Genre guide · Fiction
Historical Romance: word count & book length
How long a historical romance book should be, which trim sizes suit it and what that means in printed pages. Typical length: 85,000–100,000 words.
85,000–100,000 wordstypical length
1,882works in Open Library
About historical romance
Romance set in a historical period — Regency, Victorian, medieval and the American West are perennial favourites. Period detail is expected but must not slow the love story.
Printed length in recommended trim sizes
| Trim | Pages at 11 pt | Spine (white) |
|---|---|---|
| 5.5 x 8.5 in Digest | 340–398 pages | 0.77–0.9 in |
| 6 x 9 in US Trade | 290–348 pages | 0.65–0.78 in |
Page counts for these lengths
Tips for this category
- A cast list or family tree in the front matter helps readers of long series.
About Historical Romance
Historical romance is a broad category of mass-market fiction focusing on romantic relationships in historical periods, which Byron helped popularize in the early 19th century. The genre often takes the form of the novel.
From the Wikipedia article “Historical romance”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Most-published historical romance works in Open Library
| Title | Author | First published | Editions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atonement | Ian McEwan | 2001 | 76 |
| Forever Amber | Kathleen Winsor | 1944 | 72 |
| Del amor y otros demonios | Gabriel García Márquez | 1994 | 49 |
| The Paid Companion | Jayne Ann Krentz | 2004 | 33 |
| Second Sight | Jayne Ann Krentz | 2006 | 30 |
| Love Comes Softly | Janette Oke | 1979 | 28 |
| The River Knows | Jayne Ann Krentz | 2007 | 26 |
| Birds Without Wings | Louis de Bernières | 2004 | 26 |
| The Sheik | E. M. Hull | 1919 | 25 |
| The Third Circle:(Arcane Society, #4) | Jayne Ann Krentz | 2008 | 24 |
Open Library lists 1,882 works under this subject.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a historical romance book be?
Typically 85,000–100,000 words. Romance set in a historical period — Regency, Victorian, medieval and the American West are perennial favourites.
What trim size is best for historical romance?
Common choices are 5.5 x 8.5 in Digest, 6 x 9 in US Trade.
Sources & data
- Subject statistics from Open Library.
- Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).