The difference between paperback and mass paperback. Hardcover and paperback book sales increase at the expense of. Then there is the odd size trade paperback which has a wide variety of sizes but are normally taller and wider than both the other editions. This means that they are smaller, usually 4 inches wide by 7 inches tall, and the text is in a smaller font. In most cases, paperbacks are cheaper than hardcovers.
Descriptions a paperback and a massmarket paperback edition of the same title. Aug 24, 2007 the tall mass market paperbacks are the same width across the cover as normal mass market paperbacks. Dec, 2017 mass market paperbacks are like a rough and raw version of the paperbacks, meant for readers who are looking out for a more reasonable version of the same book. On amazon, paperback usually means trade paperback, whereas mass market paperback is listed separately. Massmarket paperback definition of massmarket paperback. Mar 20, 2017 book publishers and distributors commonly use terms such as hardcover, softcover, trade paperback, and mass market paperback to describe their products. These variations in the books appearance and price have their roots in the ways they are sold.
They will have either a matt or gloss lamination and possible some embossing on the cover. Actually, very little but a paperback just means not hardcover and paperbacks or softcover books come in a lot of sizes. This means that they are smaller, usually 4 inches wide by 7 inches tall, and. A typical mass market paperback book will be around the bformat book size 198 x 129mm 8. Although the term softcover may refer to both trade paperbacks and mass market paperbacks to distinguish them from hardcover books, there are often significant. Im caught between two, paperback and mass market paperback. Massmarket paperback books, on the other hand, are printed on lowquality paper. Ein taschenbuch im heutigen sprachgebrauch ist ein kleinformatiges, handliches buch mit. Product title game of thrones paperback boxed set mass market pap. Massmarket books are usually smaller in trim size and fatter with a thinner, lowerquality stock and. This means that bookstores can rip off the front cover and return only the cover for full credit. The other answer i saw here explained the usual physical difference, but in fact the actual distinction between mass market paperbacks and trade paperbacks is more technical and less obvious.
A trade paperback is usually a little larger than a mass market paperback and the list price is higher. Massmarket paperback books a massmarket paperback is a small, usually nonillustrated, and lessexpensive bookbinding format. I say most cases because sometimes you may actually see a paperback version more expensive than hardcover. Therefore, the price is pretty less compared to that of the paperbacks, but so is the quality of the paper and the cover. The ballad of songbirds and snakes from the author that brought you the hunger games, reenter the world of panem again sixtyfour years before the events of the original series. Heres an image of paperback and massmarket paperback format of the book rich dad poor dad. Oct 23, 2018 while comparing paperback vs hardcover, this difference seems obvious.
Which do you buy, mass market paperback or paperback. Im trying to buy a book off amazon and it has these different formats. These mass market books are produced in huge quantities, sometimes upwards of 200,000 at any one time for popular titles such as the jack reacher. Nope, there are two common paperback formats trade paperback and massmarket paperback.
Jan 18, 2019 massmarket paperbacks usually have a smaller dimension than the paperbacks. In contrast, a hardcover in a paperback world seems unnecessary, and will kill sales. Massmarket paperbacks are produced to target a bigger market. Paperback books are typically printed as a softcover edition of a previously printed hardcover edition but can also be printed as an independent release no preceding hardcover.
This article is concerned with explaining the differences between the two types of paperbacks. In this market, books are sold through other channels, such as supermarkets, drug stores, perhaps mall stores, and some do make their way into book stores. Shelf space for mass market books has indeed continued to shrink in the. Perfect for fans of hbos game of thronesa boxed set featuring the first five novels an immersive entertainment experience unlike any other, a song of ice and fire has earned george r. The term paperback refers to trade paperback or trade paper edition. They are printed on paper that is much inferior in quality so that the price is much lower than the former two types of books. Massmarket paperbacks are printed using materials of a lesser quality than trade paperbacks. Paperbacks in general are those books that are bound with glue on paper covers, rather than into cloth and board covers. The quality of paper differs considerably with the paperback using better quality cover paper and inner sheets than the mass market variety. The paperback release is to bank on a books growing market by offering it to a wider audience. These smaller sized books are often called pocket books, and they do fit easily into a purse or a back pocket. As a selfpublisher you need to be familiar with and understand the similarities and differences. The tall mass market paperbacks are the same width across the cover as normal mass market paperbacks.
The other answer i saw here explained the usual physical difference, but in fact the actual distinction between massmarket paperbacks and trade paperbacks is more technical and less obvious. A hardcover book is also called a hardback or hardbound. If youre in the us, just look at the books for sale in a typical supermarket. Quality paperback definition, a softbound book that is usually larger and more expensive than a mass market paperback and is sold primarily in bookstores as a trade book.
Mass market paperbacks are like a rough and raw version of the paperbacks, meant for readers who are looking out for a more reasonable version of the same book. The paperback release is to bank on a book s growing market by offering it to a wider audience. Trade paperback on right side with triangle with no letter s indicating that the book is not strippable. The paperback book is both taller and wider and is considerably more expensive. Massmarket paperback books are smaller in size usually about 4 inches wide and 7 inches tall and their font size is also comparatively smaller. Further to the above point, the appeal of your book will also be tied to the expectations of your audience. Hardcover and paperback are two types of books and bookbinding processes. While i love trade paperbacks, in some situations i much prefer a mass market. Mass market paperback on left side, with the triangle and the letter s indicating that the book is strippable. Massmarket paperbacks may be reprints of a book that was originally published as a hardcover or in some instances the massmarket edition may be the first and only form available of a particular work. Due to their low production cost they can be made available to a large mass of people at cheaper and affordable rates.
