I miss the old pocket paperbacks and often look for them at used bookstores. These were typically 25-50 cents many decades ago and available at newsstands. Granted, many of these “pulp” paperbacks are not elevated reading, but they are often fun mysteries to read over a few hour train or plane ride, and they weigh next to nothing. I have tried but never got used to reading on kindle or phones. I love hardcover books but paperbacks have their place so it’s sad to see them dwindling away.
If I see a book I really like and will to refer to in the future, I want a hardcover copy. If it's a title I'll probably read once, I get the ebook. The speed and convenience is hard to beat. I do get annoyed at the price of new ebooks. Other than paying the author what he or she deserves, promotion, and editing, there isn't any production cost for paper, shipping, etc. Am I wrong about that?
Same here. Spare the goats and trees otherwise. And audiobook is favourable when not reliant on good voice acting. It's great when non-fiction is read by the author.
Certainly tracks with my buying habits. I rarely buy paperbacks anymore. The book as an aesthetic object is important to me. If I am going to read a classic, I will look for the Everyman or Library of America volume. These books always have crystal clear printing, excellent bindings and even a ribbon bookmark.
On the other hand, if the book is just a fun read for a single time, I prefer Kindle over paperback.
And the proliferation of cheap paperback copies of classics, available on Amazon, has done a lot to kill off the paperback. The print quality of some of the books is so low that they are unreadable. Fool me once…
I agree with you. Yet I do have one sore spot. I am desperate to get Octavius Winslow's No Condemnation in Christ in hardcover. My paperback is so beat up -- I have lost pages.
I think to get a full perspective of what is happening in the paperback market, consideration and analysis needs to be added concerning the impact of ebooks (duh) but also specifically to the rise of independent authors with strong and loyal fan bases who no longer need the major publishing houses In areas like science fiction, military fiction, thrillers, crime fiction, etc., many of these independent authors whose audiences are loyal to them, it may be purely ebook, with no printed copies.
An analysis of hours or pages read on, e.g. Kindle Unlimited, and how those numbers have changed over the past seven years would also provide some insight into the trends and how they impact sales of physical books.
Interestingly enough, combined with the decline in paperback sales and increase in ebooks, there is also a nascent but growing trend towards premium quality leather-bound books, not just Bibles. Take a look at the Castalia Library Substack for an example of this endeavor.
Too many paperbacks these days have thin paper and font sizes that require an electron microscope to read (sometimes combined with a binding that falls apart during reading). I used to prowl the paperback racks (trade and mass) like a junkie looking for a cheap fix. These days if I buy a print book it's likely to be a hardcover; if it's a paperback it's either from a trade pb publisher that hasn't burned me yet with an unreadable copy or a used mass-market bought on the cheap so I have a longer sample to use in deciding to buy the more readable ebook.
Given a choice of formats, I'll pop for the ebook almost every time. Easy to read, and easier on the hands too -- hardcovers are harder to hold these days (this old-age stuff is a pain), not so the Kindle. Even trade paperbacks, if sufficiently thick and tightly bound, can be hard to hold comfortably.
As to ebook pricing, there are days when I think that ebooks are sometimes priced in a manner aimed at encouraging readers to buy the print copy rather than the digital (for just a smidgen more $$$ you get the real book!), and protect for a while longer their accustomed business. But that's just me being cynical. (Anyone else noticed that some time ago Amazon dropped that link they used to have saying 'tell the publisher you'd like to read this book on Kindle?' -- apparently the publishers don't want to hear about it any more).
Finally -- tell me there will be an ebook edition of The Idea Machine.
Fascinating behind-the-scenes description of paperback publishing. BTW, the mass market paperback is being phased out, so the trade paperback will be the main form of paperback being published for new books. Sadly, it looks like this form of paperback publishing will be problematic at best. Love the note at the end on paper. Sharing this...
Excellent article, Joel, as always. My own experience has been pretty good. Most of my books started out as hardback but then only much later came out in paperback. I've never had a Mass Paperback though, and I've always wanted one!
