Best Card Readers for Book Signings and Author Events
Square Reader is the standard choice for book signings due to its reliable Bluetooth connectivity and broad compatibility with mobile devices.
For authors, designers & indie publishers
Everything you need to turn a manuscript into a real book.
Trim sizes, paper sizes, spine widths, cover templates, ISBN tools, fonts and a directory of publishers, awards and literary magazines — 10,600+ reference pages built from open data and careful book math.
Today · November 11
What's new →On this day
- Marsha Mehranborn 1977
- Colin Harvey (writer)born 1960
- Cristina Odoneborn 1960
- Stanley Tucciborn 1960
Trending on Open Library
- Atomic Habits James Clear
- Rich Dad, Poor Dad Robert T. Kiyosaki
- The 48 Laws of Power Robert Greene
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone J. K. Rowling
- The Psychology of Money Morgan Housel
New public-domain books
- The Complete Poetical Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, Now First…
- First lessons in Geometry
- Scenes in the lives of Saint Stephen, Timothy, Saint Mark…
- Sixty-four, ninety-four!
- Decision final
Poem of the day
I, MY dear, was born to-day--
So all my jolly comrades say:
They bring me music, wreaths, and mirth,
And ask to celebrate my birth:
…
Term of the day · Printing & prepress
Pixels per inch in a digital image at a given print size. 3000 pixels printed at 10 inches wide equals 300 ppi.
Latest update: 40 poems; 20 cover art; 8 audiobooks; 5 popular books; 2 new books.
Free calculators
All tools →
Spine & cover
Calculate paperback spine width and full-wrap cover dimensions for any trim size, page count and…
Words → pages
Estimate how many printed pages your manuscript will be at any trim size and font size, plus spine…
ISBN converter
Convert ISBN-10 to ISBN-13 and back, validate check digits and hyphenate any ISBN correctly using…
ISBN barcode
Create a print-ready Bookland EAN-13 barcode for your ISBN with an optional 5-digit price add-on…
Paper size converter
Convert paper and page sizes between millimetres, centimetres, inches, points and pixels at any…
GSM ↔ lb
Convert paper weight between g/m² and US basis weights — bond, text (book), cover, index and…
Image DPI
Check whether an image is sharp enough to print: maximum print size at 300 dpi, pixels needed for…
Booklet imposition
Get the page order for printing a saddle-stitched booklet or zine on a home or office printer…
Explore the reference
35 pages
Trim sizes
Every paperback and hardcover size with margins, page counts and platform availability.
871 pages
Spine width & covers
Cover dimensions for 12 trims and 66 page counts, with templates.
357 pages
Word count to pages
How long your manuscript will be in print, at any trim and font size.
285 pages
Paper sizes
ISO, US, JIS, envelopes, photo, poster and historic sizes in every unit.
1,715 pages
Free fonts for books
Open-source fonts with book-page specimens and pairing ideas.
1,342 pages
Publishers
Publishing houses, university presses and imprints worldwide.
781 pages
Literary awards
Book prizes with organisers, prize money and recent winners.
294 pages
Literary magazines
Journals and reviews for short fiction, poetry and essays.
879 pages
Public-domain classics
Word counts and print-length estimates for the most-read free books.
298 pages
ISBN groups
Every ISBN registration group and its publisher ranges.
49 pages
Book anatomy & binding
Front matter order, binding methods and how they compare.
20 pages
Imposition & signatures
Folding schemes and booklet page orders with diagrams.
72 pages
Paper weight & stocks
GSM and pound conversions, thickness and paper types.
59 pages
Genres & book length
Expected word counts and trims for every major category.
172 pages
Glossary
Printing, binding, typography and publishing terms explained.
426 pages
Classic typefaces
Garamond, Baskerville, Caslon and the history of type.
367 pages
On this day
Writers born and died, and literary events, for every date.
Updated daily
Trending today
The books readers are looking for right now on Open Library.
949 pages
Public-domain poems
Full texts of classic poems with forms and typesetting notes.
354 pages
Free audiobooks
LibriVox recordings with running times and print lengths.
124 pages
Nobel laureates
Every Nobel Prize in Literature with the official motivation.
579 pages
New books
This year's novels and nonfiction with Wikipedia articles.
151 pages
Popular books
Page counts and reading times of books readers track now.
397 pages
Free cover art
Public-domain paintings (CC0) for book covers.
Popular trim sizes
All trim sizes →
6 x 9 in US Trade
6 x 9 inNonfiction, Fiction, Memoir
5.5 x 8.5 in Digest
5.5 x 8.5 inFiction, Nonfiction, Memoir
5 x 8 in
5 x 8 inNovels, Novellas, Poetry
8.5 x 11 in Letter
8.5 x 11 inWorkbooks, Manuals, Coloring books
Royal (6.14 x 9.21 in)
6.14 x 9.21 inNonfiction, Hardcovers, Academic
8.5 x 8.5 in Square
8.5 x 8.5 inPicture books, Coloring books, Photography
Guides
All guides →- How to Choose a Book Trim SizeA practical decision guide to picking the right trim size for your paperback or hardcover — by genre, page cou
- Book Spine Width Explained (with Formulas)How spine width is calculated for paperbacks and hardcovers, why paper choice changes it, and how to design a
- Bleed, Trim and Safe Zones: Print Files Done RightWhat bleed, trim and safe zones are, how much bleed printers need, and how to set up interior and cover files
- Paper Weight Explained: GSM vs PoundsWhy 20 lb bond and 50 lb text are nearly the same paper, how to convert GSM to pounds, and which paper weights
- ISBN Guide for Self-PublishersWhat an ISBN is, when you need one, how many to buy, free vs purchased ISBNs, barcodes and how ISBNs connect t
- Front Matter and Back Matter: The Complete OrderThe standard order of a book's front matter and back matter — what each page is for, which side it goes on, ho
- Book Interior Typography: Fonts, Size, Leading and MarginsPractical typesetting rules for book interiors — choosing a body font, type size and leading, line length, mar
Directory highlights
Publishers
Browse all →Literary awards
- Nobel Prize in Literature
- Pulitzer Prize
- Booker Prize
- Hugo Award
- Prix Goncourt
- Nebula Award
- Miguel de Cervantes Prize
- Hans Christian Andersen Award
Fonts for book interiors
Browse all →Latest articles
Is a Sharpie a Good Choice for Signing Books
Sharpies are generally poor choices for signing books due to ink migration and acidity. Use archival-grade pigment pens for long-term preservation instead.
Best Pens for Signing Books and How to Choose Them
The best pen for signing books is a high-quality pigment-based felt-tip marker, as it provides a bold, skip-free signature that resists fading for years.
Best Ring Scanners for High Volume Book Processing
The Zebra RS5100 is the top choice for scanning hundreds of books due to its lightweight 2-ounce frame and high-speed laser engine for fast throughput.
Best Pens for Signing Title Pages Without Bleed
Choose archival-grade pigment liners or fine-point ballpoints to prevent bleed-through when signing important documents. Avoid heavy fountain pen inks.
Best Library Card and Pocket Sets for Home Lending Libraries
High-quality cardstock pockets and heavyweight index cards provide the best durability for home libraries, lasting through 50+ checkouts per book.
About this site
Leaf & Spine is an independent, free reference for people who make books. The numbers come from published printer specifications and transparent formulas — see how we calculate — and the directories are compiled from open data sources credited on every page.