Did you know more than 900 million books are sold in the US every year? Overall, hardcover book sales make a higher revenue than softcover and e-book sales.
Whether you’re an independent publisher looking for a partner printer or an author hoping to self-publish your latest literary masterpiece, you’ll be concerned with the cost of printing. And that means you’re likely engaged in the age-old debate: hardcover vs. paperback?
A hardcover book is always more expensive to produce than a paperback—depending on the size of your print run, of course. But both options still have their downsides and plus-sides, making it a more complicated decision than just cost.
Read on to work out which book type suits your budget and needs.
What Are Hardcover vs. Paperback Books?
It’s all in the name! A hardcover book has a cover made from heavy cardboard, typically with a dust jacket over the top. These books are more expensive to produce, so they’re usually reserved for books designed to last a long time. Book types might include:- Collectors’ editions
- Reference books and guides (like encyclopedias)
- Foundational textbooks
- Coffee table books
- Artist’s books
What Influences Hardcover Book Cost?
Hardcover printing is a much more complex process than paperback book printing. For starters, hardcover books have a more complicated makeup than their soft-covered counterparts—consisting of multiple layers of casing, binding, mesh, and sheets. They also typically feature higher quality paper for the pages and require full-color, high-resolution printing. Because of this, you can expect the hardcover book printing costs to be multiple times higher than what you’d pay for a paperback print run. However, the plus side is that customers perceive hardcover books as luxury items and, as such, are willing to pay more per unit. This makes the higher-quality printing worth the investment.What Influences Paperback Book Price?
Paperback book printing is a favorite of self-publishers because it’s cheaper than hardcover book printing. This cheap and cheerful option suits everything from small runs of personal family genealogical history books to cookbooks and instructional guides. Factors that influence the cost of paperback books include:- Overall quantity (size of the print run)
- Paper quality
- Page print quality and color
- Cover graphics
- Binding style
- Delivery