Once upon a time, there were two types of paperback books – trade and mass market…
I’m bringing up books today because the news is reporting on the end of mass market paperback book production, like it’s earth-shattering news. However, mass market books have been on borrowed time for many years, especially in my house. There was a time I only bought mass market books because they were more affordable than hardbacks. If I liked the paperback version, I would invest in the hardback copy.
Mass market used to be only $5.99 – $6.99, if the book was super thick. I only bought trade paperback books if they were required for college. However, in the 2000s, the price for mass market paperbacks slowly started to increase. The last time I bought a mass market paperback ten years ago, the price had risen to $8.99. At the same time, trade paperback books started at $10.99. I realized that $2.00 more was a small sacrifice for a thinner book, bigger font, and more detailed artwork. If I, as an avid reader, thought that the price difference between mass market and trade was becoming less of a hardship, other readers also had to see that.
Another sign of the mass market’s death was that self-publishing became easier and more acceptable. Self-publishers get a larger share of their book sales when there are fewer pages and the cover design is not too complicated. Since trades have fewer pages than a paperback and people are attracted to covers they can easily read and see, self-publishers started to use trade paperbacks over the mass market paperbacks. Therefore, mass markets fate was sealed when self-publishing took off.
The last nail in the coffin for mass markets was the advent of e-books like the Kindle and the Nook. The convenience that mass market books provided, as in being easy to travel with, was destroyed when e-books arrived because you could bring an entire library of books in the palm of your hand. The need to make space in your suitcase for more than one book when on your vacation was instantly remedied.
So, goodbye to my former bestie, the mass market paperback. We had some good times. However, trade and e-books are much cooler, and they give me more bang for my buck.
Until next time!
R.R. Peace, Author and Poet 