Hey Joel. This was an enjoyable essay. I think I purchased an advanced copy of your book but am not sure. If I have not let me know and I will buy a copy. Grace and Peace, Richard
I have lately bought some old trade paperbacks from the glory days of the 70s & 80s- their covers alone are a thing of joy. I have stopped buying most modern paperbacks for a very simple reason - their paper is so thin that you can see the shadow of the other side of the page, even though the ink is sparse enough that it looks more grey than black. It is easier to read on an e-ink reader, where lighting and don't size can be adjusted.
However, there is a newer British publisher, Arcturus, that has been turning out paperbacks in the grand old tradition - thicker paper, crystal clear printing, and beautiful covers. I've bought a few just because the cover caught my eye.
At one time, certain publishers would publish genre fiction exclusively in paperback, with no hardcover options. Most genre writers accepted this as a matter of fact for so many years, so this prejudice came to shape the view of the public on science fiction, mystery etc. for a long time.
However, the current genre publishers which have survived in part thanks to mainstream support (Ace, DAW and TOR, for example) have started publishing in all formats, so writers in this format no longer feel the need to limit their stories to the length of a slim paperback volume (and, indeed, the submission guidelines require it be a high numbers of words at minimum). So the particular stigma paperback-only fiction used to have is gone because it is no longer paperback-only.
I miss the old pocket paperbacks and often look for them at used bookstores. These were typically 25-50 cents many decades ago and available at newsstands. Granted, many of these “pulp” paperbacks are not elevated reading, but they are often fun mysteries to read over a few hour train or plane ride, and they weigh next to nothing. I have tried but never got used to reading on kindle or phones. I love hardcover books but paperbacks have their place so it’s sad to see them dwindling away.
If I see a book I really like and will to refer to in the future, I want a hardcover copy. If it's a title I'll probably read once, I get the ebook. The speed and convenience is hard to beat. I do get annoyed at the price of new ebooks. Other than paying the author what he or she deserves, promotion, and editing, there isn't any production cost for paper, shipping, etc. Am I wrong about that?
Same here. Spare the goats and trees otherwise. And audiobook is favourable when not reliant on good voice acting. It's great when non-fiction is read by the author.
Certainly tracks with my buying habits. I rarely buy paperbacks anymore. The book as an aesthetic object is important to me. If I am going to read a classic, I will look for the Everyman or Library of America volume. These books always have crystal clear printing, excellent bindings and even a ribbon bookmark.
On the other hand, if the book is just a fun read for a single time, I prefer Kindle over paperback.
And the proliferation of cheap paperback copies of classics, available on Amazon, has done a lot to kill off the paperback. The print quality of some of the books is so low that they are unreadable. Fool me once…
1) Yes, preschedule with the therapist, just to ground yourself.
2) Good to learn about the Ancient Study version! Thanks!
I agree with you. Yet I do have one sore spot. I am desperate to get Octavius Winslow's No Condemnation in Christ in hardcover. My paperback is so beat up -- I have lost pages.
I think to get a full perspective of what is happening in the paperback market, consideration and analysis needs to be added concerning the impact of ebooks (duh) but also specifically to the rise of independent authors with strong and loyal fan bases who no longer need the major publishing houses In areas like science fiction, military fiction, thrillers, crime fiction, etc., many of these independent authors whose audiences are loyal to them, it may be purely ebook, with no printed copies.
An analysis of hours or pages read on, e.g. Kindle Unlimited, and how those numbers have changed over the past seven years would also provide some insight into the trends and how they impact sales of physical books.
Interestingly enough, combined with the decline in paperback sales and increase in ebooks, there is also a nascent but growing trend towards premium quality leather-bound books, not just Bibles. Take a look at the Castalia Library Substack for an example of this endeavor.
https://castalialibrary.substack.com/
Too many paperbacks these days have thin paper and font sizes that require an electron microscope to read (sometimes combined with a binding that falls apart during reading). I used to prowl the paperback racks (trade and mass) like a junkie looking for a cheap fix. These days if I buy a print book it's likely to be a hardcover; if it's a paperback it's either from a trade pb publisher that hasn't burned me yet with an unreadable copy or a used mass-market bought on the cheap so I have a longer sample to use in deciding to buy the more readable ebook.
