Paperback vs hardcover: which should you print?
The short answer is that paperback is the sensible default and hardcover is the premium version — but the right choice depends on what the book is for. This page compares the two on the things that actually decide it: price per copy, production time, durability, where each sells, and how they feel in a reader's hands.
Key takeaways
- Paperback is the default — cheaper per copy, faster to produce, what most readers buy.
- Hardcover costs noticeably more per copy — it needs a rigid board case and case-making, and it ships heavier.
- Most authors who want hardcover publish both, paperback first.
- Hardcovers on satin or matte stock take 3–5 weeks — the slowest combination.
- The interior is the same either way; only the binding, cover board and wrap change.
The comparison
Figures are for a 200-page 6x9in (152x229mm) book, black interior, 60lb stock. Price depends on page count, trim, stock and quantity — use the calculator for your own specification.
| Paperback | Hardcover | Why | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost per copy | Prices per copy · use the calculator | Prices per copy · use the calculator | Both formats are priced per copy and depend on page count, trim, binding, interior colour and quantity. Price your exact specification with our free printing calculator. |
| Production time | 2 – 9 working days | Adds about a day; 3–5 weeks on satin/matte stock | Case-making is a separate, slower process. Satin and matte hardcovers are the slowest combination. |
| Durability | Good — glued spine | Excellent — rigid case, stitched or glued block | A hardcover survives years of handling, lending and shelf life far better. |
| Weight and shipping | Lighter | Heavier | Hardcovers cost more to ship and store, which matters on longer runs. |
| Where it sells best | Novels, memoirs, most non-fiction, bookshops and online | Gifts, launches, reference, coffee-table and collector editions | Paperback is the default for commercial fiction; hardcover is the premium and gift format. |
| Feel in the hand | Flexible, light, laid flat with effort | Firm, opens flat, holds shape | Hardcover feels more like an object; that perception is why it prices higher. |
Choose paperback if…
- You are publishing fiction, memoir or general non-fiction. This is the format readers expect and the one bookshops stock in quantity.
- You want the lowest price per copy. Paperback is roughly half the price of hardcover, which leaves more room for marketing and review copies.
- You want the fastest route to launch. Softcover prints in two to nine working days with no case-making in the way.
- You are testing demand. Print a modest paperback run first; add a hardcover once you know the book is selling.
Choose hardcover if…
- The book is a gift or a keepsake. A hardcover is an object people keep on a shelf, not a paperback they pass on.
- It is a launch statement or a legacy title. Founders, ministers and memoirists often want a hardcover for the launch table.
- It is a reference title that gets used. The rigid case holds the block together through years of handling and flat opening.
- You want a collector or limited edition. A cloth or printed case wrap with a dust jacket signals a premium edition.
What changes between the two
Not as much as people expect. The interior file is identical: same pages, same type, same paper options. What changes is the binding and the cover:
- The binding. Softcover is perfect-bound — the pages are glued into a paper wrap. Hardcover is adhesive case-bound: the page block is glued into a rigid board case.
- The cover. A hardcover needs a full wrap sized to its own spine width, and usually a dust jacket. The spine is wider than the paperback's because of the boards.
- The spine width. Never assume it. Spine width is calculated from your page count, trim and stock, and it is different for the two formats.
Price your own specification
The only honest way to compare is to price your book. Our free calculator gives you a figure for both formats in a few clicks, and shows the production time alongside it.
Open the free printing calculator →
For what publishing costs as a whole, read how much it costs to publish a book. For binding types, see book binding types.
Frequently asked questions
Should I publish paperback or hardcover?
If you are publishing one format, make it paperback: it is cheaper per copy, faster to produce and what most readers buy for fiction and general non-fiction. Choose hardcover if the book is a gift, a launch statement, a reference title or a collector's edition — and choose it in addition to paperback, not instead of it.
How much more does a hardcover cost?
For a 200-page 6x9in (152x229mm) book, a hardcover costs noticeably more per copy than a paperback — it needs a rigid board case and case-making, and it ships heavier. The exact gap depends on quantity and stock, so price both formats for your own specification with our free printing calculator.
Can I publish both formats?
Yes, and most authors who want a hardcover do. The interior file is the same; the cover needs a full wrap sized to each format's spine width. Publishing paperback first, then adding hardcover once you know demand, keeps your upfront cost down.
Does a hardcover take longer to print?
Yes. Case-making adds about a day over softcover at the same quantity. The important exception is a hardcover on satin or matte stock, which takes three to five weeks — the slowest combination we print.
Is hardcover better quality?
It is more durable and feels more premium, but the quality of the pages and the printing is the same. What changes is the binding and the cover board. A well-made paperback is not a lesser book — it is a different format for a different job.
Which format sells better in bookshops?
Paperback dominates commercial fiction and most non-fiction. Hardcovers sell well as gifts and for titles with a strong launch moment. If you want both in bookshops, publish paperback first and add the hardcover for the launch or gift market.
What is a case-bound hardcover?
A case-bound hardcover has the printed pages made into a block which is glued into a rigid board case, with printed case wrap on the boards. Smyth-sewn binding — stitching the page sections before binding — is available by quote for books that need to open flat and last longest.
How many pages can each format take?
Both handle the full range we print, from around 24 pages to several hundred. Very long books are better in hardcover because the rigid case holds the block more securely than a glued paperback spine.
Want both formats?
Tell us the page count and trim and we will price the paperback and the hardcover side by side, with the spine width for each.
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