Hardcover, Trade Paperback or Mass Market Paperback?

  • This message board permanently closed on June 30th, 2020 at 4PM EDT and is no longer accepting new members.

Lord Tyrion

Well-Known Member
Oct 24, 2013
1,582
6,257
Since I've been doing more reading over the last year, I've come to appreciate the tradeoffs of the three book formats.

As of now, I will probably lean towards hard cover or trade paperback. Mass market paperbacks feel like a burden to read. The font is small and there is little space between each line and it feels like I'm straining my eyes at times. I'm currently reading Justin Cronin's The Passage, and it feels like I'm reading at a slower pace even though the story is good. I felt more comfortable reading Mr. Mercedes (Hardcover) and even the trade paperback version of Freakanomics because the font and page format were more comfortable to read.

Hardcovers do take a huge bite out of your wallet. Luckily, SK's books are typically on discount. Mr. Mercedes can be easily found for $21 which is not bad. Over hardcovers are pricey though. Mass market paperbacks are pretty cheap ranging from $6-9.

The other tradeoff is availability. The wait for paperback books can be too long and old novels can sometimes only be found in paperback.

Thoughts?
 

skimom2

Just moseyin' through...
Oct 9, 2013
15,683
92,168
USA
For books I love (or authors I trust), I prefer hardbacks. Trade PBs are next, mass market PBs last. I have some left over from when I was younger, but now I'd just rather check out a book that I don't care enough about to buy in hardback. Having said that, all of my Game of Thrones are MM PB, because I can't find them affordable in HB (lol). THOSE are books that I'd gladly have forever--I can totally see reading them over and over, much like DT and LOTR.
 

kingricefan

All-being, keeper of Space, Time & Dimension.
Jul 11, 2006
30,011
127,446
Spokane, WA
I like the larger fonts used in hard covers, but sometimes when the book is a long one it starts to weigh on me (pun intended). I usually don't read the trade paperbacks (since I almost always already own the hardback) and the mass market paperbacks just go into the collection unread (if it's a King book). The fonts are usually way too small in the MM paperbacks for me to read.
 

guido tkp

Well-Known Member
Oct 1, 2009
2,632
480
outside the dome
it might've been interesting to give an additional nod the the new kid on the block: the e-reader...kindle...nook...whatever floats yer e-book boat...

'cause most of what i've been reading of late comes upon that format...

now, this thaing is new to me...i got it as a present, so i'm both enamored and...well, bizzarely, kinda repulsed: it AIN'T a book, right ?!?!

nonetheless...i can find authors and books that i never thought i'd see again...and far cheaper, in most cases, than any of the aforementioned formats...every book i've bought so far has been in the $3 range...

still...in a perfect world, i'd prefer hardbacks...but the expense is great (tho..i did get 'mr. m' for a measly $13 !!!), everything i've bought in the last 20-30 years has been on sale, usually 30-40% off

...i almost never, ever do trades...in fact, have only a handful from throughout the years...

and almost all my paperbacks, IF i even buy 'em are ...erm...gently preread...

yup...in it's short, short life in my life, the kindle, by virtue of getting me books i cannot find anywhere else, despite all my perambulations, has already nearly doubled my everyday reading quota...

and that's a good thing, right ???
 

SutterKane

Well-Known Member
Jun 7, 2014
297
1,891
41
For budgetary reasons I tend to stay away from Hardcovers except for rare exceptions (Mr. Mercedes happened to arrive during a particularly nice time period that included multiple weeks of overtime pay, for example). I live on my own and in order to avoid the dreaded roommate scenario or welfare I have to cut corners in those kinds of places. The cheaper the better. At some point I'll likely switch to the E-Book readers. I like the idea of holding the physical copy but, hey, we do what we have to do ya know.
 

kingricefan

All-being, keeper of Space, Time & Dimension.
Jul 11, 2006
30,011
127,446
Spokane, WA
For budgetary reasons I tend to stay away from Hardcovers except for rare exceptions (Mr. Mercedes happened to arrive during a particularly nice time period that included multiple weeks of overtime pay, for example). I live on my own and in order to avoid the dreaded roommate scenario or welfare I have to cut corners in those kinds of places. The cheaper the better. At some point I'll likely switch to the E-Book readers. I like the idea of holding the physical copy but, hey, we do what we have to do ya know.
I hope that you check thrift stores for books. You can find some amazing books there. I do most of my book shopping at used bookstores or thrift stores, except for King books. Those I buy the day they come out.
 

xkittyx

Unfound
Oct 14, 2007
757
975
38
Deerfield, OH
I most definitely prefer hardbacks. So much nicer and prettier to look at all lined up on the shelves. If I can't get hardback, then the trade paperbacks are my second choice, and regular paperbacks come last. Unless we're counting ebooks, then those are last. I won't buy those unless it's the only way I can read the story, like some of SK's and Joe Hill's short stories. I love seeing all my books together, so ebooks totally take all my fun away.
 