Given a choice of formats, I'll pop for the ebook almost every time. Easy to read, and easier on the hands too -- hardcovers are harder to hold these days (this old-age stuff is a pain), not so the Kindle. Even trade paperbacks, if sufficiently thick and tightly bound, can be hard to hold comfortably.
As to ebook pricing, there are days when I think that ebooks are sometimes priced in a manner aimed at encouraging readers to buy the print copy rather than the digital (for just a smidgen more $$$ you get the real book!), and protect for a while longer their accustomed business. But that's just me being cynical. (Anyone else noticed that some time ago Amazon dropped that link they used to have saying 'tell the publisher you'd like to read this book on Kindle?' -- apparently the publishers don't want to hear about it any more).
Finally -- tell me there will be an ebook edition of The Idea Machine.
My daughter’s ‘best seller’ with ‘an Orthodox Publisher’ has been published in 5-6 different languages.
The last was published not here in the USA, but in Russia, not friendly with the USA. The publisher sent her information to the Russian Publisher.
Of course, my daughter received no royalties from sales in this very large Orthodox Country and the publisher shouldn’t have made such a deal.
You have to be careful with deals publishers make even when you have the rights to your book.
A book with subject matter like hers won’t become obsolete. (Thinking about long term royalties can be more lucrative)
Over the years there has been steady revenue, even though the book is paperback, on Kindle and Audible.
Hardcover wouldn’t have done well for the type of audience/subject matter.
Lifeway.com has the Ancient Faith Study Bible for half price. This version comes indexed.
https://www.lifeway.com/en/product/csb-ancient-faith-study-bible-navy-leathertouch-indexed-M00101426/005831545
I love hardcover, like trade, loathe mass....BUT-give me a book, any way it comes! Please tell me you don't have therapist.
Fascinating behind-the-scenes description of paperback publishing. BTW, the mass market paperback is being phased out, so the trade paperback will be the main form of paperback being published for new books. Sadly, it looks like this form of paperback publishing will be problematic at best. Love the note at the end on paper. Sharing this...
Excellent article, Joel, as always. My own experience has been pretty good. Most of my books started out as hardback but then only much later came out in paperback. I've never had a Mass Paperback though, and I've always wanted one!
Hey Joel. This was an enjoyable essay. I think I purchased an advanced copy of your book but am not sure. If I have not let me know and I will buy a copy. Grace and Peace, Richard
I have lately bought some old trade paperbacks from the glory days of the 70s & 80s- their covers alone are a thing of joy. I have stopped buying most modern paperbacks for a very simple reason - their paper is so thin that you can see the shadow of the other side of the page, even though the ink is sparse enough that it looks more grey than black. It is easier to read on an e-ink reader, where lighting and don't size can be adjusted.
However, there is a newer British publisher, Arcturus, that has been turning out paperbacks in the grand old tradition - thicker paper, crystal clear printing, and beautiful covers. I've bought a few just because the cover caught my eye.
That should be *font size. Autocorrect...
I think you can edit Substack comments using the "..." menu at the upper right of your comment.
On the app, you can edit Notes, but not comments on 'Stacks.
At one time, certain publishers would publish genre fiction exclusively in paperback, with no hardcover options. Most genre writers accepted this as a matter of fact for so many years, so this prejudice came to shape the view of the public on science fiction, mystery etc. for a long time.
However, the current genre publishers which have survived in part thanks to mainstream support (Ace, DAW and TOR, for example) have started publishing in all formats, so writers in this format no longer feel the need to limit their stories to the length of a slim paperback volume (and, indeed, the submission guidelines require it be a high numbers of words at minimum). So the particular stigma paperback-only fiction used to have is gone because it is no longer paperback-only.
Yes, good point. There are several publishers experimenting with releasing all formats simultaneously these days.