RIP the Mass Market Paperback.

Now you can have the ebook (which you're only renting if it is DRMed), hard-to-shelve trade paperback, or the expensive hardcover.

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/99293-last-call-for-mass-market-paperbacks.html
--
My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
My tor pieces at https://www.tor.com/author/james-davis-nicoll/
My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

In article <10hnf7d$kmr$1@reader2.panix.com>,
jdnicoll@panix.com (James Nicoll) wrote:

RIP the Mass Market Paperback.

Now you can have the ebook (which you're only renting if it is DRMed), hard-to-shelve trade paperback, or the expensive hardcover.

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/arti
cle/99293-last-call-for-mass-market-paperbacks.html

They had already almost completely disappeared from the SF/F
marketplace. Locus in its Feb 2025 review of 2024 claimed that there
only 40 massmarket paperbacks published in 2024 (5 original, 35 reprints
of which 17 were from Baen).

--
"We have advanced to new and surprising levels of bafflement."
Imperial Auditor Miles Vorkosigan describes progress in _Komarr_. ?-----------------------------------------------------
Robert Woodward robertaw@drizzle.com

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 12/15/2025 1:14 AM, Robert Woodward wrote:

In article <10hnf7d$kmr$1@reader2.panix.com>,
jdnicoll@panix.com (James Nicoll) wrote:

RIP the Mass Market Paperback.

Now you can have the ebook (which you're only renting if it is DRMed),
hard-to-shelve trade paperback, or the expensive hardcover.

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/arti
cle/99293-last-call-for-mass-market-paperbacks.html

They had already almost completely disappeared from the SF/F
marketplace. Locus in its Feb 2025 review of 2024 claimed that there
only 40 massmarket paperbacks published in 2024 (5 original, 35 reprints
of which 17 were from Baen).

https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/stats.cgi?10 (the second graph) shows
mmpbs' decline over the last 30-40 years.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

In article <10i8lnc$2melo$1@dont-email.me>,
Ahasuerus <ahasuerus@email.com> wrote:

On 12/15/2025 1:14 AM, Robert Woodward wrote:

In article <10hnf7d$kmr$1@reader2.panix.com>,
jdnicoll@panix.com (James Nicoll) wrote:

RIP the Mass Market Paperback.

Now you can have the ebook (which you're only renting if it is DRMed),
hard-to-shelve trade paperback, or the expensive hardcover.

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/arti >>> cle/99293-last-call-for-mass-market-paperbacks.html

They had already almost completely disappeared from the SF/F
marketplace. Locus in its Feb 2025 review of 2024 claimed that there
only 40 massmarket paperbacks published in 2024 (5 original, 35 reprints
of which 17 were from Baen).

https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/stats.cgi?10 (the second graph) shows
mmpbs' decline over the last 30-40 years.

Thank you!
--
My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
My tor pieces at https://www.tor.com/author/james-davis-nicoll/
My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 12/21/2025 5:29 AM, Ahasuerus wrote:

On 12/15/2025 1:14 AM, Robert Woodward wrote:

In article <10hnf7d$kmr$1@reader2.panix.com>,
ÿ jdnicoll@panix.com (James Nicoll) wrote:

RIP the Mass Market Paperback.

Now you can have the ebook (which you're only renting if it is DRMed),
hard-to-shelve trade paperback, or the expensive hardcover.

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-
news/arti
cle/99293-last-call-for-mass-market-paperbacks.html

They had already almost completely disappeared from the SF/F
marketplace. Locus in its Feb 2025 review of 2024 claimed that there
only 40 massmarket paperbacks published in 2024 (5 original, 35 reprints
of which 17 were from Baen).

https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/stats.cgi?10 (the second graph) shows
mmpbs' decline over the last 30-40 years.

I'll bet that a significant number of the scifi / fantasy MMPBs are
released by Baen. I am actually wondering if Baen will reduce the
number of MMPBs that they produce.

Lynn



--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 12/14/2025 4:54 PM, James Nicoll wrote:

RIP the Mass Market Paperback.

Now you can have the ebook (which you're only renting if it is DRMed), hard-to-shelve trade paperback, or the expensive hardcover.

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/99293-last-call-for-mass-market-paperbacks.html

Baen is going to release at least one MMPB in 2026: "Behind the Veil (TransDimensional Hunter)" by John Ringo and Lydia Sherrer

https://www.amazon.com/Behind-Veil-TransDimensional-Hunter-Ringo/dp/1668073439/

So I am guessing, based on one data point, that Baen may continue to
release 25 to 30 MMPBs per year ad infinitum.

Lynn


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)