The height and width of your book may not seem like a crucial detail when designing your book. But look around any bookstore and you’ll quickly realize how uniform each shel seems to be. You’ll probably also notice that each genre section of said bookstore has its own unique look and feel, including the physical size of the book. In case you were wondering what those sizes where, here is a list of the most popular trim sizes by genre, according to IngramSpark, the leading book printer in the industry.

You might be wondering why picking the right trim size is so important. Well, maybe you’re looking for a small fiction to easily tuck away in your bag when you’re on the go, or maybe you’re looking for a reference guide to fit with your other references on your desk. While it may not seem like an important detail, having the right trim for your genre can lead to easier accessibility and more sales.

Go to your local bookstore and get online. See what the major houses and your biggest competition are doing with their trim sizes. You can still choose to print in any size you wish, but you should know what the market is looking for right now. Buyers are human and like things that look like previous successes. Why not borrow from that phenomenon where you can? — IngramSpark Academy, Chapter 8: Picking the Right Trim Size for Your Book

Here at Elite Online Publishing, we’ve publishing hundreds of books in various trim sizes, and can help you pick the right size for your page count and genre. To get help with your self-published book, just give us a call.