Book Size & Finish Options
Get just the book you want with Outskirts Press
Outskirts Press takes the mystery (and the work) out of self-publishing and allows you to maintain control over every aspect of your published book—from the trim size to the paper color. It's your book, let's publish it your way.
To give you the most flexibility, Outskirts Press offers
- 9 Book Sizes
- 3 Binding Styles
- 2 Paper Colors
- 2 Cover Finishes
- 2 Printing Qualities
This gives you over 138 different choices for your printed book! Plus eBook and audiobook options too. Scroll down for more details.
Binding Style Options Available for Color or Black & White Books:
Perfect Bound Paperback:Paperbacks are printed with your full-color cover image on 80# cover stock and have either a glossy or matte finish. The pages and cover are glued together at the spine.
Casebound Hardback:A laminated casebound hardback is made of cardboard wrapped in paper that has your full-color cover image printed directly on it with either a glossy or matte finish. The pages are glued to the cardboard hardcover at the ends.
Dust-Jacket Hardback:A dust-jacketed hardback will have a laminated casebound cover (printed blue and then coated with textured lamination that gives the book a linen type "feel") which is then covered in a removable, full-color, wrap-around dust jacket in either a glossy or matte finish. The pages are glued to cardboard hardcover at the ends.
The book title and your name are printed along the spine, space permitting (up to 42 characters).
We create only industry-standard, high-quality books—so we do not offer metal, comb or spiral bindings.
Paper Colors Options Available for Black & White Books:
White 50# paper with a matte finish- White 70# paper with a matte finish (only available upon request, talk to your Publishing Consultant to see if this paper option is right for your book)
- Crème 50# recycled paper with a matte finish (not available with 5x8 hardback or 7x10 and 8.5x11 paperback or hardback)
Our commitment to service extends beyond our authors to the physical results of their publishing endeavors: their printed books. By utilizing print-on-demand technology and offering recycled paper-stock options (featuring 30% post-consumer product) we are committed to reducing the impact of publishing on the environment, while still allowing readers the joy of holding a good book.
Paper color is mostly an aesthetic choice; however, according to the American National Association for Visually Handicapped's (NAVH) Best Practices & Standards, crème paper is easier on the reader's eyes. Crème paper is not recommended if your book has graphic elements (like images, charts, graphs, etc.). White paper is generally better for non-fiction books while crème paper is preferred for fiction titles.
Paper Color Available for Color Books:
- White 70# paper with a matte finish
Combine with either standard or premium quality printing to strike the best balance between cost and quality based on your full-color book's individual needs.
Print Quality Options Available for Color Books:
- Standard—Standard color is printed using laser jet printers and is the most cost effective. This print quality is recommended for books with more than 50 pages, books with spot color, or books with limited images printed on only one side of the page.
- Premium—Premium color is printed using inkjet printers. This print quality is recommended for books with less than 50 pages or books with lots of images printed on both sides of the page.
- Ultra-Premium—Ultra-Premium color is printed using inkjet printers that are slowed during printing to allow maximum ink saturation on each page. This print quality is recommended for books with less than 50 pages or books with lots of images printed on both sides of the page that require extreme ink saturation. Only available upon request, talk to a Publishing Consultant to see if this print quality is right for your book.
Print quality matters because it increases the cost to produce your book and therefore the retail price of the book (and/or reduces your profit on each book).
Cover Finish Options Available for Color and Black & White Books:
Glossy (what you see on most books)- Matte (a rich smooth finish that's great to touch)
All paperback books and dust-jackets are printed with full-color covers on 80# cover stock.
Why Trim Sizes is Important:
Your trim size impacts your book's page count and weight. Page count and weight are important factors in pricing your book as well as shipping it.
Your trim size impacts your book's overall look and feel. The size of your book is often based on the conventions of your book's genre--You wouldn't want to read an 8x11 adult fiction book or try to cook a meal from a 4x7 book that won't stay open to the page you need, right? Choose a trim size that makes sense for your book.
If you don't know what trim size is considered "industry standard" for your genre, go to a local bookstore to see what trim sizes are most commonly used on books in your genre.
Trim Sizes Available for Black & White Paperbacks:
- 4 x 7 paperback (a.k.a. mass market paperback)
- 5 x 8 paperback
- 5.5 x 8.5 paperback
- 6 x 9 paperback
- 6.14 x 9.21 paperback
- 7 x 10 paperback
- 8.5 x 11 paperback (workbook size)
The minimum page count for black & white paperbacks is 18 pages and the maximum page count is 1,050 to 1,200 depending on trim size and paper color you select. Spine text is not allowed for Perfect Bound books with page counts below 48 pages.
Trim Sizes Available for Black & White Casebound Hardbacks:
(like you commonly see on textbooks)
- 5 x 8 casebound hardcover
- 5.5 x 8.5 casebound hardcover
- 6 x 9 casebound hardcover
- 6.14 x 9.21 casebound hardcover
- 7 x 10 casebound hardcover
- 8.5 x 11 casebound hardcover (workbook size)
The minimum page count for black & white casebound hardbacks is 18 pages and the maximum page count is 1,050 to 1,200 depending on trim size and paper color you select. Most authors choose to have the size of their hardback be the same size as their paperback. The option to have a different size for your hardback is also available.
