Standard paperback book formats

Here is an explanation of the differences between the two main types of paperback books. Long, long meetings are spent debating the merits of a, b or c trade formats. Insert the spine measurements, selected trim size width and height, and the 0. Standard book sizes custom book binding book trim sizes. If you do add it, make sure it matches the number assigned to your book. But the design of the pages inside those covers have just as much impact and require the same amount of careful consideration. Your manuscript should be clean and professionallookingafter that, its your story that will make or break your submission. Hardcover or hardback sizes vary widely in the us, but generally the size of these books tends to fall somewhere between 6 x 9 in and 8. A quick note about paperback book formats in the uk a format is typically 110mm x 178mm 4. There is a 24page count minimum for our hard case bindings. Standard sizes vary for different genres of books, and printing. A paperback also known as softback or softcover is a type of book characterized by a thick paper or paperboard cover.

Books at this size usually come with a tiny typeface and spine flexibility ranging from minimal to moderate. Remember, you will need to format your paperback manuscript file correctly to prevent a white border. For example, lets say the book you are holding is 5. Understanding book layouts and page margins describes typical margins for a standard 6 inch by 9 inch trade paperback, including createspace book layout specifications. There are over a hundred things that can go wrong with your book formatting, and if we wrote about all of them youd be reading from sunup till sundown. When done, go to references tab and click table of contents on the far.

Standard book sizes info here is a list of standard book sizes that are manufactured in the uk. Recognize the changes that ebooks bring to the publishing industry. List of book sizes standard sizes for all different self. For colour covers the document should be set to 297mm x. A nice benefit of the trade paperback is having the nice, larger size book but without the bulk. A massmarket paperback is a small, usually nonillustrated, inexpensive bookbinding format.

Cover specifications calculating cover size to format your paperback cover, youll first need to calculate the spine measurements black and white books, color books. A massmarket paperback is a small, usually nonillustrated. To do this, click on the table of contents in your word document so that you select the table, go to the references tab, and choose update table in the bar this will open a dialog box with additional options page numbers only if you only edited, added, and. When setting up your book, this is the default in the print options section of the paperback content tab. The paperback formats have a larger page size, similar to the hardcover versions 6x9. The choice is yours, but we can advise you if the size can be.

The reason for this is because it will depend on your finished books page size. Here is a list of standard book sizes that are manufactured in the uk. This format is cheap to print and convenient to carry around, so it makes a great fit for cheap paperback fiction. They have been historically printed on relatively lowquality paper. If you want a different trim size, click select a different size and choose from standard and nonstandard trim sizes. The reduction is along the diagonal of the rectangle. Jacketed case laminate pages glued to hardcover at ends with the option to design what prints on the cover beneath. The inside pages of a4 or a5 hardback books are a few mm smaller. Theyre the standard in the industry until advanced reading copies came into play, and thats when graphic design was able to create more elaborate. Typesetting the pages for your own book can be a complicated and expensive exercise.

Kdp standard book sizes include most standard book dimensions, but they exclude the mass market paperback size. If you produce your book at a standard size then you are ensuring that it is printed in the most cost effective and efficient way. Trim sizes in this post were updated on january 30, 2015 as soon as you get serious about selfpublishing a book, you are confronted with the choice of what size your book ought to be for instance, if you want to get a price on how much a book will cost to print, the first thing you need to know is the size. Identify the differences in the two major formats of paperback books. That means your script will be at a strong disadvantage vs. They will have a thicker cover than a massmarket paperback book. Perfect bound pages and paperback cover glued together at spine saddle stitch pages and paperback cover stapled together along spine, one inside the other 48 pages max and premium color only. The following include the major differences between formatting for paperback books versus formatting for ebooks. Typesetting and formatting your book completelynovel. B format books are probably the most widely circulated in the uk, being the industry standard for most paperback fiction. Ideal for workbooks, reference guides and training manuals. The standard size for a mass market paperback is around 4.

You can add an international standard book number isbn to your page if you want, but its not required. For this to happen, you have to first format all chapter titles as heading 1 and any subtitles as heading 2. They are arranged by spine thickness, based on the number of pages in your book. From ancient egyptian papyrus scrolls to scrollable 21stcentury ebooks, a book can come in many different formats. These sizes are based on the most costeffective use of standard paper sizes ie how many pages can be fit onto a sheet. Custom hardcover books can also be covered with a dust jacket, a removable paper cover used to protect a book from dirt or damage. What is the difference between mass market paperback and. The great thing about viewing pdf ebooks is that they retain the original design of each page so you see on your screen exactly what the book designer intended. If you make any changes in the book later on, youll have to manually update the table of contents though. This book, the complete guide to standard script formats, etc. When many firsttime selfpublishers consider the design elements of their book they only think of the front cover. Smallformat paperback edition of a book, usually commercial. That is the same size as a lot of hardbacks, although in the us agents.

Youll probably be familiar with these premium formats. A standard us paperback novel is typically printed as a 6 in. To do this for chapter titles, for example, go to the home tab, select the chapter title and then choose heading 1 option. Thus a5 reasonably close to the usual paperback book size is 210 x 149mm. Casewrap with glossy or matte finish and a stiff cover board. Perfect for novels, poetry books and autobiographies. Book sizes 101 how to choose your hardback or paperback book. Lowcost paperback fiction pocket books are sized to do just thatfit nicely in a back pocket. Heres a realworld comparison of some trade paperback sizes. Download our free guide to typesetting and uploading your book on completelynovel.

Formats that are more suited to smaller screens like epub tend to lose page formatting when displayed on a computer screen. Their pages are often held together with glue rather than stitches or staples. If youre unsure about which size to choose for your book, b format is a pretty safe bet. The mass market have more pages since the pages are smaller. The mass market paperback have typical small 4x7 pages. From our experience, most authors make the same mistakes when with their book format.

The book templates listed on this page represent our standard trim sizes but we do print and bind most trim sizes up to and including 9 x 12 in both softcover and case bound formats. Aformat paper stock replaced previous formats such as foolscap, legal, et c. The importance of format and feel books the guardian. Bookstore quality printing at affordable costs, our us trade paperback is our most popular book. Your book page in word will be the standard paper size of 8. Ingramspark print book options customize your self. Its typical for textbooks, childrens books, and nonfiction. Mass market generally a us term but is increasingly applied to aformat paperbacks in the uk. If you produce your book at a standard size then you are ensuring that it is printed in the. Self publishing, book printing free book templates. Different book formats what different formats do books come in. Virginia shows the different shapes, sizes, and types books can come in to help book collectors and readers. The reason for this is because it will depend on your finished book s page size. Both our hardcover and softcover books come in all standard book sizes.

If you have indesign cs5, choose one of the following free book cover templates. For black and white covers, your document should be set to 287mm x 410mm plus the width of your spine. These sizes are only guidelines to approximate sizing, and should not be used in order to design an actual book or magazine. We also offer professional inhouse book cover design and text designformatting services.