Did you know trade paperback books, those you find in a variety of subjects and genres, have standard trim sizes? You’ll find these larger-than-mass paperback books come in 5.5 x 8.5,” 6 x 9” or even 8.5 x 11” on bookstore shelves and offered by book printers around the country.

The reason is simple economics: These sizes utilize the text stock with the least amount of waste. Practical, certainly. Ordinary, yes. Is this how you see your book?

Have you thought of going square? I’m not talking about specialty gift books sitting in their petite format near the cash register. I mean a perfect bound edition that may stand out with a squared look such as 5×5,” 5.5×5.5” or 6×6.” Research a list of short-run book printers as not all printers offer custom sizes, and you may find it’s minimally more cost to set your book outside the norm.

Your title may catch the first glimpse by a potential reader because of its unique look. A square edition will tend to sit differently on a shelf next to the variety of cookie-cutter sized books in your genre. Your professionally designed cover will take advantage of the square size and encourage the potential buyer even more.

A book, today, needs all the help it can get to be noticed in the surge of new titles each month.  Does your book have what it takes to be square?