Books, that is. One of the topics authors, agents and editors spend a lot of time discussing is the publication of a book in hardcover or paperback. Like many new authors, I had long imagined walking into a bookstore for the first time and seeing that shiny hardcover on the shelf. So I was a little disappointed when I learned that the publisher had decided to publish my first novel, THE KOMMANDANT’S GIRL, as a trade paperback instead. The reason was simple: numbers. The sales force had discovered they could get a lot more books into the stores in trade paperback format than hardcover. For me, the decision turned out to be a winner. Not only were we able to get more books into the stores, but we were able to get into stores that only have a limited book selection and tend to take more paperbacks, such as Sam’s Club, which otherwise might not have been possible. Trade paperbacks seem to be a natural fit for book clubs and other reading groups, too. And let’s face it, it is far easier to ask family and friends to shell out $12-$15 for a trade paperback than $20 plus for a…