One of the most common and cheapest form of paperback, mass market paperbacks are small and lack illustrations. They are ubiquitous and can be found not just in book stores, but also supermarkets, convenience stores and airports. It is a common type of paperback for fiction bestsellers. New authors may release their books in this form first instead of hardcover. If the mass market paperback does not sell well in its first edition run, it is stripped of its cover.
Trade paperbacks, although published with a soft cover like mass market paperbacks, tend to be larger in dimension and are of higher quality, on par of hardcovers. These paperbacks are more expensive than mass market paperbacks but usually not more than a hardcover. Literary fiction, poetry and non-fiction often are published in this format.
Galleys, which are almost always in paperback form and are known also as "bound galleys," is a version of a book printed before its wide publication date that is used to distribute to critics, professional bloggers and journalists to generate attention for the book. They are usually produced after typesetting but before proofreading, so critics will generally forgive spelling and grammatical errors when reviewing a galley copy. Galleys usually lack full-color covers and are produced three to four months before the publication date.
A chapbook is a small booklet or pamphlet that has a group of folded sheets stapled as a binding. Small press poetry books, vanity press and self-published books will most likely be found in this form. An especially common binding method for poetry books, it is a tradition for beginning and renowned poets alike, according to Empty Mirror Books.