--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I decided to write Westerns because there…" description: "\"I decided to write Westerns because there was a terrific market for Westerns in the '50s. There were a lot of pulp magazines, like 'Dime Western' and '..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/302/elmore-leonard-3471_because_i-decided-to-write-westerns-because-ther_2264386.jpg" --- # I decided to write Westerns because there was a terrific… ![“I decided to write Westerns because there was a terrific market for Westerns in the '50s. There were a lot of pulp magazines, like 'Dime Western' and '10 Story Western' that were still being published. The better ones paid two cents a word. And I thought, 'I like Westerns.'” quote by Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/302/elmore-leonard-3471_because_i-decided-to-write-westerns-because-ther_2264386.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/302/elmore-leonard-3471_because_i-decided-to-write-westerns-because-ther_2264386.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/302/elmore-leonard-3471_because_i-decided-to-write-westerns-because-ther_2264386.jpg) > “I decided to write Westerns because there was a terrific market for Westerns in the '50s. There were a lot of pulp magazines, like 'Dime Western' and '10 Story Western' that were still being published. The better ones paid two cents a word. And I thought, 'I like Westerns.'” [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He wrote Westerns to meet market demand and personal interest in the genre. **In simple terms:** He wrote Westerns for profit and passion. Key Takeaway Write what sells, follow your interests. Themes market genre writing Mood pragmatic reflective Type advice career When to use this quote - author interviews - publishing decisions Key Concepts pulp magazines career decisions creative economics Questions to Reflect On - Do you prioritize market trends over personal style? - How does genre choice affect your voice? A Different Perspective Creative writing may limit artistic depth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Because](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/because/) [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better/) [Cents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cents/) [Decided](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decided/) [Dime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dime/) [Investing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investing/) [Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like/) [Lot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lot/) [Magazines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magazines/) [Market](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/market/) [Market Westerns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/market-westerns-5222048/) [Paid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paid/) [Published](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/published/) [Pulp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pulp/) [Still](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/still/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) [Story Western](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-western-1605315/) [Terrific](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrific/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Two cents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two-cents/) [Were](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/were/) [Western](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/western/) [Western Published](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/western-published-5222047/) [Westerns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/westerns/) [Word](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/word/) [Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write/) [Write Westerns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-westerns-2840980/) ## Related quotes > [“All of my friends want to be in my books, but no one wants to die...ummm...I write westerns...everyone dies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-andrew-chambers/all-of-my-friends-want-to-be-in-my-books-but-no-one-wants-to-die-ummm/) [Barry Andrew Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-andrew-chambers/) > [ The story \[for the western genre\] is everything. Whether it's a book or a screenplay, the story drives everything. And if you just go… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-eastwood/the-story-for-the-western-genre-is-everything-whether-it-s-a-book-or/) [Clint Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-eastwood/) > [When I was making these damned pictures, I never knew about film noir. If you had asked me about it then, I probably would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-fuller/when-i-was-making-these-damned-pictures-i-never-knew-about-film-noir/) [Samuel Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-fuller/) > [I'm drawn to a good story, really, as I hope most people are. For me, it's the story that's going to stay with you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-kwanten/i-m-drawn-to-a-good-story-really-as-i-hope-most-people-are-for-me-it/) [Ryan Kwanten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-kwanten/) > [Well obviously, when you're in a band you have to diplomatic about things. Everybody wants to put in their two cents and while sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dino-cazares/well-obviously-when-you-re-in-a-band-you-have-to-diplomatic-about/) [Dino Cazares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dino-cazares/) > [When I was an orphan, I was the richest kid at the orphanage because everyone else was complaining about not having anything. But when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/when-i-was-an-orphan-i-was-the-richest-kid-at-the-orphanage-because/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [“Two cents in the pocket, is better than no sense in the head.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-liccione/two-cents-in-the-pocket-is-better-than-no-sense-in-the-head/) [Anthony Liccione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-liccione/) > [There is no shortage of jerks in the world. No matter where you go, there'll be jerks there. Everyone's gonna want to put their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-harden-me/there-is-no-shortage-of-jerks-in-the-world-no-matter-where-you-go/) [Isaiah Harden (Me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah-harden-me/) > [“A bullet only costs about two cents, and anybody can afford that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/a-bullet-only-costs-about-two-cents-and-anybody-can-afford-that/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [Baby names are a big debate in my family. Like true Colombian and Puerto Rican families, everybody and their mother is putting their two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-garces/baby-names-are-a-big-debate-in-my-family-like-true-colombian-and/) [Paula Garces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-garces/) > [I wouldn't give you two cents for all your fancy rules if, behind them, they didn't have a little bit of plain, ordinary, everyday…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-stewart/i-wouldn-t-give-you-two-cents-for-all-your-fancy-rules-if-behind-them/) [James Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-stewart/) > [“She could envision Shakespeare's sister. But she imagined a violent, an apocalyptic end for Shakespeare's sister, whereas I know that isn't what happened. