Genre guide · Fiction
Fantasy: word count & book length
How long a fantasy book should be, which trim sizes suit it and what that means in printed pages. Typical length: 90,000–120,000 words.
About fantasy
Fiction built on magic, invented worlds or mythic elements. Debut fantasy is commonly 90,000–120,000 words; epic fantasy from established authors can run far longer.
Printed length in recommended trim sizes
| Trim | Pages at 11 pt | Spine (white) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 x 9 in US Trade | 314–414 pages | 0.71–0.93 in |
| Royal (6.14 x 9.21 in) | 292–392 pages | 0.66–0.88 in |
| 5.5 x 8.5 in Digest | 358–474 pages | 0.81–1.07 in |
Page counts for these lengths
Tips for this category
- Long manuscripts push spine width and print cost — run the page count early.
- A 6 x 9 in trim keeps a 120k-word novel under ~400 pages at 11 pt.
About Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or magical elements, often including completely imaginary realms and creatures. The genre's roots lie in fantasy literature and drama. From the twentieth century onward, it has expanded into various media, including film, television, graphic novels, manga, animation, and video games. The expression fantastic literature is often used for this genre by Anglophone literary critics. An archaic spelling for the term is phantasy.
From the Wikipedia article “Fantasy”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Most-published fantasy works in Open Library
| Title | Author | First published | Editions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alice's Adventures in Wonderland | Lewis Carroll | 1865 | 3,547 |
| The Wonderful Wizard of Oz | L. Frank Baum | 1899 | 2,049 |
| Treasure Island | Robert Louis Stevenson | 1880 | 1,992 |
| Gulliver's Travels | Jonathan Swift | 1726 | 1,810 |
| A Midsummer Night's Dream | William Shakespeare | 1600 | 1,505 |
| The Prince | Niccolò Machiavelli | 1515 | 1,407 |
| Through the Looking-Glass | Lewis Carroll | 1865 | 1,379 |
| The Wind in the Willows | Kenneth Grahame | 1908 | 1,346 |
| Five Children and It | Edith Nesbit | 1905 | 950 |
| The Princess and the Goblin | George MacDonald | 1872 | 750 |
Open Library lists 14,741 works under this subject.
Awards for this genre
Frequently asked questions
How long should a fantasy book be?
What trim size is best for fantasy?
Sources & data
- Subject statistics from Open Library.
- Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).