Your book has been written, rewritten, beta read, edited and reedited to within an inch of its life. Now it is time to design and layout the interior. One of the first decisions you will be asked to make is the height and width of the book. This is called the trim size. So you go to your bookshelf and pull down your favorite four books and notice that they are all 6x9. There! Decision made! But not so fast.
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Here are the questions you should ask yourself when choosing your trim size based on other books.
Are the books you're comparing to in your same genre?
Are the books the same format? Is yours a paperback and the one you're holding a hardcover?
Is the book you're holding more than two years old?
Is the book you're holding published by an established publisher?
Here is the thing that stumps a lot of us. We like what we like, but often our tastes are not quite in line with what people are buying today. (I know . . . it depresses me too.)
So instead of turning to your own bookshelf, when choosing a trim size of a book you are about to publish; the decision should be based on these factors instead:
What is the best trim size for YOUR category according to customer purchase habits within the last year?
What sizes are established publishers using for their books in your category?
How will the trim size affect a book industry professional's opinion of your book?
Does the trim size you chose dramatically impact the page count and print pricing of your book?
There are a few steps you can take to determine the best trim size for your book. I can't tell you what trim size you should make your book. As a publisher, that is your call. However, each month, I go through the USA Today bestseller list, the Amazon top-sellers, and the New York Times bestseller lists and compile a list of the most common trim sizes they all have. The list below will tell you what sizes more people are purchasing in your category at the publication of this blog post. This list also tells you what sizes established publishers are choosing based on their research. (I LOVE borrowing research from companies that have a lot more money than me.)
Trim sizes are just the beginning! Learn more about book covers with IngramSpark's Book-Building Tool!
The real purpose of this list is to allow you to see what established publishers (best-selling publishers) are doing with their trim sizes in your category. Why do we care? Because book buyers, booksellers, librarians, even some savvy consumers are lead and trained to think of professionally published books as the standard. If Random House, Simon & Schuster, and HarperCollins all agree that 4x6 is not a great trim size for general fiction paperbacks, then your 4x6 general fiction paperback will look a little out of place!
One reason to choose one trim size over another would be print pricing. For example, a 6x9 book will take up fewer pages than a 5x8 book. If the smaller trim size pushes your page count out to a point where you cannot afford to print the book, then the larger print size makes more sense. But just defaulting to a certain trim size because you like the size or you think that it will remind readers of a hardcover is not a great idea.
I have compiled for you a list of the most common categories, and I have researched the most common trim sizes for the bestselling books in each category. Many of the trim sizes were so close to sizes available at IngramSpark that if they were a 10th of an inch or less different, I referenced IngramSpark's available sizes.
What is clear, is that if you want to emulate a successful publishing house (hint: you do), then you should consider the following trim sizes.
Most Common Book Trim Sizes
- General Fiction: 6" x 9"
- General Nonfiction: 5.5" x 8.5"
- Thrillers/Mysteries: 5.25" x 8"
- YA General Fiction: 5" x 7"
- YA Dystopian, Fantasy, and Sci-Fi: 5.5" x 8.5"
- General Self Help: 5.25" x 8"
- Inspirational/Spiritual: 5" x 8"
- Memoir: 5.25" x 8"
- Reference: 6" x 9" and 7" x 10"
- Middle-Grade Fiction: 5" x 8"
- Children's Picture Books: 8.5" x 8.5"
- Business: 5.5" x 8.25" or 5.25" x 8"
The bottom line is this
Go to your local bookstore and get online. See what the major houses and your biggest competition is doing with their trim sizes. You can still choose to print in any size you wish, but you should know what the market is looking for right now. Buyers are human and like things that look like previous successes. Why not borrow from that phenomenon where you can?
Choosing the right trim size for your book isnt always the first thing on your mind when writing. However, considering the orientation and dimensions of your book is an essential step before printing. Below we will discuss the different book trim sizes to help you decide which one is best for your book.
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Portrait Orientation:
Portrait is the most common orientation you see in bookstores. Portrait books are taller than they are wide and are bound on the long edge. Fiction, nonfiction, and poetry books almost always use a portrait design, as it provides plenty of vertical space for text. This orientation can be used for books with photos, too, if your artwork is vertical, and not horizontal.
Standard Portrait Sizes:
Most novels, memoirs, and self-help books utilize a 5.5 x 8.5 or 6 x 9 book layout. Many prefer these sizes because they create a cost-effective, easy-to-carry book. The largest standard portrait book size is 8.5 x 11, or letter-size. Family histories, technical manuals, and daily devotionals alike can all take advantage of the extra page space for pictures, text, or journaling. If youre looking for a really compact size or wish to boost your young adult novels page count, a 4.25 x 7 pocket book is the way to go.
Landscape Orientation:
While not as popular as portrait, landscape orientation is another common choice. The dimensions for this layout generate a book thats wider than it is tall and is bound on the shorter edge. Less common than portrait, landscape offers a suitable option for many genres. The broader horizontal pages are ideal for photography, art, and childrens books to display their graphics and photos.
Standard Landscape Sizes:
Larger landscape book sizes, such as 11 x 8.5 and 12 x 9, are very visually striking, as they offer large expanses for the readers eye to go across. This layout is also great for art, photo, and coffee table books that are intended to lay flat. Smaller landscape trim sizes like 7 x 4.25 or 9 x 6 offer similar advantages, but in a more compact, cost-friendly form.
Square Orientation:
Square book designs are exactly what the name implies, meaning the width and height of a square book are identical. This orientation is often used for books that need both vertical and horizontal space for photos, graphics, and text. While more uncommon than portrait or landscape, childrens books, cookbooks, and art books are often designed using a square layout.
Standard Square Book Sizes:
8.5 x 8.5 and 11 x 11 books work well for childrens books and photo albums, but they offer advantages to other genres. Great for cookbooks, too, the broad page size allows you to display large detailed photos of delicious dishes opposite ingredient and instruction lists. Smaller square sizes like 5.5 x 5.5 and 6 x 6 are great options for childrens books as well. The compact size ensures kids can handle the books easily. Click here to learn more about writing and publishing a childrens book.
Thinking of a Size Somewhere In-between?
If none of the standard book sizes are exactly what youre looking for, then its possible to have a special trim size printed. It isnt uncommon for a self-publisher writing a genealogy to want a book at 7 x 10. Perhaps the author may want the page space advantage of an 8.5 x 11 book, combined with the portability of a 6 x 9 book. Ordering a special trim size is easy - simply select the next size up on your order form then provide your desired trim size in the customer comments portion of your order with 48 Hour Books. We will custom trim your books to match your dimensions.
Reformatting:
Having issues getting your file to match the book size you want? We understand it can be difficult as a first-time author or self-publisher to format a manuscript to the right trim size. If you need help formatting your insides pages, then perhaps our reformatting services are for you! Just need a little help getting started? We also have free downloadable book templates, available in four standard portrait sizes. Simply download the template, which will open in most word-processing programs, then start typing! The dimensions will already be set up for you, so you can feel confident you are uploading the right file size.
Ready to start printing your book? Place an order today!
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