There are so many different sized books out there, is there even a standard? What is recommended?
You could definitely visit your local bookstore and browse the shelves to see what is most popular in your writing genre and what trim size the bestselling titles use. However, I usually recommend to keep it simple and use the following trim sizes:
Black & White Books (printed on cream or white paper)
- 5’ x 8’ (12.7 x 20.32 cm)
- 5.25’ x 8’ (13.34 x 20.32 cm)
- 5.5’ x 8.5’ (13.97 x 21.59 cm)
- 6’ x 9’ (15.24 x 22.86 cm)
Full-Color Books (printed on white paper)
- 5.5’ x 8.5’ (13.97 x 21.59 cm)
- 6’ x 9’ (15.24 x 22.86 cm)
Full-Color Children’s Books or Comic Books (printed on white paper)
- 8.5’ x 8.5’ (21.59 x 21.59 cm)
What paper type to use?
My recommendations are Cream for fiction books and White for non-fiction and color books.
How do I calculate the spine width?
Depending on paper type, use following formula:
White paper: page numbers x 0.002252’ = spine width
Cream paper: page numbers x 0.0025’ = spine width
White paper, color printing = page numbers x 0.002347’ = spine width
There’s no ‘best’ book size to use, but by taking into account the information above; I hope it gives you a better idea of what’s recommended. I hope you found some value from this article. If you are currently reading this, and have not connected with me, then feel free to connect with me or ask any questions. I’d be happy to help.