trade book

American  

noun

1. a book designed for the general public and available through an ordinary book dealer, as distinguished from a limited-edition book, textbook, mass market paperback, etc.

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trade book British  

noun

1. an ordinary edition of a book sold in the normal way in shops, as opposed to a de luxe or mail-order edition

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Etymology

Origin of trade book

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

trade book

Three-quarters of trade book revenue last year derived from hardcover and paperback sales, according to the Association of American Publishers.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 19, 2022

The trade book case was led by Bookends & Beginnings, a bookseller in Evanston, Illinois.

From Reuters ● Sep. 29, 2022

Ramsey: It's been eight years since I've done a major trade book.

From Fox News ● Jan. 18, 2022

The first government report published as a trade book was the Warren Commission’s 1964 report on J.F.K.’s assassination, which sold more than a million copies.

From The New Yorker ● Apr. 1, 2019

Two months later he was hired by the Hearst Corporation’s trade book group, which included William Morrow and Avon Books.

From New York Times ● Aug. 29, 2017