# Publishers Killed the Paperback, Then Blamed Readers

> Publishers killed mass-market paperbacks in 2025, then blamed readers for the decline.
- Title: Publishers Killed the Paperback, Then Blamed Readers · Jacobin
- Summary: Publishers killed mass-market paperbacks in 2025, then blamed readers for the decline. The Big Five publishing houses discontinued mass-market paperbacks in…
- Keywords: penguin random house, mass market paperbacks, big five publishing, paperback format, book distribution, reading habits, literacy rates, publishing industry, book retail, affordability, technology, startups
- Source: Jacobin — https://jacobin.com/2026/10/books-publishing-reading-mass-market-paperback
- Published: 2026-10-12T12:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: penguin random house, mass market paperbacks, big five publishing, paperback format, book distribution, reading habits, literacy rates, publishing industry, book retail, affordability, technology, startups
## The decline of reading
In 2023, 28 percent of American adults scored at or below the lowest literacy level, up from 19 percent six years earlier.
## Publishers blamed readers
The Big Five publishing houses claimed consumer demand was the cause of mass-market paperbacks' decline.
## Mass-market paperbacks' history
Pocket Books launched in 1939 and sold 8.5 million copies within two years.
## The format's decline
In 2024, the last year of full national distribution, mass-market paperbacks sold only 53,000 units.
## The Big Five's role
The Big Five publishing houses (Penguin Random House, Macmillan, HarperCollins, Hachette, and Simon & Schuster) discontinued the format in 2025.
## The 1939 paperback catalog
Pocket Books published ten titles including Emily Brontë, Bambi, Dorothy Parker, Agatha Christie, Shakespeare, and a Victorian bildungsroman.
## The 2025 catalog
In 2025, the top ten mass-market paperbacks were all contemporary commercial fiction with series titles.
## Affordability gap
In 1939, a paperback cost ¢25, equivalent to a gallon of gas or a dozen eggs today.
## Hardcover pricing
Today's hardback novels cost $28 to $32, 40 percent cheaper than 1940s prices after discounts.
## Retail decline
By 2024, only 600 Barnes & Noble stores remained across 19 percent of the nation's counties.
## Literacy comparison
In 2023, 28 percent of US adults scored below the lowest literacy level versus 18 percent in Canada.
## Publishers' excuses
Publishers claimed consumer demand was the cause of mass-market paperbacks' decline.
## The real issue
The Big Five's consolidation and pricing decisions harmed reading habits despite blaming readers.
## What happened next
The Big Five publishing houses discontinued mass-market paperbacks in 2025, claiming consumer demand was the cause.
## Key takeaway

The Big Five publishing houses discontinued mass-market paperbacks in 2025, claiming consumer demand was the cause despite evidence of supply-side failures.