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.

50,000–80,000 wordstypical length
3,859works in Open Library

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

TrimPages at 11 ptSpine (white)
5.5 x 8.5 in Digest200–320 pages0.45–0.72 in
5 x 8 in236–382 pages0.53–0.86 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

TitleAuthorFirst publishedEditions
My ÁntoniaWilla Cather1818832
Riders of the Purple SageZane Grey1912709
To the LighthouseVirginia Woolf1927521
The Mysterious RiderZane Grey1921415
The Spirit of the BorderZane Grey1906363
The Lone Star RangerZane Grey1914358
DonneganFrederick Faust, Frederick Faust1923351
Black JackFrederick Faust, Frederick Faust1970335
Of Mice and MenJohn Steinbeck1937293
WildfireZane Grey1916286

Open Library lists 3,859 works under this subject.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a westerns book be?
Typically 50,000–80,000 words. Stories of the American frontier — ranchers, lawmen and outlaws.
What trim size is best for westerns?
Common choices are 5.5 x 8.5 in Digest, 5 x 8 in.

Sources & data