Apr162013

Trade Versus Mass Market, Oh the Humanity! Gail Carriger Talks About the Range of Books Sizes

I asked a question over Twitter and Facebook, Gentle Reader. It sparked a fascinating, and strangely epic discussion. Here’s the question:

Talk to me about trade paperbacks! Why do people prefer them over mass market? Why do you?

But first…

Trade Paperbacks! Why? What? Huh?

Let me quickly explain that in the US trade-size paperback books, formerly called quality paperbacks (TR/TP/QP/QPB), are the ones that are slightly smaller than the hardcover (HC/CL) or roughly half-way between the UK’s B format and C formats.

Trade Paperbacks of the Parasol Protectorate series

These days, young adult books are often brought out in HC first and then TR. I can’t be precise with the measurements because it is not really standardized.

Mass markets are those little ones, also called pocket sized (MM/PB/PPB) which in the UK would be A format (although A is slightly larger than the US’s MM for metric reasons). In the US these are 6 3/4 by 4 1/8 inches. Don’t ask.

B-Format Trade vs Mass Market

The Parasol Protectorate books in the US came out originally in MM (and the two omnibus in HC). In the UK, they came out in B format. In other languages they came out in TR or HC with the exception of the Japanese edition which is very tiny (A6, I think it’s called, 4×6 inches, like Baedekers).

From Left to Right: HC, TR, B format, MM, A6

The ARCs of E&E (just to complicate matters) came out in hardcover-formatted paperback (slightly larger that the USA trade editions). Yeah, you read that right. Muhahahahaha.

So now back to…

Why do readers prefer trade over mass market?

The reason I asked this question is that recently rumor has it the market is shifting in preference (in the US) from MM to TR. This may have to do with publishers, or it may have to do with self publishing, or it may be that the MM readers are moving to ebooks.

It is certainly true that readers have firm reasons for liking one over the other.

I was curious as to those reasons.

I prefer MM, myself. My bookshelf, inherited from my grandmother, is sized for MM. I have to stack TR horizontally. Also, I can double stack MM if I need to, which means I can fit more books on the shelf. MM fit into my purse for travel, and since I have carpal tunnel, they are easier/lighter to hold. Also I don’t feel bad about beating them up, and I am rough on my books.

Those who prefer MM seem to share many of my reasons. Lastly, I would like to point out that I just ordered four different TR books from different authors/publishers, and each one was a slightly differently sized from the others. This kind of thing drives little OCD me absolutely bug-nuts.

Fine, switch to trade, just everyone please switch to the same size trade!

TRVariations
Variable size TR’s just for my own book, this example is global but even all within the US the range is pretty extreme.

However, those who prefer TR had good reasons of their own. The following is a small sample:

Why trade paperback books (or B format)?

  • are less awkward to hold one-handed
  • sometimes (not always) have larger print and are easier to read
  • will stay open better
  • have lighter paper with a nicer feeling texture
  • don’t smell funny
  • have a nicer weight and size
  • are perceived as higher quality
  • have spines that don’t crack as easily
  • better capable of handling thicker books comfortably (although one reader said the thicker the better in MM)
  • have cleaner lines
  • are more elegant
  • hold up better after multiple reads
  • fit better in larger hands
  • are comfortable to read, yet still feel special
  • look better and more book-like on the shelf
  • have bigger/nicer artwork on the cover

I am intrigued and have already begun to look upon trades with a more sympathetic eye.

I’m not interested in starting a debate, I merely enjoy seeing all sides of a object-shape preference. I find this kind of thing fascinating, it’s the archaeologist in me.

Also, and I have no idea what this means, but among my social media interactions:

  • Twitter came down firmly in favor of MM
  • Facebook for TR

Make of that what you will. Oh, interwebs, what a wild and crazy place you are. I foresee some kind of rap battle throwdown in the future on this subject.

*Please note that blog post updated in 2018.

Your Tisane of Smart . . .

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Posted by Gail Carriger

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Comments

  1. Pabkins said:

    What an interesting thing to think about! Personally, I prefer Trade paperbacks BUT I do loathe the inconsistency in the sizing. They do hold up much better to rereading and also don't damage as easily – and you can open them better than a MM. If you open a MM all the way you are going to crack the spine and that ruins the look of them on the shelf. I prefer a different format for different situations. Ebooks for travel, TR for everyday and MM for single reads or ones I suspect I might not read again and or give away to the used book store.

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