What’s Up With Hardback Books?

Publishers might want to phase them out – they’re more expensive, of course – but they’re worth 20 percent of the market, and more than that: “The hardback is a mark of quality and a demonstration of intent on behalf of the publisher: it shows booksellers and reviewers that this is a book worth paying attention to. In fact some literary editors will still only review fiction (on first publication) if it’s published in hardback.”