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THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS - VANESSA DIFFENBAUGH (HARDCOVER) NEW

THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS - VANESSA DIFFENBAUGH (HARDCOVER) NEW

- $19.66 30m
LA CASA DE CRISTAL   THE G - CATALINA MARTINEZ MUNOZ SIMON MAWER (PAPERBACK) NEW

LA CASA DE CRISTAL THE G - CATALINA MARTINEZ MUNOZ SIMON MAWER (PAPERBACK) NEW

- $22.76 30m
CAPTURING THE COMMANDO - COLLEEN THOMPSON (PAPERBACK) NEW

CAPTURING THE COMMANDO - COLLEEN THOMPSON (PAPERBACK) NEW

- $7.29 30m
ZAZEN - VANESSA VESELKA (PAPERBACK) NEW

ZAZEN - VANESSA VESELKA (PAPERBACK) NEW

- $12.69 30m
THE REBORN - LIN ANDERSON (PAPERBACK) NEW

THE REBORN - LIN ANDERSON (PAPERBACK) NEW

- $11.53 30m
A STORMY SPANISH SUMMER - PENNY JORDAN (PAPERBACK) NEW

A STORMY SPANISH SUMMER - PENNY JORDAN (PAPERBACK) NEW

- $7.78 30m
LA PRINCESA DESCALZA   TH - MIREIA TERES LORIENTE CHRISTINA DODD (PAPERBACK) NEW

LA PRINCESA DESCALZA TH - MIREIA TERES LORIENTE CHRISTINA DODD (PAPERBACK) NEW

- $13.83 30m
TEMPTING THE HIGHLANDER - MICHELE SINCLAIR (PAPERBACK) NEW

TEMPTING THE HIGHLANDER - MICHELE SINCLAIR (PAPERBACK) NEW

- $7.86 30m
AMAZONIA - JAMES ROLLINS (PAPERBACK) NEW

AMAZONIA - JAMES ROLLINS (PAPERBACK) NEW

- $22.76 30m
THE OMEGA POINT - WHITLEY STRIEBER (PAPERBACK) NEW

THE OMEGA POINT - WHITLEY STRIEBER (PAPERBACK) NEW

- $8.97 30m
THE ACCIDENT - STEPHEN HENIGHAN MIHAIL SEBASTIAN (PAPERBACK) NEW

THE ACCIDENT - STEPHEN HENIGHAN MIHAIL SEBASTIAN (PAPERBACK) NEW

- $15.15 30m
TO THE MOON AND BACK - JILL MANSELL (PAPERBACK) NEW

TO THE MOON AND BACK - JILL MANSELL (PAPERBACK) NEW

- $13.12 30m
The World at Night NEW by Alan Furst

The World at Night NEW by Alan Furst

- $14.57 30m
HOT STREAK by SUSAN JOHNSTON...

HOT STREAK by SUSAN JOHNSTON...

- $6.44 30m

News

  • Paperback History
    Inexpensive books bound in paper have existed since at least the 19th century and exist in a number of formats that have specific names, such as pamphlets, cheap editions, yellowbacks, dime novels and railway novels. Today most paperbacks are called either "mass-market paperback" or "trade paperback", the differences of which are described later.

     

    The 20th century mass-market paperback format was pioneered by German publisher Albatross Books in 1931 but the experiment was cut short. In England Penguin Books adopted many of Albatrosss innovations, for instance the conspicuous logo and the color coded covers for different genres, beginning in 1935,and was an immediate financial success. British publisher Allen Lane launched the Penguin imprint in 1935, with 10 reprint titles; this started the paperback revolution in the English-language book market. Number one on the Penguin list of 1935 editions was André Mauroiss Ariel.

     

    Allen Lane intended to produce cheap books. He bought paperback rights from publishers, ordered huge print runs (e.g., 20,000 copies) to keep unit prices low, and looked to non-traditional book selling retail locations. Booksellers were initially reluctant to buy his books. But Woolworths, placed a large order on the books, and the books sold extremely well. After this initial success, booksellers were no longer reluctant to stock paperbacks. The word Penguin became closely associated with the word paperback.

     

    Robert de Graaf, in 1939, issued a similar line in the USA, partnering with Simon & Schuster to found the Pocket Books imprint. The term pocket book became synonymous with paperback in English-speaking North America. In Québec, the term "ivre de poche was used, and continues to be used today. De Graaf, like Lane, negotiated paperback rights from other publishers, and produced large print runs. His practices contrasted with those of Lane in his adoption of illustrated covers, aimed at the North American market. In order to reach an even larger market than Lane had, he went the mass market route, through distribution networks of newspapers and magazines, which had a lengthy history of being aimed (in format and distribution) at mass audiences. This was the beginning of mass market paperbacks.

     

    Because of its position as Number One in what became a very long list of Pocket editions, James Hiltons Lost Horizon is often cited as the first American paperback book, which is not correct. The first mass-market, pocket-sized, paperback book printed in America was an edition of Pearl Bucks The Good Earth, produced by Pocket Books as a proof-of-concept in late 1938, sold in New York City, and now very collectible.