Book Size

[Waylander]

I keep hearing/seeing a lot around the place about the different types of books.I know this is an ebook forum but you all have huge knowledge book wise so one of you should be able to help me. I was wondering what is a mass market paperback is the same thing as an A format book. Also, I keep hearing trade paperbacks being mentioned. Now, what I know as a trade paperback is a paperback the same size as a hardback. However, there is also a book known as a B format book> I was wondering if this was known as a trade paperback in the US. If anyone could help that would be appreciated.

[pdurrant]

Mass market paperback in the US is 6.7x4.1 inches, that's 170mmx104mm.
'A' format is 178mmx110mm, just a little bigger.
'B' format is 198mmx129mm
Trade paperback is the size of the book block of a hardcover, 9.1 by 6.1 inches in the US (231mmx156mm)

But there is a lot of variation between publishers.

[Waylander]

Thanks for that, you really helped me out. I wonder why all the publishers in the UK are moving away from mmpbs in favour of B format books? Most B formats cost the same as their smaller predecessors, and if they are more expensive, it's usually only £1-£2 more. I would have thought it would be the other way, as mmpbs are more portable and convenient. This strikes me as odd since one of the main shouting points of ereaders is that they are lighter, smaller and easier to hold. Any thoughts anyone?

[BeccaPrice]

when I published Dragons and Dreams in paper, I went with 5.25 x 8 inches, and that seems to be a pretty good size. I'll use that template again when I publish my next collection.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Waylander

Thanks for that, you really helped me out. I wonder why all the publishers in the UK are moving away from mmpbs in favour of B format books? Most B formats cost the same as their smaller predecessors, and if they are more expensive, it's usually only £1-£2 more. I would have thought it would be the other way, as mmpbs are more portable and convenient. This strikes me as odd since one of the main shouting points of ereaders is that they are lighter, smaller and easier to hold. Any thoughts anyone?

It is a market positioning thing:
In the US, trade paperback has been increasingly used for original books that don't "merit" a hardcover release and mass market for reissues and "bargain" priced editions.
EBooks are quickly eating away the volume of the mmpb releases and there is a general expectation the bigger traditional publishers will be abandoning the smaller format "real-soon-now" as a way to move pbook buyers to the more expensive print formats. (Which are also losing sales volume to ebooks so their long term survival depends on consolidating pbook sales into two formats.)

[haydnfan]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

there is a general expectation the bigger traditional publishers will be abandoning the smaller format "real-soon-now" as a way to move pbook buyers to the more expensive print formats. (Which are also losing sales volume to ebooks so their long term survival depends on consolidating pbook sales into two formats.)

I'm already seeing that happening. At BN now I see lots of trade paperbacks and hardcovers and not nearly as many mass market paperbacks when it used to be the other way around.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by haydnfan

I'm already seeing that happening. At BN now I see lots of trade paperbacks and hardcovers and not nearly as many mass market paperbacks when it used to be the other way around.

That is what bookstores prefer; with lower traffic, they need the higher unit prices. But I'm skeptical MMPBs will totally vanish. Bestsellers rely on MMPB sales to casual readers for a good portion of their post-release window revenues.

I can see the format being relegated to newstands and supermarkets but ebook penetration among casual readers needs to be bigger before killing the format doesn't hurt the bottom line.

[Waylander]

Wonder why they change to trade paperback in America and not B format?

[Grace Elliot]

Who'd have thought!
I had no idea.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Waylander

Wonder why they change to trade paperback in America and not B format?

Most TPs are the same size as hardcovers and usually use a better grade of paper to appear as "near-hardcover" quality instead of pricey paperback. Easier to justify the higher price, they think.
That said, there isn't a standard hardcover or trade paperback size in the US and books aren't marketted by size, just by class.

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by Waylander

Thanks for that, you really helped me out. I wonder why all the publishers in the UK are moving away from mmpbs in favour of B format books? Most B formats cost the same as their smaller predecessors, and if they are more expensive, it's usually only £1-£2 more. I would have thought it would be the other way, as mmpbs are more portable and convenient. This strikes me as odd since one of the main shouting points of ereaders is that they are lighter, smaller and easier to hold. Any thoughts anyone?

The bigger book can be thinner; it can have less pages. There is only so much pages you can put in a paperback before you start to risk breaking the back as soon as you reach something like the 25% point. The more pages you have, the more breakage you risk.

Originally Posted by fjtorres

It is a market positioning thing:
In the US, trade paperback has been increasingly used for original books that don't "merit" a hardcover release and mass market for reissues and "bargain" priced editions.
EBooks are quickly eating away the volume of the mmpb releases and there is a general expectation the bigger traditional publishers will be abandoning the smaller format "real-soon-now" as a way to move pbook buyers to the more expensive print formats. (Which are also losing sales volume to ebooks so their long term survival depends on consolidating pbook sales into two formats.)

Yes. I think that at some point, the MMPB will be completely replaced by ebooks, and that people who really want to read a book on paper, will have to go with the bigger paperbacks. The people who want a book to keep, will go with the hardcover.

[JSWolf]

The real reason is so the publishers can charge more.

[crich70]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The real reason is so the publishers can charge more.

In other words same dance just a different song.

[Waylander]

However, in the UK B format books cost the same as MMPB's, so this doesn't really hold up here. In fact, as MMPB's are now mostly restricted to the Fantasy and Science Fiction genres, they can cost more.

[DrNefario]

I think paper books are moving towards being attractive luxury objects over being convenient reading devices. If you want a book that's nice to look at, then a bigger cover is always good.