Common Book Genres and Formats
We understand that there are as many different authors as there are books. We can print anything you want, however here are common book genres that we often print for our customers.
Children’s Books
Books that are focused on children learning how to read or parents reading out loud to their children. Featured with illustrations with large text to make it easier to read. These stories also feature educational lessons for the children to learn while reading.
Common Specifications:
Hardcover or Softcover (Perfect) Binding
70# - 80# Silk, Gloss
Square, Portrait, or Landscape (Oblong) Orientation
Typically 8.5” X 8.5” (square), 8,5” X 11” (Portrait), 11” X 8.5” (Landscape)
Business Books
Books that center around the topic of business, and can include practices, advice, insider knowledge, or even reports.
Common Specifications:
Hardcover, Softcover (Perfect), or Coil Binding
60# - 70# Offset
Portrait Orientation
Typically 5.5” X 8.5”, 6” X 9”
Historical Books
Books that feature an event or topic in the past. These usually incorporate research and sources to further their point and narrative about the events that took place.
Common Specifications:
Hardcover or Softcover (Perfect) Binding
60# - 70# Offset
Portrait Orientation
Typically 5.5”X 8.5”, 6” X 9”
Fiction Books
Books that are fabricated and based on the author’s imagination. These books can be short stories, novels, myths, legends, and sci-fi. Authors might use some settings, plot points, or real characters as starting points to further develop their ideas.
Common Specifications:
Hardcover or Softcover (Perfect) Binding
60# - 70# Offset
Portrait Orientation
Typically 6” X 9”, 7” X 10”
Non-Fiction Books
Books that are meant to inform while also being entertaining to read. This genre can include autobiographies, biographies, and past events. These books mostly focus on the past but they can try to tie current issues that relate to the present day.
Common Specifications:
Hardcover or Softcover (Perfect) Binding
60# - 70# Offset
Portrait Orientation
Typically 5.5” X 8.5”, 6” X 9”
Comic / Graphic Novel Books
Books tell the story through visual images that are accompanied by speech, thought, or narrative bubbles. They also follow a segmented reading flow. Comic books are usually shorter in length than graphic novels.
Common Specifications:
Saddle Stitched or Softcover (Perfect) Binding
80# Gloss
Portrait Orientation
Typically 5.5” X 8.5”, 6” X 9”
Photography Books
Books that are filled with large and high-quality photographs, and usually accompany a description or caption of what the photo is. Each book centers around a single topic with photos showing detail about that topic.
Common Specifications:
Hardcover Binding
80# - 100# Gloss
Square, Portrait, Landscape (Oblong) Orientation
Typically 8.5” X 11” (Up to 9” X 12”)
Illustration Books
Books that are filled with art and illustrations that expand most of the page, and usually accompany a description or caption of what the photo is. Each book is either featured around a certain topic, artist, or art style.
Common Specifications:
Hardcover Binding
80# - 100# Gloss
Square, Portrait, Landscape (Oblong) Orientation
Typically 8.5” X 11” (Up to 9” X 12”)
Young Adult Books
Books where the target audience is people in their late teens or early adult years, hence the name young adult. This genre can have a large range of topics and content, from fantasy and sci-fi to more historically driven narratives.
Common Specifications:
Hardcover or Softcover (Perfect) Binding
60# - 70# Offset
Portrait Orientation
Typically 5” X 7”. 6” X 9”
Sci-Fi Books
Books that take place in a distant space, time, or universe. These books usually focus on the field of “hard” science and technology advancement, and how these have influenced the book’s world.
Common Specifications:
Hardcover or Softcover (Perfect) Binding
60# - 70# Offset
Portrait Orientation
Typically 5.5” X 8.5”, 6” X 9”
Custom Cover Configurations (i.e. French Flaps)
Poetry Books
A book that has a collection of poems. These collections can be any theme and style of poetry.
Common Specifications:
Hardcover, Softcover (Perfect), Coil Binding
60# - 70# Offset
Portrait Orientation
Typically 5” X 7”. 6” X 9”
Educational Books
Books that inform and educate a reader about a particular topic. This can be work and school related. Usually features research and resources.
Common Specifications:
Hardcover, Softcover (Perfect), Coil Binding
60# Offset
Portrait, Landscape (Oblong) Orientation
Typically 8.5” X 11”, 7” X 10”
Game Companion Books
A book that is focused on a game that people play (usually the same title as the book). This book will often feature gameplay explanations, strategies, rules, characters (or player classes or types), weapon charts, combat rules, etc.
Common Specifications:
Hardcover or Softcover (Perfect) Binding
70# - 80# Silk, Gloss
Portrait Orientation
Typically 5.5” X 8.5”, 6” X 9”
Journals
A book you write entries in, usually in chronological order. Some journals include prompts to help guide you on what to write about. These can include personal, day-to-day, diet, and mental health.
Common Specifications:
Softcover or Coil Binding
60# - 70# Offset
Portrait Orientation
Typically 5.5” X 8.5”, 6” X 9”
Workbooks
A book that is filled with instructions and exercises relating to a certain topic of what the book is teaching the reader. This is common for children’s language and arithmetic learning, or standardized tests.
Common Specifications:
Softcover (Perfect) or Coil Binding
60# - 70# Offset
Portrait Orientation
Typically 6” X 9”, 8.5” X 11”