The Key Differences Between the USA And UK Book Markets

The book publishing industry is one of the largest in the world. In 2020 alone, printed book sales increased by 8.2 percent. Due to the pandemic, a lot of people rediscovered their love for reading and books. For example, in the UK, the time people spent reading books doubled. The US and UK rank 2nd and 3rd in book publishing worldwide. Therefore, it will be interesting to know the major differences in their respective book markets.

Just like culture and environment have an effect on what people eat, movies they watch, clothes they wear and so on. It also impacts what people read and how they perceive book design. The best writing companies understand this difference and use it to their advantage. Below, we will discuss some major differences.

Book Cover Design

Publishers understand that book cover design is essential. They appeal to cultures in different ways. Therefore, they pay attention to the design when introducing a book to a new country.

What this means, for example, is that the book “A Little Life” by Hanya Yanagihara has one cover design for the US book market and another for the UK market. Usually, the book titles don’t change, even with the difference in market tastes. British books are associated with darker colors, while American books have more bright covers.

Additionally, American publishers are often comfortable with portraying the characters on the book cover, contrary to what most British publishing firms would do. They usually leave the readers to imagine what the character looks like.

A book series that explains this difference is Harry Potter. You notice the variance in the different editions. Even more, the publishers changed the title of one of the novels to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (US edition) from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.

Appreciation of Story Tone

You will always find authors whose books become bestsellers in both the UK and US. Most of these books also go on to become best sellers in other countries. Some of these authors include Stephen Kings, Ruth Ware, and Paula Hawkins.

But popular authors are not the only bestsellers. There are other authors who are able to become best sellers in only the US or UK, respectively. The tone of the book greatly impacts how the different audiences receive it.

British humor is quite different from American humor. In the same light, there are differences in the use of words and phrases between these two cultures. These affect how readers relate to a book, and ultimately, how the book sells in each county.

Author Gail Honeyman, for instance, is a successful UK author. Her books contain some dark tone and humor that most British readers appreciate. However, US lovers of women’s fiction would rather have family drama and romance without the dark side.

Standard Book Sizes

Pocket Book (4.25 in x 6.87 in) vs. A-Format (178 mm x 111 mm):

The pocketbook is the US easy-to-carry version used to print cheap paperback fiction, while the A-format book is the UK easy-to-carry version. Many classics, humor, or self-help books are written in this version.

Digest (5.5 in x 8.5 in) vs. B-Format (198 mm x 129 mm)

The US trade size comes in different categories. Digest is the smallest and often used to print fiction and non-fiction books. The B-format is UK’s most popular publishing standard. Most paperback fiction is printed in this format.

US Trade (6 in x 9 in) vs. Demy (216 mm x 135 mm)

US Trade 6×9 in is the most common trade standard size. Most publishers demand this size for paperback fiction. The Demy standard is the UK’s large-format paperback used widely for airport fiction, in place of A-format books.

Hardcover (6 in x 9 in to 8.5 in x 11 in) vs. Royal (234 mm x 156 mm)

US Hardcover sizes vary widely. They are used for premium fiction and non-fiction, and mostly by publishing firms. Royals are UK hardcover standards used for novels and nonfiction. They are larger than other UK standard sizes.

Conclusion

Most writers want to serve readers across the globe. But it’s important to understand the inclinations of the readers in various cultures and pay attention to reviews. Paying attention to little differences like words and phrases, book cover, and book size will impact how much your work will be appreciated in the US and UK book market. Talk to your editor about how to balance your writing to reach your desired audience.

Frank Hamilton is a blogger and translator from Manchester. He is a professional writing expert in such topics as blogging, digital marketing and self-education. He also loves traveling and speaks Spanish, French, German and English.