The Rise of the Trade Paperback
Posted on April 21, 2009
Publishers are printing fewer hardcover books and more trade paperbacks in response to the drop off in consumer spending. And trade paperbacks are selling quite well.
The cheaper format is a smarter business model during tough economic times, according to those who sell books or publish them. Trade paperbacks (which are larger and more expensive than mass-market paperbacks) are typically about $14; hardcovers run about $25.Trade paperbacks used to be considered a step down from hardcovers, but industry insiders say that just isn't so any more. Younger readers like them, and if an author becomes a bestseller, the hardcover option is still there for the publisher. But with the new hardcovers having list prices of just under $30, trade paperbacks are looking better than ever to consumers.For years, booksellers and publishers have been fighting to retain their fraction of every entertainment dollar, especially those of younger consumers. "If we want to appeal to a twentysomething audience, we have to do it at an affordable price," says Carrie Kania of HarperPerennial, which will publish a record 100 or so paperback originals this year. "And a trade paperback is the price of a new CD." And the format is no longer considered second-best. Booksellers are happy to recommend books they like, in all formats, to their customers. Book critics are more open to reviewing them.
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Paperbacks are a way to get customers to take a chance on something new, says Bob Wietrak of Barnes & Noble. "Consumers are willing to pay the hardcover price for an author they know and love," Wietrak says. "Trade paperbacks are an invitation to 'try me.'"