The Ultimate Guide to Book Sizes

April 20, 2023

By Lauren Davish -

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

You’ll have to choose a book size when you prepare to publish your book. But how will you know which is best for your manuscript? We have all the info you need about different book sizes right here.

Table of Contents:
• Standard book sizes by genre
• Fiction book sizes
• Nonfiction book sizes
• Children’s book sizes
• Other common book sizes
• How to choose the right book size for you
• Important terms to know about book sizing
• How to publish your book

Standard book sizes by genre

The simplest way to begin to choose a book size is to focus on the genre. For example, if you’re reading a romance novel, it will likely not be an 8” x 10” Portrait trim size. It will be smaller, easy to travel with, and be able to support a high page count.

Every book genre has an ideal trim size for practical reasons. If you think about a children’s book, they have a larger trim size to accommodate the increased font size and illustrations. Coffee table books follow the same idea: they’re typically used for entertainment or decoration and are usually larger in size.

Fiction book sizes

Think of the last fiction book you read. Was it easy to carry? Lightweight? Perhaps even small enough to put in a back pocket?

One of the most popular trim sizes for fiction novels is the Pocket Book — 4.25” x 6.87” — which are typically paperback books. This combination makes the publishing costs a bit more affordable for a self-published author.

Another popular trim size for fiction books is 5.5” x 8.5”, or Digest. This size is also typically paperback. They give a bit more room for larger page counts, too.

You’ll also see some fiction books in the US Trade size, or 6” x 9”. For these larger trim sizes, authors may choose hardcover. This is essentially a stylistic choice by the author or publisher. For example, certain thrillers or crime books by well-known authors might be published this way. It helps the books to stand out on the shelves, albeit at a higher production cost.

Nonfiction book sizes

Nonfiction books are usually slightly larger in trim size than many fiction books. For example, you’ll likely not find a memoir published in a Pocket Book trim size. Typically, nonfiction authors will opt for the Digest (5.5” x 8.5”) or US Trade trim size (6” x 9”).

You might even see the occasional hardcover nonfiction book at a Portrait trim size, 8” x 10”. This is ideal for cookbooks, training manuals, and religious publications.

Children’s book sizes

As we mentioned above, children’s books will be naturally larger than fiction or nonfiction books. Children are just learning how to read and handle books, and the larger font helps as part of the learning process.

Children’s books are typically Small Square sized (7.5” x 7.5”), Landscape (9” x 7”), or a larger Landscape trim, such as 11” x 8.5” or 12” x 9”. This also allows larger, colorful illustrations to add to the story and keep little readers engaged.

Other common book sizes

Textbooks, photography books, and comic books are other types of books you might come across. Textbooks and photo book sizes typically fall within the US Letter style, or 8.5” x 11”.

You will likely see comic books at 6.625” x 10.25” (also known as Comic Book size). Poetry books are another popular genre, typically published in the Digest size, or sometimes Pocket Book size.

How to choose the right book size for you

While we’ve covered the most typical book printing sizes, depending on your book’s genre, as a self-published author, the right size depends on what you want for your published book. This might depend on your budget or how you want your book to look and feel to readers.

Another thing to remember is whether you want your book to be published in hardcover or softcover (paperback). Hardcover books can be great for any genre, especially for children’s books, photography books, and cookbooks. As we mentioned, some fiction and nonfiction books are also published in hardcover. It truly depends on your preference and how you want your story to be presented to readers.

Paperback books are certainly a more affordable option and can also create more convenience for the reader. You’ll find Pocket Book sizes in paperback for this reason. Genres such as romance, mystery, and poetry are ideal for paperback books.

Important terms to know about book sizing

We’ve just reviewed a few typical types of book sizes and names, so let’s recap. The most popular book sizes include:

Pocket Book [4.25” x 6.87”]. Great for fiction genres including mystery, romance, and light literature.
Digest [5.5” x 8.5”]. Popular for poetry books, fiction novels, and creative nonfiction, such as memoirs.
US Trade [6” x 9”]. Ideal for nonfiction books, including biographies and sporting books.
Portrait [8” x 10”]. Typically used for art and photography books, training manuals, and religious publications.
Small Square [7.5” x 7.5”]. Used for several different genres; works well for children’s books.
Landscape [9” x 7”; 11” x 8.5”; 12” x 9”]. Most common for children’s books or coffee table books.

Again, the size of your book all comes down to your personal preference. Think about how you imagine readers holding your published book in their hands, what best serves your story, and choose your size from there.

How to publish your book

You can self-publish a book from start to finish with BookBaby. We’re a one-stop shop for all your self-publishing needs and we offer a variety of book sizes and book printing services for every genre.

Once you choose your book size, you’ll also be able to choose your paper stock and book binding options, as well as your book cover finish and interior text type. Create the book you envision on bookstore shelves — all you need is a finished manuscript.