Conference noted::sf

    Paperbacks are typically 4 1/4" x 6 3/4" - at one time they were
    also commonly called "pocket books," since they easily fit into
    one's pocket.
    
    Trade paperbacks are larger, typically 5 1/4" x 8." Trade editions
    are often of a more "literary" or acedemic bent; the Viking Portable
    Library is a typical example of a trade paperback line.
    
    The above comments are gross generalities; most often, when people
    talk of "trade paperbacks," they simply mean the larger sized edition.
    
    					andrew

    jerry boyajian may be able to give an exact bibliographer's description
    of a trade paperback, as jerry is an exact bibliographer. :-) However,
    from a lay perspective, a trade paperback is an oversized paperback;
    sometimes the size of a regular hardcover edition, sometimes a little
    smaller (dimension-wise), sometimes even a little larger.
    
    I think the word "trade" came into use to differentiate a book targeted
    for a specific industry or group from "mass-market," paperbacks. For 
    instance, many books sold for school use are "trades." In recent years 
    we've seen the explosion of what are in essence "mass market trades," 
    notwithstanding the contradiction in terms. I think the marketing
    philosophy behind it was to promote books -- which for one reason
    or another -- deserved a better vehicle than mass market, but weren't
    cost-justfiable for hardcover. Interestingly, LOCUS speculates that
    the market for sf trades has dwindled drastically in the past couple
    of years and predicts that fewer and fewer will be released. Publishers
    in sf are more willing to publish more hardcovers, since the audience
    is willing to pay for them. If the sf boom ever busts, which I expect
    it will eventually, we'll probably see a return to trades.
    
    Some trades do include art. Larry Niven has released a few trades
    for instance (THE PATCHWORK GIRL is the only one which immediately
    comes to mind) which included art. The books were later released
    (with art intact) in mass market editions.
    
    Many other genres include trades, the "Romance" genre for instance.
    You see some trades in the mystery genre as well. In fact, there's
    a book club that deals exclusively in trade editions of hardcover
    releases. I think it's called "Quality Paperback" or something.
    
    Fred

    The QPBC (Quality Paperback Book Club) is a division, I guess, of
    the Book of the Month Club.  As mentioned, it deals exclusively
    in "trade" paperback editions, some supposedly "exclusive", of
    hardcover and mass market paperback books.  Better qulaity paper,
    printing, etc.  Specialize in the trade editions of the PBS television
    series books, with lots of illustrations, and things like reference
    works, esoteric literature, some best-sellers, some kids books,
    and so on.  Like BOMC, they issue bonus points for buying books
    which can be collected and applied to "free" purchase of books.
    They also have sales and special items (t-shirts, mugs, Christmas
    cards).  I've been a member for several years and can recommend
    their prices, service and reliability.  They are a bit cheaper (even
    with shipping) than stores tend to be, and often are the only source
    for a particular book in paperback, at least barring special order.
    New member offers usually give you several new "best-seller" titles
    free or for a dollar, I think with a minimum of three purchases
    in the first year, but maybe that's not always true.  If a member
    gets someone else to join, the member gets a free book too.  (If
    anybody wants member info, I can save the next mailing I get.  Send
    me mail.)  You can also look for their ads in news magazines and
    other "literary" publications.
    
    Sherry Bailey

To answer the original question from the perspective of book publishers
and sellers, a "trade" paperback, aside from its size, is distinguished
from its mass market brethren by the fact that you cannot "strip" it for
credit.

Mass market paperbacks are not returned to the publisher intact for credit;
the bookseller tears off the front cover and returns it to the publisher for
credit, and is supposed to throw out the rest of the book.  (This is to save
on postage and handling costs.)

Trade paperbacks must be returned intact and in like-new condition in order
for credit to be granted.  They are like their hardcover brethren (also called
"trade" editions, by the way) in this respect.  So, for example, Penguin books,
while virtually the same size as mass market paperbacks, must be returned
intact, so they are sold to the bookseller as trade paperbacks.  (They recently
started a mass market line called "Penguin Selects", which I presume are
eminently strippable.) 

Disclaimer:  The above information was good when I worked in a bookstore (1980
or so), and may have changed as have so many things in the publishing world.

				Andrew

    
    I can second .-2's opinion of QPBC.  They do carry some SF, as well as
    science oriented books of interest to SF readers.
    
    The intro offer that came with last month's flyer gets the new member 3
    books for $1 each plus P&H.  There is no further obligation, though
    they "may" stop sending you the monthly mailings if you don't buy
    anything for 6 months.
    
    Anybody in greater MKO who'd like to take a look at it is welcome to
    stop by my office (MKO1-2/K4 is in my cube).
    
    Beverly
    

    As far as I've understood it, "trade" refers to the bookselling
    trade, as opposed to limited or restricted distribution. Book
    club editions are not considered "trade" editions, because the
    distribution is, in theory, restricted (this makes the concept of
    the QPBC publishing "trade paperback editions" seem even sillier).
    Textbooks are not "trade" books for the same reason. Small press
    books or limited editions are not "trade", because their distribution
    is limited and/or restricted.
    
    So to answer one of the questions right off, yes, there are such
    things as trade hardcovers.
    
    As for paperbacks, the "trade" distinction seems silly, since by
    definition, all "mass-market" paperbacks are trade books. Where
    "trade paperback" started as a term for a hardcover-sized, but
    paperbound book is anyone's guess. But that's basically what the
    term is used to mean.
    
    Some terms just come seemingly out of nowhere to describe something
    completely different. For instance, there's the term "digest magazine"
    to describe something like ANALOG or F&SF. Since ANALOG and it's like
    do not print extracts, excerpts, condensations, or the like from other
    sources, as READER'S DIGEST does, they really aren't digest magazines
    at all. The only reasonable explanation is that it's actually an
    abbreviation of "DIGEST-sized magazine" meaning "it's the same size
    as READER'S DIGEST".
    
    --- jerry