Wednesday, December 6, 2017

The Growing Popularity 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.

In the 1950s, a first original paperback book was printed. Writers began to embrace this practice; especially first timers as it would cost them less. It was considered beneficial as it cost the writer and the reader less, was quicker to produce and the books were readily available to a larger number of people, hence people were able to access the reprints book with ease.

While writing a book to be printed with a paperback, the writer edits the first page and last as the front cover and back cover respectively. The second page and second last pages are the inner sides of the cover for the front and the back respectively. Depending on the writer choice soft covers can be thicker than interior pages or similar to other pages. The thicker pages have extra durability though they are a bit expensive comparatively.

Most printers advocate for fewer copies in hardcover compared to the paperback ones to create a balance for writers. This is because hardcover books bring in more profit. The books can be printed as the mass paperback or trade paperback.

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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