On hard backs a letter size

[Overread]

Why is it that every time I buy a hard back edition the print in the book is sized nad spaced out like its a childrens book? - And before some one says that I should check the titles one sitting right in front of me is The Dreaming Void by Peter Hamiltion.
I noticed this really when I recently got a book, Wolf's Blood by Jane Lindskold an the print was the same size as it generally is in a paperback.

I can only one reason for this enlarging of text - that the publishers want the book to be as big as possible - but if so then why not continue on with the sane trick in the paper backs.

[Lith]

Uh, because they don't have to re-format chapters, only change the leading?

I've only noticed the Potter books being a little further spaced apart, which I like as my eyes follow from line to line better. And the text doesn't run into the inner margins.

[Teresa Edgerton]

Since paper and ink (as I have heard) are usually the biggest expense in producing a book, I don't think publishers make more money off of bigger books.

[manephelien]

I haven't seen a wider leading, but I have seen bigger fonts. Some books are as big as 18pt, when a standard paperback is between 8 and 12 pt. Very good for people whose vision is deteriorating. My mother who's in her sixties used to prefer paperbacks, but because her vision isn't as good as it was, she finds hardbacks more enjoyable to read these days.

A hardback often costs at least twice as much as a paperback, so the difference in materials is covered. It's also harder to get shelf space for a hardback once the paperback has come out, since hardbacks take more space.

[Overread]

True points - out of interest and changing the subject slightly - has anywone else noteice a decline in the quality of inks used on paperbacks - smudges seem to be incresasing as well as what Lith noted - words running into the centre and words trying to run of the page