I don’t have a problem as long as it’s a standardized size. Like I expect zines to be smaller and that’s fine, but I have a couple of odd ball books that clearly not meant to be placed on a bookshelf, and yet I have no idea where you’d put them because they aren’t coffee table type books either. Also, I’ll try to get a PDF copy of any book if available because when I’m actually using them, I tend to rely on my iPad or computer.
How Much Do You Care About Form Factor/Book Size?
- Thread starter Ath'kethin
- Start date
I don’t have a problem as long as it’s a standardized size. Like I expect zines to be smaller and that’s fine, but I have a couple of odd ball books that clearly not meant to be placed on a bookshelf, and yet I have no idea where you’d put them because they aren’t coffee table type books either. Also, I’ll try to get a PDF copy of any book if available because when I’m actually using them, I tend to rely on my iPad or computer.
kigmatzomat
Legend
At this point not a whit. While I prefer other than a magazine-esque paper cover for durability, I have enough old gaming mags to know that I can keep them around for decades.
These days I care about font size/legibility. You put some spidery, single-point, overly-serifed, so-chunky-its-a-square or gray-on-gray font and I am out.
These days I care about font size/legibility. You put some spidery, single-point, overly-serifed, so-chunky-its-a-square or gray-on-gray font and I am out.
I prefer 8.5x11. I’m pretty good at skimming, so having more text on the page makes it quicker to skim a lot of text. Flipping pages slows me down greatly.
With digest-sized books, there’s either too small a font for my failing eyes, or too little information on each page.
With digest-sized books, there’s either too small a font for my failing eyes, or too little information on each page.
Ath'kethin
Elder Thing
Lots of responses here, and some great points. Thanks, everyone!
I'm looking at a pair of zine/digest sized books on my shelf that both top 200 pages; a 230 page hardcover and a 300 page softcover. I hadn't really thought about it before, but the hardcover definitely stays open easier, if only because I don't wantt o break the spine on the softcover.
On the other hand, I also have an 80-page digest sized book that is perfect bound, and I basically never use it even though it has a ton of great content, because it won't stay open easily. I think it would work better as a shorter 8.5 x 11 sadde stitch book, but that's not what the creator chose to do.
I like that thought process: make stuff match the main line you're writing for. These days I almost exclusively play (and make stuff for) Dungeon Crawl Classics, and prior to that I was a big D&D guy for decades, which probably informs my 8.5 x 11 preferences.
This more or less lines up with my preferences too.
It's funny; at first I was going to argue that my dislike for zine/digets/A5 size books had to do with not being able to read the titles on the spines. But of course that's true of any saddle-stitch book, and I have dozens of A4/8.5 x 11 saddle-stitched adventure modules, so I don't even know.
Hear, hear. And even when a creator provides screenshots or whatever in a crowdfunding campaign, it can be hard to tell. I have an adventure I bought that turned out to be a zine size book printed with a double column of text and it's pretty illegible (at least to my aging eyes). I wish I'd paid closer attention to the specs when I backed it.
You make a few great points here.
In theory I like the idea of having non-D&D books be differently sized so they're easy to spot on the shelf, but in practice that doesn't really affect me much because most of the stuff i have is 8.5 x 11, across decades of gaming.
Great call on the fact that poor design is poor design, and of course the larger volume of full-size books measn that proportionally, many more of them will have the shoddy design.
I've made one landscape style book, but unfortunately it's never been broadly vailable in print because it's through DM's Guild and at least when I put it out landscape format wasn't an option for PoD books there (not sure if it is now). It's too bad because I think it's a really cute book (it's about giant space hamsters, with copious references to 80s and 90s action and sci-fi movies) and my kid helped me write it. I made two print copies of it, one for my kid and one for my editor's, but that's been all.
I feel this. The first harcover I ever produced has slightly oversized text (by which I mean an 11 point font instead of 10 point) and a couple of folks commented on it, but it sure is easier to read.
I'm looking at a pair of zine/digest sized books on my shelf that both top 200 pages; a 230 page hardcover and a 300 page softcover. I hadn't really thought about it before, but the hardcover definitely stays open easier, if only because I don't wantt o break the spine on the softcover.
On the other hand, I also have an 80-page digest sized book that is perfect bound, and I basically never use it even though it has a ton of great content, because it won't stay open easily. I think it would work better as a shorter 8.5 x 11 sadde stitch book, but that's not what the creator chose to do.
I like that thought process: make stuff match the main line you're writing for. These days I almost exclusively play (and make stuff for) Dungeon Crawl Classics, and prior to that I was a big D&D guy for decades, which probably informs my 8.5 x 11 preferences.
This more or less lines up with my preferences too.
It's funny; at first I was going to argue that my dislike for zine/digets/A5 size books had to do with not being able to read the titles on the spines. But of course that's true of any saddle-stitch book, and I have dozens of A4/8.5 x 11 saddle-stitched adventure modules, so I don't even know.
Hear, hear. And even when a creator provides screenshots or whatever in a crowdfunding campaign, it can be hard to tell. I have an adventure I bought that turned out to be a zine size book printed with a double column of text and it's pretty illegible (at least to my aging eyes). I wish I'd paid closer attention to the specs when I backed it.
You make a few great points here.
In theory I like the idea of having non-D&D books be differently sized so they're easy to spot on the shelf, but in practice that doesn't really affect me much because most of the stuff i have is 8.5 x 11, across decades of gaming.
Great call on the fact that poor design is poor design, and of course the larger volume of full-size books measn that proportionally, many more of them will have the shoddy design.
I've made one landscape style book, but unfortunately it's never been broadly vailable in print because it's through DM's Guild and at least when I put it out landscape format wasn't an option for PoD books there (not sure if it is now). It's too bad because I think it's a really cute book (it's about giant space hamsters, with copious references to 80s and 90s action and sci-fi movies) and my kid helped me write it. I made two print copies of it, one for my kid and one for my editor's, but that's been all.
Micah Sweet
Level Up & OSR Enthusiast
I want the book big enough to contain the Information I think it should have for what it's intended purpose is. That could be big or small. I buy most books on pdf anyway.
thullgrim
Hero
When I started running a lot of Savage Worldds the physical size was a turn- off. Now I prefer it. Books that size, Crown&Skull, BitD, Shadowdark, etc all fit in my hand easier these days.
As a physical product my favorite is probably Crown and Skull. Black and white, looks smythe sewn, cloth wrapped hardback. Matte paper. It’s a thing I love to hold and smell. Easy to read. I really wish everyone published that way.
I typically use PDFs and a full sized iPad these days though. The ability to increase text size can not be overstated.
As a physical product my favorite is probably Crown and Skull. Black and white, looks smythe sewn, cloth wrapped hardback. Matte paper. It’s a thing I love to hold and smell. Easy to read. I really wish everyone published that way.
I typically use PDFs and a full sized iPad these days though. The ability to increase text size can not be overstated.
Autumnal
Bruce Baugh, Writer of Fortune
What kind of device are you reading them on? I have an iPad Air that’s a bit less than 8.5x11, so that letter-sized pages are shrunk just enough to be somewhat noticeably harder to read. Digest pages, on the other hand, get zoomed up noticeably and are that much comfier to read. I want to get the larger model but do t know when I’ll be able to.
I either have it open on a side screen I have in portrait orientation, or on a 10" tablet. So year, the minor zoom up is probably the key feature there. Even if i refuse to believe I am old. Dagnabbit.
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