The Nameless

M-O-O-N - That spells Nameless
Jul 10, 2011
2,080
8,261
42
The Darkside of the Moon (England really)
I have a mixed bag, and in terms of aesthetics, I wouldn't have it any other way. I thunk a collection of books should never be pristine, rather they looked read and loved, with some different sizes too.

As for reading, I probably prefer a paper back, it's less cumbersome in your hands, but in bed, you don't even have to hold a hard back for half of it, just lay it flat and prop it up with your finger. So it's 'swings and roundabouts'.

Price wise, mass paper backs are generally around £4.99-£7.99, hard backs are usually listed as £20, but every one of sk's last 4 or 5 has been available somewhere for £10-£15. King books are often half price upon release in wh Smith's, Dr sleep was a tenner, joyland was £4, Mr Mercedes was £14 (i think) so price is not really that big an issue.

Can anyone help me with a related question, look at my picture, if cujo and night shift are mass market paperbacks, dark tower 7 and bag of bones are trade paperbacks, what are duma key and dark tower 1-6?

img20140721_140142.jpg
 

doowopgirl

very avid fan
Aug 7, 2009
6,946
25,119
65
dublin ireland
All my SK are in hardback. Except the DT series which I came into very late in the game, so they are a mix of the three. I like my SK books brand new and in hardback. I have loadson my Kindle. Ususally cheaper, no clutter and so easy to carry around. I used to be dead set aginst any kind of E reader, but then there were some SK only available on Kindle so I gave in. I've never been sorry. I like both formats for reading. After all it's the same words.
 

RichardX

Well-Known Member
Sep 26, 2006
1,737
4,434
My preference is often based on where I intend to read the book. For example, hardcovers and e-books are not great at the beach or pool. It's also almost impossible to see the screen of an e-book (or at least mine) on a bright sunny day due to the reflection. I prefer cheap paperbacks there since there are no worries about them getting dinged up and they are easy to carry. One drawback to the paperback is the font is often very small. Try reading IT in a small font and you may go blind.
 

RandallFlagg19

Well-Known Member
May 5, 2014
809
6,209
38
My preference is often based on where I intend to read the book. For example, hardcovers and e-books are not great at the beach or pool. It's also almost impossible to see the screen of an e-book (or at least mine) on a bright sunny day due to the reflection. I prefer cheap paperbacks there since there are no worries about them getting dinged up and they are easy to carry. One drawback to the paperback is the font is often very small. Try reading IT in a small font and you may go blind.

I read Under the Dome in, mass market paperback, small font in nine days and didn't go blind.
 

The Nameless

M-O-O-N - That spells Nameless
Jul 10, 2011
2,080
8,261
42
The Darkside of the Moon (England really)
My preference is often based on where I intend to read the book. For example, hardcovers and e-books are not great at the beach or pool. It's also almost impossible to see the screen of an e-book (or at least mine) on a bright sunny day due to the reflection. I prefer cheap paperbacks there since there are no worries about them getting dinged up and they are easy to carry. One drawback to the paperback is the font is often very small. Try reading IT in a small font and you may go blind.
I did read it in small font, ridiculously small font, mass paper back, all 1116 pages...twice. I have it in hard back now so next time it will be easier on my poor eyes. It was an exception for me though, not many other books I have are in such small print.

My copy of the stand however, it doesn't seem to know what it is. I had a mass market paper back version that was small print and 1440 pages long, but my hard back is shorter than my other hard backs, shorter than trade paper backs, but manages to squeeze it into 1007 pages by using the smallest font I have seen, and almost tracing paper thin pages. Here are some pictures.
stand1.jpg IMAG0400.jpg IMAG0399.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator: