Hardback books suck!

simu

From my observations, it seems that most mainstream English language book publishers release new books in hardback format initially and later on, in paperback format. I, for one, find this extrememly irritating. Hardback books are expensive, heavy to carry around and take up too much space. Of course, some books will be used very often by their owners and thus, the extra durability of hard covers is to be welcomed but most books remain on the shelf, only to be dipped into on rare occasions.

In fact, even English language paperbacks, I find to be needlessly bulky compared to their French and German language equivalents.

I'm sure there are commercial reasons behind this proliferation of hardbacks - if someone has links for more information on this, please post it up!

Does anyone else have strong opinions on this?

EADCYCLO

simu wrote:

In fact, even English language paperbacks, I find to be needlessly bulky compared to their French and German language equivalents.

Would that be because of the English language it's self, as in there are more words used in the English language ?

herobear

actually any hardbacks i own(notably harry potter) are knackered while most of my paperbacks are still in great condition

simu

EADCYCLO wrote:

Would that be because of the English language it's self, as in there are more words used in the English language ?

No - the pages are a bigger size, the print is often larger and the paper used is a lot thicker.

John

Personally I prefer a nice hardback to a paperback but the expense puts me off most of the time. Although for some reason with most of my college books, the hardbacks tend to be cheaper than the paperback versions.

Talliesin

So many hardbacks today aren't properly bound anyway, they're just paperback books with a hard cover on them.

Sangre

Hate hardbacks, take up too much space.
Still waiting for the rest of the Dark Tower series to go into paperback, but I was told they before that they release a 'softback' I think, which is a paper back with large font, spaces and the size of a hardback without a cover. Pfft, typical.

Zaph

I never buy hardbacks, I just don't think they're worth the extra expense. However, what really bugs me are the large format paperbacks. The seem to be issued instead of hardbacks for some books, are nearly as expensive as hardbacks and are just too damn big. Inevitably a more regular sized paperback is issued several months later.

PurpleFistMixer

I think they release them in hardback originally because they are more expensive, and people realise they will be more expensive, but if people are desperate for the book (say it's a sequel) they'll be willing to pay.

I personally hate hardbacks, too heavy, too annoying. Sometimes you need to bend a book to fit in a space or whatnot, they're just too bulky to be pracitcal, and don't fit in nicely with the rest of my books.

The only pro with hardbacks is that you could fend off attackers with a hardback Stephen King book.

OfflerCrocGod

They are more profitable I'd say, I also despise them ~€20 for a book is just too sweet for me to swallow

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

I love hardbacks \m/

Woden

i prefare a decent sized paperback to a hard back and i always remove the hardback sleeve when i am reading a book and put it back on then when i have finished the book to stop it getting wrecked if i am for example dragging the book around on the bus.

the main think that bothers me about hardbacks is when you find an author and you go and read all his stuff it has been out a while and so you get all the paperbacks then he realises a new book its in hardback and doesn't fit in with the collection that bugs the crap out of me

nesf

Dataisgod wrote:

the main think that bothers me about hardbacks is when you find an author and you go and read all his stuff it has been out a while and so you get all the paperbacks then he realises a new book its in hardback and doesn't fit in with the collection that bugs the crap out of me

Yeah I hate that too, esp when you end up with half a series in hardback and half of it in paperback

Tusky

I wont read a hardback book , they do my head in. They are really hard to hold and impossible to read on a bus.

John

Do you all have little atrophied hands? I know hardbacks are heavier but they're not like lifting a mini or something. Paperbacks fall apart and have no character.

Drakon

I prefer paperbacks as they are easier to carry around with you. I dont mind reading hardbacks though I agree with the point previously mentioned that they are not bound properly these days. The large paperbacks are called Trade Paperbacks and they arent bad but nearly as awkward as the HB's.

gogo

I like hardbacks, but the dark tower had me carrying a ruck sack to work, I like to display my books and hardbacks always look nicer on a a shelf.

Earthhorse

I prefer paperbacks too but some people do prefer hardbacks.

I think the market for hardbacks would have initially been bigger, so they were always the first print run, but this tradition has only been maintained because of the premium publishers can charge for hardbacks. I could be wrong though, that's just a guess.

On paperbacks being too big I always prefer a decent sized font over fewer pages or reduced size. Being able to easily read the text is far more important than being able to easily hold the book.

ixoy

Unless it's a title I really want, I'll hold off on buying a hardback due to their sheer cost and the clunky size (not handy for carrying around).

FWIW, I know some authors love their hardbacks. I recall one author (can't remember their name), saying that they'd get 20% of the profit on a hardback, and only 10% on their paperbacks so they're in support of the idea. Indeed the popular fantasy author, Raymond E. Feist, had long delays in getting some of his books published in the US because he wanted hardback editions whereas his publishers refused, meaning Feist would loose out on a lot of cash (the details are available on the web).

tSubh Dearg

John2 wrote:

Paperbacks fall apart and have no character.

Oh I don't know, I love reading my parents old paperbacks they've got tonnes of character. It's almost as much fun to think about what these books have seen and where they've travelled to as it is to read the book itself.