June 19th Mass Market Paperback Book Day

I will freely admit to being a lover of Mass Market Paperback Books. I will often wait, sometimes for a year or more, to get new releases from my favorite authors as paperbacks.

I just pre- ordered the new Stephen R. Lawhead In the Region of the Summer Stars in mass market paperback format. Hardcover and kindle were released on May 15. How long to I have to wait until my copy arrives?  Until January 29, 2019. Yep that’s over 6 months away, and Lawhead is hands down my favorite author.

I also couldn’t resist getting a physical copy of Roar by Cora Carmack. The cover is just that beautiful! A kindle version would never do. This is a book that needs to be on a shelf. Of course, I wanted to wait for the paperback. The book was released on June 13, 2017, but the paperback (unfortunately not a mass market paperback) didn’t come out until June 5, 2018. Nearly a year later!

I had to put up with seeing all these rave reviews and beautiful Bookstagram pics of the book for almost an entire year before getting my copy.

Those are only two recent examples. I could give you a lot more. Why do I like to have the mass market copies of books? And why is it worth the wait?

Three Reasons to Choose Mass Market Paperbacks:

1. The weight – Let just admit it right now Hardbacks are heavy. They’re awkward to read if you like to read laying down. (I mean have you ever dropped a book on your face while reading?) Mass market books are a much better choice.
2. The size – You can fit soooo many more mass market paperbacks on your shelves. Plus they fit better in bags and purses (yes the Kindle absolutely wins for portability, but they aren’t nearly as pretty.) Mass market books also fit better in your hands.
3. The standard – There is a standard size for mass market paper backs of 4×7 inches. There seems to be no standard for hardbacks and a few different standards for paperbacks. It really bugs me when I have so many different heights of books that all should belong together on the same shelf. Having so many different sizes makes having neat shelves troublesome and bookworms like to have their shelves neatly arranged.

What format do you prefer your books in? Are you a hardback collector? A Kindle reader? Are you like me and enjoy mass market paperback books? And the biggest question of all… WHY DO PUBLISHERS MAKE US WAIT?!?!