Tuesday, December 5, 2017

The Growth Of Softcover Booklet

By Mary Wright


Books are now found everywhere from bookshops to the streets we use every day. Many people read during their free time for pleasure. Having a book reach the reader is the biggest headache for most writers with the increased publishing and printing costs. As a result, most writers will choose softcover booklet that are cheaper to print compared to hardcover ones.

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.

They were produced in numerous copies and were referred to as mass paperback. Copies not sold were stripped of the cover and pulped such that anyone who finds the book without a cover would know that the author received no royalties from 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.

Once printed, the pages of the book have to be bound together. The writer can choose to have their books saddle stitched, perfect bound or spiral coil bound. Saddle stitching is easy and is done by neatly arranging the papers then folding them and creating a mark in the middle then stapling with a stapler design for it. Perfect bound books are virtually everywhere and are bound by gluing sections of the book to a heavier cover at the spine. In-spiral coil binding, the coil is usually the spine of the book and is attached to holes in the pages which are punched by the same machine that does the binding.

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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