A softcover or softback book is a book with a flexible paper or paperboard cover, as opposed to a hardcover or hardback book. It is usually less expensive than a hardcover book.
A paperback is a type of book characterized by a thick paper or paperboard cover, and often held together with glue rather than stitches or staples. Paperbacks can be differentiated from hardcover books by their lower price, more flexible or soft covers, and generally smaller size.
The term “paperback” originally referred to a type of bookbinding, but it came to mean the actual book as well. In the early 19th century, Bibles and other religious books were bound in paper and sold at a lower price than those bound in leather or cloth.
The first mass-market paperbacks were published in the 1930s, and they quickly became popular. Paperbacks are often published by special imprints of large publishing houses, such as Penguin or Random House, that are devoted solely to paperbacks, or they may be published by small presses.
The soft back/cover of a book is just as important as the hard back/cover. The soft back/cover protects the spine of the book and the pages inside. It also makes the book more durable and keeps it from getting damaged easily. The soft back/cover also makes the book more flexible, which makes it easier to read.
When it comes to books and publishing, soft back/cover refers to a type of binding where the pages and cover are glued together at the spine. This is opposed to hard back/cover binding, where the pages and cover are sewn together. Soft back/cover binding is generally less expensive than hard back/cover binding, and is often used for mass-market paperbacks, children’s books, and other types of books that are not expected to have a long shelf life. While soft back/cover binding is not as durable as hard back/cover binding, it can still be a good option for certain types of books.