Arg, hit send before the message..

What is the difference between the 2 book types please?   I didn't know there was 2 different kinds of softcover books.

Thank you,

Debbie

Mass Market PB's are normally smaller in size.  More like a Love Inspired or Harlequin. I don't like them as much but they are a little bit cheaper normally to ship. Hope this helps:)

A mass market paperback (MMP or MMPB) is a small, usually non-illustrated, and inexpensive bookbinding format.

A trade paperback (TPB), sometimes referred to as a trade paper edition, is a standard-sized or large-sized paperback book. If it is a softcover edition of a previous hardcover edition, and, if published by the same publishing house as the hardcover, the text pages are normally identical to the text pages in the hardcover edition, and the book is usually the same size as the hardcover edition. The only difference is the soft binding; the quality of the paper is usually higher than that of a mass market paperback.

The term paperback could be referring to either MMPB or TPB. You have to look at the dimensions of the book to determine which one it is.

An example for the book The Green Mile (as listed on Amazon) -

Paperback - 8 x 5.1 x 1.3 inches
Mass Market Paperback - 6.7 x 4.1 x 1.3 inches

MMPs are the standard sized paperbacks that they usually sell in grocery stores and they fit in the little book rackes.  THey are the cheaper ones that are usually $4.99-$8.99  Tradesized are the paperbacks that are sized more like hardcovers and cost more than $10.  They are usually made of a better quality of paper and binding. 

THen there's a 3rd size which is a slighly taller MMP.  They have the same width and depth of an MMP but are about an inch longer. 

If the listing just says paperback than it could be anyone of these sizes. If it says MMP it should be the smaller, cheaper one.