one.  
  > **username_2**: I was talking about the big icon bar at the top of Calibre window.  
  > **username_4**: Thank you! This was killing me.  
  > **username_5**: I don't have the Count Pages button on the main menu! Help!  
  > **username_2**: @username_5 did you install the extension? Maybe the menu bar is too wide for the screen and you need to click the double arrow at the right?  
  
  ---
  
  