Paperback books completely changed Americans' reading habits when they first appeared in the 1930 s. Compared with the bulky hardcover books that once dominated bookstores, paperback "pocket books" have lower printing costs, purchasing costs and transportation costs. By 1960, paperback has become the reader's preferred book format.

Although they are very popular, many new books still can't be found in paperback when they first appeared. Publishers usually release new books in hardcover form and publish paperbacks about a year after the first printing. People who read books on the beach or subway may not be satisfied with this, but the economic benefits of this model mean that it may not disappear soon.

"Although the printing cost of hardcover books is higher than that of paperback books, publishers have traditionally made more money on this edition, which enables them to recover the author's advance payment and the costs incurred in printing, transportation, marketing and distribution," Dunn, a partner of Dinah's book packager "The Immortable Edition", told Mental Floss.

The production cost of hardcover may be higher than that of paperback, but the printing cost is still only a few dollars. Then, publishers can sell it for more than 30 dollars and get huge profits.

Cheaper paperbacks are more popular with consumers, accounting for about 80% of all printed books, but when a book is new, sellers can expect some readers to pay more for hardcover books. "The author's fans are willing to pay a higher price to get this book when it is first published," Dunn said.

In fact, in the first few months of a book's publication, this is the only printing option, but this is not the only attraction of this format. Although paperback books have lost a lot of shame that was once attached to them, they still cannot be compared with the inherent importance of heavy hardcover books. Dunn said: "Compared with paperback, hardcover also has a certain degree of prestige, because it [shows] the publisher's commitment to the work." "Hardcover books are also reviewed and considered for awards more often, and libraries order them more often." Hardcover books also have more conspicuous visual effects, and bookstores are easier to display.

After a book is first printed, paperbacks do benefit from being late in the end-so do publishers and booksellers. Releasing a paperback edition a year after a book is published is another excuse for large-scale publishing activities. This means that when sales usually start to decline, publishers can arouse new excitement around a book. Thrifty and pragmatic readers will eventually buy their favorite version, but only if the hardcover has been squeezed out as much as possible.