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/she-could-envision-shakespeare-s-sister-but-she-imagined-a-violent-an/) [Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/) > [Just my two cents: Even as a Christian, I love boxing because it's the ultimate stand-alone test of a competitor's skill and will. Just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/skip-bayless/just-my-two-cents-even-as-a-christian-i-love-boxing-because-it-s-the/) [Skip Bayless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/skip-bayless/) > [“So I heard the boom of my father's rifle when he shot my best friend. A bullet only costs about two cents, and anybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/so-i-heard-the-boom-of-my-father-s-rifle-when-he-shot-my-best-friend/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“Any rich, unprogressive old party with that particularly grasping, acquisitive form of mentality known as financial genius can own a paper that is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/any-rich-unprogressive-old-party-with-that-particularly-grasping/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) ## More by Elmore Leonard > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [These are rules I've picked up along the way to help me remain invisible when I'm writing a book, to help me show rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/these-are-rules-i-ve-picked-up-along-the-way-to-help-me-remain/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [“There’s something happening here, I know it. It’s right in front of my face, but I just can’t see it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/there-s-something-happening-here-i-know-it-it-s-right-in-front-of-my/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [The line of dialogue belongs to the character; the verb is the writer sticking his nose in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/the-line-of-dialogue-belongs-to-the-character-the-verb-is-the-writer/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [“I try to leave out the parts that people skip.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/i-try-to-leave-out-the-parts-that-people-skip/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [I have fun writing. I don't make it a chore. I don't have to struggle with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/i-have-fun-writing-i-don-t-make-it-a-chore-i-don-t-have-to-struggle/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it. Or, if proper usage gets in the way, it may have to go. I can't allow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/if-it-sounds-like-writing-i-rewrite-it-or-if-proper-usage-gets-in-the/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [I don’t think writers compete, I think they’re all doing separate things in their own style.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/i-don-t-think-writers-compete-i-think-they-re-all-doing-separate/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [After 58 years you'd think writing would get easier. It doesn't. If you're lucky, you become harder to please. That's all right, it's still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/after-58-years-you-d-think-writing-would-get-easier-it-doesn-t-if-you/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [“He saw Harvey and Edgar catch each other's eye as he looked off toward the strains of "Alley Cat," Jesus, hoping they'd rush it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/he-saw-harvey-and-edgar-catch-each-other-s-eye-as-he-looked-off/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [I'm not going to write for posterity. I'm going to write to make a buck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/i-m-not-going-to-write-for-posterity-i-m-going-to-write-to-make-a-buck/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [“A wife's faithful to her husband, subject to him. It's in the bible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/a-wife-s-faithful-to-her-husband-subject-to-him-it-s-in-the-bible/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [Using adverbs is a mortal sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/using-adverbs-is-a-mortal-sin/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [Try not to write the parts that people skip.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/try-not-to-write-the-parts-that-people-skip/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [I want the reader to know what's going on. So there's never a mystery in my books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/i-want-the-reader-to-know-what-s-going-on-so-there-s-never-a-mystery/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) [Explore all 130 Elmore Leonard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) ## More Because quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [I gave my archive to Emory University because there's a really dear friend who teaches there, Rudolph Byrd, and he's the editor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/i-gave-my-archive-to-emory-university-because-there-s-a-really-dear/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [There were songs that we cut out after we chose the name, because 'Praise Break' turned out to be an underlying concept that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-caesar/there-were-songs-that-we-cut-out-after-we-chose-the-name-because/) [Daniel Caesar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-caesar/) > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [I was also known as Frodo because I was an early adopter of 'The Lord of the Rings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perrotta/i-was-also-known-as-frodo-because-i-was-an-early-adopter-of-the-lord/) [Tom Perrotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perrotta/) > [I believe in taxation and health care that is outside the usual libertarian mandate, because I don't want people to have to suffer. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-peart/i-believe-in-taxation-and-health-care-that-is-outside-the-usual/) [Neil Peart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-peart/) > [It's like saying French shouldn't be taught because you don't understand it because it's new. Shakespeare is just like learning a new, exciting language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/it-s-like-saying-french-shouldn-t-be-taught-because-you-don-t/) [Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [Sometimes, when full and in fear that I will continue to eat unwanted food just because it's staring at me, I will place my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-nichols/sometimes-when-full-and-in-fear-that-i-will-continue-to-eat-unwanted/) [Rachel Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-nichols/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [I was contacted by Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, MP, through the Pune Film Institute and offered the post in the NFDC. I accepted it for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suresh-gopi/i-was-contacted-by-rajyavardhan-singh-rathore-mp-through-the-pune/) [Suresh Gopi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suresh-gopi/) > [I have always been a big meta guy because I think the way journalism is practiced in Washington, and the way everyone sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/i-have-always-been-a-big-meta-guy-because-i-think-the-way-journalism/) [Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/) > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) [Browse all 15,485 Because quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/because/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I decided to write Westerns because there was a terrific market for Westerns in the '50s. There were a lot of pulp magazines, like 'Dime Western' and '10 Story Western' that were still being published. The better ones paid two cents a word. And I thought, 'I like Westerns.'", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Elmore Leonard" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/i-decided-to-write-westerns-because-there-was-a-terrific-market-for/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Because" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/i-decided-to-write-westerns-because-there-was-a-terrific-market-for/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/302/elmore-leonard-3471_because_i-decided-to-write-westerns-because-ther_2264386.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/302/elmore-leonard-3471_because_i-decided-to-write-westerns-because-ther_2264386.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/302/elmore-leonard-3471_because_i-decided-to-write-westerns-because-ther_2264386.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I decided to write Westerns because there was a terrific market for Westerns in the '50s. There were a lot…” — Elmore Leonard", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Elmore Leonard", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I decided to write Westerns because...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/i-decided-to-write-westerns-because-there-was-a-terrific-market-for/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/i-decided-to-write-westerns-because-there-was-a-terrific-market-for/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```