Friday 8 December 2017

The Growth Of Softcover Booklet

By Mary Wright


A lot of people have taken up reading as a recreational activity with the availability of books being on the rise all over the world. The biggest block for writers is reaching their readers with printing and publishing taking up most of their finances. These writers are now resolving to softcover booklet as the hardcover ones are expensive to produce.

Paperback books are bound with a flexible paper cover as opposed to hardcover books which are bound using a cardboard covered with cloth. Initially, paperbacks were used in reprints back in the 19th century. The books were sold at a lower price and were available in shopping malls, railways, and even airports.

When copies were produced in numerous copies, it was known as the mass paperback. Copies that were not but would be returned to the printer who would tear off the cover then recycle the inner pages. If copies reached the reader without the cover, this meant the writer had not received any payment for it.

Over time in the 1950s the first original book was printed with a paperback. Writers especially those publishing their first books began to use reprints more as it required less financial investment. They are advantageous as they are relatively cheap for both the writer and the buyer, have quicker turnaround time and have wider availability.

During editing, a writer must always have the cover in mind. If they plan that their book will have a paperback, the first and last page have to be edited as the front and back page while the second and the second last page will be the inner part of the two pages. The writer during printing may choose to have a thicker cover compared to inner pages which are more durable. A page similar to inner pages is however cheaper.

Production of hardcover books results in a relatively high-profit margin. Therefore printers attempt to create a balance for writers between the two by producing more paperback books, this serves to seal the gap. During production, the paperback books can either be mass market or trade paperbacks.

If one wants to print their book with a paperback, they have various binding options. They include saddle stitching, perfect binding and color coil binding with the easiest and most economical being saddle stitching which makes use of a specific stapler to pin pages together after they are appropriately arranged. For perfect binding, the pages are grouped and attached with a heavier cover to each other into the spine. Color coil binding makes use of a spiral coil which is connected to punch holes in arranged paper. The coil forms the spine of the book.

Despite a phase in the emerging of soft cover book printing where some persons claimed that paperback originals are undermining the structure of publishing, it has become a popular means for a lot of writers to print their books. Softcover book is now a very viable option especially for upcoming writers who do not have a lot of investment capital. Readers have also shown much appreciation for the same.




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