Paperback, Hardcover, E-book – Which Format to Publish?

There are different types of book formats and it is an essential decision to make while publishing your book today. Earlier, traditional publishers never had to think too much on the book format, because only a few options were the market norm in the book world. Print book was mandatory for a publisher to reach book shops, libraries and book fairs – the potential places for readers to visit. However, today digital world has brought the globe together, and authors and readers are coming closer too. Lifestyles have changed drastically; today people barely have the time to sit with a book. They are too occupied to spend just reading something. Usually, people tend to multitask, so digital versions of books are gaining popularity over time as more and more people use computer today. Besides cost of book printing and distribution has immensely increased over decades. With the growth of self-publishing in India and almost everywhere else, digital books (e-books) and print-on-demand models have gained popularity, therefore, in the current era, it is important to decide the book format which can maximize profits and reduce costs for an author or publisher. Book sales is always the end work in the publishing industry. It is better to do a research on which book format sells the most and which book format gives maximum profits before venturing into publishing. Let us understand each format in detail-

Print Book– It is the traditional form of book we are used to see forever in the markets. White pages with printed black letters on it, bounded between hard or soft cover. We have to turn the leaves to read the pages. These books usually cover the shelves of different shops, school or college libraries and book fairs we are used to visiting. You should be clear about the purpose of your book to decide on the book format. Print books are of different types: hardback (what we know as hardcover), paperback and mass-market paperback.

Hardcover books are sturdier, where the pages are bound between a cover made of cardboard wrapped in cloth or glossy paper. Here the pages can be glued or sewn into the spine, making the spine more flexible so that the book can lay flat when opened. The book title and author’s name are often stamped onto the cloth binding, and hardcover books typically come wrapped in a dust jacket with artwork. A hardcover book is usually more expensive to the consumer because it gets a costlier exterior and the work required on a hardbound book is more expensive. Moreover, the weight of hardcover books is more so shipping and distribution costs are also higher. But hardcover books are sometimes essential. Books that can be found in hardcover are frequently in the genres of business, law, coffee table/art, first-edition fiction, or collector’s editions of classics. Penguin released a beautiful set of hardcover editions for people looking for that classic aesthetic that only hardcover brings. Also, hardcover is required to support thicker, and glossier pages of art journals or photography magazines that décor the shelves of high-class cafes. With the changing economic environment, publishing patterns are also changing and publishers no longer print hardback books for regular fictions and novels.

Paperback books are softcover books. They usually have a cover made from paperboard or a very thick stock, and the pages are attached to the binding with glue. When we talk about paperback book printing, we typically mean trade paperbacks, which are the 6×9 or 5.5×8.5–inch books you see most often in bookstores. These books cost much less in production and handling; therefore, customers get them at cheaper price. They are also lighter in weight hence can be carried easily anywhere. Novels and fictions and also many non-fictions are mostly printed in paperback.

Mass Market is another form of paperback which is smaller in size than the usual paperback. The page quality is thinner than paperback. Most romance and thriller novels are printed in mass market with a low-quality stock cover. These books come even cheaper than usual paperbacks because production and distribution costs come cheaper to the publisher. But again, the format should be based on purpose. A literary fiction or an educative non-fiction can lose its seriousness if printed in mass market.

E-book is a digital format of book which can be read on any electronic device like a phone, tablet, laptop, computer etc. Kindle is the dedicated device for reading ebooks which are converted from pdf format. In this format, the book doesn’t consume any extra space in the reader’s house or bag. It can be read from anywhere with the help of an electronic device or even online using internet. Ebooks are much cheaper because the work of designing the book and making it available is almost negligible as everything happens using a computer on a digital platform. An ebook can be distributed using online distribution services. Self-publishing in India and across the world has flourished because of ebooks. Author himself can actually complete the manuscript and upload the word or pdf file on platforms such as Kindle direct publishing, even without a respective cover design or interior. It is that simple. Ebook targets its customers on content and not show. This has become so acceptable because people are so busy today, they care less to spend a lot on buying books. Yes, good content finds audience who prefer to buy something which costs the less. With a digital format, it is easy for the readers to share the book among peers as well. New-age readers seem to be more comfortable with ebooks.

Therefore, it is evident that book format is essential for consideration for determining good sales of books. Self-published authors have to consider this more because they pay for their own printing and distribution. A book should cater to market demands and it is natural that customers will buy a good product at a cheaper price, which indicates that cost of production has to be low to increase saleability. So, paperbacks are more popular among print books. But ebooks are even cheaper because of their lowest production cost and distribution hassle. However, the cost of a book is not the last factor to consider.

These days audio books are super popular among students and working individuals. Audiobooks are exact narration of the book in form of CDs or recordings which a person can hear anywhere, while driving, working, emailing or relaxing. You literally don’t have to spend any extra time on hearing the story rather than reading it. The production of audio books can be a little more expensive depending on the duration of the recording because it calls for a voiceover, from a professional narrator/speaker, a service which can be really costly, especially if the book is recorded under top quality facilities using the best technological equipment and environment. But this is at the highest demand these days.

So making your book format cheap isn’t the only thing. You have to understand market requirements, generation demands. Also, we have to make sure we do not compromise on quality of the product. Some times the novelty of a book means everything for e.g. the original edition of Arabian Nights cannot be replaced with any other format even though the stories are the same. Make a careful analysis of the stakes before deciding on book format while self-publishing in India or abroad. There are several service providers for authors who can help decide the book format most appropriate for your purpose, genre, audience etc. You can involve them if you are not sure about all the statistics. Eventually you want your book to sell and sell fast, so that your years of efforts can bear fruit.

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