Trim Sizes Available for Black & White Dust-Jacket Hardbacks:
- 5 x 8 dust-jacketed hardcover
- 5.5 x 8.5 dust-jacketed hardcover
- 6 x 9 dust-jacketed hardcover
- 6.14 x 9.21 dust-jacketed hardcover
The casebound hardback for a dust-jacketed hardcover book is printed blue with a linen laminate texture applied and then wrapped in a full-color dust-jacket printed with your book's cover image and details.
The minimum page count for black & white dust-jacket hardbacks is 18 pages and the maximum page count is 1,050 to 1,200 depending on trim size and paper color you select. Most authors choose to have the size of their hardback be the same size as their paperback. The option to have a different size for your hardback is also available.
Trim Sizes Available for Color Paperbacks:
- 5 x 8 paperback
- 5.5 x 8.5 paperback
- 6 x 9 paperback
- 6.14 x 9.21 paperback
- 7 x 10 paperback
- 8.5 x 11 paperback (workbook size)
- 8.5 x 8.5 paperback (square)
- 11 x 8.5 paperback (landscape)
The minimum page count for full-color paperbacks is 18 pages and the maximum page count is 900 pages except for the 11 x 8.5 landscape format which has a maximum page count of 400 pages. All trim sizes are available in Premium or Standard printing except the 11 x 8.5 landscape format which only allows for Premium printing. Spine text is not allowed for Perfect Bound books with page counts below 48 pages.
Trim Sizes Available for Color Casebound Hardbacks:
(like you commonly see on cookbooks and children's picture books)
- 5 x 8 casebound hardcover
- 5.5 x 8.5 casebound hardcover
- 6 x 9 casebound hardcover
- 6.14 x 9.21 casebound hardcover
- 7 x 10 casebound hardcover
- 8.5 x 11 casebound hardcover (workbook size)
- 8.5 x 8.5 casebound hardcover (square)
- 11 x 8.5 casebound hardcover (landscape)
The minimum page count for full-color casebound hardbacks is 18 pages and the maximum page count is 840 pages except for the 11 x 8.5 landscape format which has a maximum page count of 400 pages. All trim sizes are available in Premium or Standard printing except the 11 x 8.5 landscape format which only allows for Premium printing. Most authors choose to have the size of their hardback be the same size as their paperback. The option to have a different size for your hardback is also available.
Trim Sizes Available for Color Dust-Jacket Hardbacks:
- 5 x 8 dust-jacketed hardcover
- 5.5 x 8.5 dust-jacketed hardcover
- 6 x 9 dust-jacketed hardcover
- 6.14 x 9.21 dust-jacketed hardcover
The casebound hardback for a dust-jacketed hardcover book is printed blue with a linen laminate texture applied and then wrapped in a full-color dust-jacket printed with your book's cover image and details.
The minimum page count for full-color dust-jacket hardbacks is 18 pages and the maximum page count is 840 pages. Most authors choose to have the size of their hardback be the same size as their paperback. The option to have a different size for your hardback is also available.
Why Publish a Hardback?
There are four main reasons authors choose to publish a hardback edition of their book.
- Some readers prefer the durability and prestige associated with a hardcover book and are willing to pay it.
- Libraries prefer to carry hardcover books because they stand up better to repeated use.
- Different readers prefer different formats. By making your book available in multiple formats (paperback, hardback, ebook, and audiobook), you are maximizing your sales potential.
- Some genres are more typically published in hardcover including cookbooks, children's books and some nonfiction genres. If your target audience has an expectation, you want to make sure you are fulfilling it.
Book Size Recommendations:
If you have a series to publish, we recommend that all books in the series are published at the same size.
FICTION Books: Fiction books are typically 6x9, 5.5x8.5, or 6.14x9.21—rarely are they larger.
We do not recommend a laminated casebound hardback for a fiction book.
POETRY Books: Poetry books tend to be 5.5x8.5 or 6x9. As with fiction books, it's best to avoid the laminated casebound option.
NON-FICTION Books: Non-fiction books are typically 6x9, 6.14x9.21, or 7x10—rarely are they smaller, though they can sometimes be larger at 8x10 or 8.5x11. Whether or not your non-fiction book is the laminated casebound or the dust-jacket option is largely dependent on your particular sub-genre and/or personal choice. Cookbooks, in particular, are almost always laminated hardbacks, so they lay open easily for your would-be chef.
JUVENILE Books: Children's books can be paperback, laminated casebound or dust-jacket hardbacks. But we typically recommend laminated casebound since dust jackets can be easily lost or torn by little ones. The most popular sizes for children's picture books are 8.5x8.5 (square), 11x8.5 (landscape), or 8.5x11 (portrait).
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