Massmarket paperback books overview for the masses on a budget. Sep 24, 2010 im trying to buy a book off amazon and it has these different formats. And due to their smaller dimension, they usually have more number of pages. Distinctions are becoming blurred, but it is still true that mass market books are usually less expensive, either paperback or in a jacketless hardcover such as golden books. Massmarket paperbacks usually have a smaller dimension than the paperbacks. Nope, there are two common paperback formats trade paperback and mass market paperback. Sometimes called the fourth format, mass market paperbacks have been. The mass paperback is priced much lower than the paperback.
It makes for an inconsistent display on the shelf, but its fine if you can get past that. While comparing paperback vs hardcover, this difference seems obvious. Other copies may have bigger pages, the words arent packed as tight, they might have illustrations or a foreward or articles in the book or anything number of other things. They are commonly released after the hardback edition, and often sold in nontraditional bookselling locations such as airports, drug stores, and supermarkets, as well as in traditional bookstores. Mass market paperback a mass market paperback mmp or mmpb is a small, usually nonillustrated, and inexpensive bookbinding format. Jan 16, 2015 mix play all mix ben alderson youtube beginner to advanced fantasy books sorted all our favorites. Whats the difference between trade paperback and mass. As a selfpublisher, these are the two formats that you will be typically dealing with most often. On the other hand, a paperback also goes by the names softback and soft cover.
Just because ones a booktuber doesnt make one a person who cant like these books. So while content and genre no longer determine whether a book is a massmarket or trade paperback, the books size, the quality of its paper, the way it is. Paperbacks can be further classified as trade paperbacks and massmarket paperbacks. Mass market paperbacks are usually cheaper and smaller, more condensed copies of books. Paperback books are printed on highquality paper and usually have the same illustrations, size, and pagination as their hardcover editions. Mass market vs trade paperback books infographic 1. Trade paperbacks are wider and tend to have better paper quality. Massmarket paperback a massmarket paperback is a small, usually nonillustrated, and inexpensive bookbinding format. Mass market paperback books a mass market paperback is a small, usually nonillustrated, and lessexpensive bookbinding format. Paperback books are usually mass distributed, so many people can purchase. However, that isnt always the case when you consider that there are two forms of paperback. Mass market vs trade paperback books infographic slideshare. Sep 22, 2012 mass market paperback a mass market paperback is a small, usually nonillustrated, and inexpensive bookbinding format.
The fellowship of the ring the lord of the rings, part 1 by j. Game of thrones paperback boxed set mass market paperback. The massmarket paperback is priced lower than the paperback. What is the difference between trade paperback and mass. Hardcover vs paperback books the pros and cons, whats the. Paperback books are usually massdistributed, so many people can purchase. Called mass paperbacks or mass market paperbacks, these books are published after the hard cover version and the paperback version of the book have hit the stands. These variations in the book s appearance and price have their roots in the ways they are sold. A massmarket paperback is a small, usually nonillustrated, inexpensive bookbinding format. Mass market paperback books, or mmpbs, are printed for large audiences cheaply. When we talk about paperback book printing, we typically mean trade paperbacks, which are the 6x9 or 5.
Make no mistake, an ebook still needs production values, but once its done it is also endlessly reproducible and the extra copies wont take up space in the warehouse. If you publish in a sphere that favours hardcover books then a paperback will look cheap and nasty. Whats the difference between hardcovers and paperbacks. A paperback may be a trade paperback or a mass market paperback. Im pretty sure those are the us editions, so officially they are. Here is an explanation of the differences between the two main types of paperback books. I have it in hardcover roughly the same size as tp and it is a behemoth.
What is the difference between a mass market paperback book. When hardcover books are out of the question, theres always paperback for more affordable books that has the same main content as its more expensive. Trade is larger, often using the same textblock as the hardcover. Mix play all mix ben alderson youtube beginner to advanced fantasy books sorted all our favorites.
Paperback vs mass market paperback books primetimer. A lot of times you will see a red dot on bottom of book mass market. Paperbacks can be further classified as trade paperbacks and mass market paperbacks. Mass market paperbacks are a perfect size for those large books, but all the spine cracking wont be good for looks on the shelf. Martindubbed the american tolkien by time magazineinternational acclaim and millions of loyal readers. The last wish and blood of elves are mass market paperback shorter, fatter bricks, while the rest are trade paperback taller, slimmer, formatted a little neater. They are significantly smaller and more affordable than paperbacks. Most tend to only sell mass market paperbacks, in both normal and tall sizes. However, the first massmarket, pocketsized, paperback book printed in the us was an edition of pearl bucks the good. Jul 29, 2017 mass market vs trade paperback books infographic 1. A mass market paperback is the typical size you see in the store that size has grown over the decades, from about 4x6 inches to closer to 5x8 inches, but it is the size of the mass market for paperbacks. What is the difference between mass market paperback and. In terms of price, trade paperbacks are cheaper than the hardcover edition but more expensive than the massmarket paperback versions. A massmarket paperback is a smaller size and is usually but not always produced by a different publisher.
For publishers these days, the new mass market paperback is the ebook i wonder if the ebook will ever supplant the mass market paperback. A paperback edition of a book is usually released after the initial hardcover release of a book. Whats the difference between paperback and mass market. Trade paperback generally speaking, paperback is the solution to readers who cant afford hardcover, but at the expense of the books quality. A massmarket paperback is a small, usually nonillustrated, and lessexpensive bookbinding format. I just got done reading it by stephen king, which is 1100 pages.
1124 478 480 249 1502 97 687 425 1284 1536 533 902 266 670 108 283 1315 892 6 6 311 390 711 1449 630 821 85 1431 1283 943 688 430 237 1119 186 1018 460 1333 1019 851 411 974 1378 462 1456 888 806 231 1409