Trade paperback

From Freepedia

For Trade paperback comics, see Trade paperback (comics)

A trade paperback (TPB) can refer to any book that is bound with a heavy paper cover that is generally cheaper than a hardcover but more expensive than a regular paperback.

Trade paperbacks were once used primarily for special editions, but for many literary titles trade paperbacks have now replaced regular paperbacks as the format for a book's subsequent release once its hardcover edition has been discontinued. Generally, regular pocket-sized paperbacks are now used only for popular and genre fiction titles.

For new writers publishing their first works, a trade paperback may even be the sole format of a book's release.