Genre guide · Fiction
Westerns: word count & book length
How long a westerns book should be, which trim sizes suit it and what that means in printed pages. Typical length: 50,000–80,000 words.
About westerns
Stories of the American frontier — ranchers, lawmen and outlaws. A loyal readership buys in large print and mass-market formats.
Printed length in recommended trim sizes
| Trim | Pages at 11 pt | Spine (white) |
|---|---|---|
| 5.5 x 8.5 in Digest | 200–320 pages | 0.45–0.72 in |
| 5 x 8 in | 236–382 pages | 0.53–0.86 in |
Page counts for these lengths
Tips for this category
- Large-print editions (16–18 pt) are worth considering for this audience.
About Westerns
The Western is a genre of fiction typically set in the American frontier, commonly referred to as the “Old West” or “Wild West”. Stories in the genre are most commonly set during the period of westward expansion in the 19th century, particularly from the mid-19th century (around the time of the California Gold Rush) through the closing of the American frontier in 1890, although works may be set outside this period. The American Film Institute’s definition of the Western focuses on the American West and the “spirit, struggle, and demise” of the frontier rather than imposing exact dates. The genre is commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada.
From the Wikipedia article “Western (genre)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Most-published westerns works in Open Library
| Title | Author | First published | Editions |
|---|---|---|---|
| My Ántonia | Willa Cather | 1818 | 832 |
| Riders of the Purple Sage | Zane Grey | 1912 | 709 |
| To the Lighthouse | Virginia Woolf | 1927 | 521 |
| The Mysterious Rider | Zane Grey | 1921 | 415 |
| The Spirit of the Border | Zane Grey | 1906 | 363 |
| The Lone Star Ranger | Zane Grey | 1914 | 358 |
| Donnegan | Frederick Faust, Frederick Faust | 1923 | 351 |
| Black Jack | Frederick Faust, Frederick Faust | 1970 | 335 |
| Of Mice and Men | John Steinbeck | 1937 | 293 |
| Wildfire | Zane Grey | 1916 | 286 |
Open Library lists 3,859 works under this subject.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a westerns book be?
What trim size is best for westerns?
Sources & data
- Subject statistics from Open Library.
- Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).