Nathan Bransford - The Forums

So, I have always been a paperback guy... I like that they bend, that they're cheap, how they open etc. (I also like e-Readers, but I've only had one for a month or so). However, I LOATHE hardcovers. I bought a book the other day that is only in hardcover (never made it to paperback or eBook), and it is awful. I can't bend it to fit in my jacket pocket, I can't fold the front cover back under itself, and the damned jacket keeps falling off. True, it looks better on the bookshelf, but I'm a paperback guy.

Question: How many of you prefer paperback to hardcover?

I sometimes wonder why companies even print those things! (other than the price)

If I was a collector, Hardcovers, but I'm not. Day to day Paperback is best.

Also see this prev topic: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=85

I definitely enjoy hardcover. There's something about them that's fabulous. I always take the jacket off and leave it on the shelf while I'm reading, that way it doesn't annoy me and doesn't get damaged.

But I have nothing against paperback if that's all I can find.

CV

Only used. My most cherished is an old HC of Rosemary's Baby.

I'm a paperback girl.

No, they are too heavy, too expensive.

Now that I have a Kindle, when I buy a physical book I like to have the hardcover version---unless it is too heavy to hold. The book "Story of Edgar Sawtelle" (which I was given as a gift) was waaayyy too big for me to carry around and read. And seeing that many pages to flip through felt daunting. I actually ended up downloading a copy for my Kindle just so I could get through it. (I ended up not finishing anyway just because I didn't like it, rather than it being physically annoying to carry) :P

I like Trade Paperbacks. They are bigger and have more weight and presence than regular paperbacks, but they are lighter and more portable than hardcovers.

I used to like hardcover books better than paperback because they looked nicer. They were pretty on the bookshelf or lying on the table. Now, I much prefer paperback. I don't have room in the bookcases to keep books simply because they look pretty. Practically all of the shelves are taken up with kids books or media. I love paperbacks because they are easier to carry around. I can even stick them in my purse. Also, my idea of books has changed. Now, I really neat and nearly perfect book almost seems sad to me. A book is meant to be read and enjoyed, and the more ruffled the edges or worn the pages, obviously the better the book is. You sure wouldn't read a book you didn't like more than once or lend it to family members.

I never buy hardcovers. They are too expensive, and since I move a lot they are also too heavy.

I like paperback for the same reason you do. Smaller, cheaper, can fold over and easier to carry. I just bought my sister the first 2 books in the twilight series in hardcover for christmas and brought home the 2 paperbacks she had.

i think it is interesting how that preference of paperback over hardback has grown over the years. More and more we are looking for quick, cheap and dispensable things. There was a time, many moons ago, hardback was the lead, and often only published version of a book. Hardback sales, interestingly, this year, rose in many territories, and I actually think we are entering a time where we are going to see a slow but steady increase in hardback sales, contrary to what has been predicted for many years - the demise of the hardback. Already, large publishers are aligning their publication of titles to this. This has been billed for a few years as ebook v hardback, but in reality, we are going to see the real battle between paperback and ebooks. Expect publishers before the end of 2010 to start to offer bundled hardback editions with ebooks. The reader gets the durability and prosperity of the hardback along with a flexible and portable edition for their PC, iphone or e-reader. The initial ebook bundled with the hardback will include an enhanced version of the ebook (author website codes, interviews, movie tie-ins, author notes etc), above the later ebook standard edition.

Hard cover all the way...

I prefer HCs.

I like the way my hardcovers look on the bookshelf, but when snuggled up in my bed, I prefer a paperback.