It's tempting to think of format as a single decision, but in practice most successful books are published across multiple formats over time, each with its own production requirements and its own readers.
Hardcover editions tend to suit gift-worthy titles, children's picture books, and books where physical presentation is part of the reading experience. Paperback remains the most accessible print format for fiction, memoir and many nonfiction titles, and often serves as the primary edition for reader-facing genres.
eBooks require their own preparation — reflowable text formatting that adapts to different screen sizes, proper metadata, and file types suited to major eBook retailers. For heavily illustrated books like picture books, eBook adaptation needs particular care to preserve layout and image quality on smaller screens.
Audiobooks are a growing format across nearly every genre, from memoir to business nonfiction to children's books with character narration. Producing one well involves narrator selection, professional studio recording, and audio mastering to broadcast-quality standards — a meaningfully different process from print or digital formatting.
Print-on-demand is worth understanding separately from traditional offset printing: it allows books to be printed individually as orders come in, which reduces upfront inventory risk and is often the right starting point for new titles before demand is established.
The right combination of formats depends on your genre, your audience's reading habits, and your goals for the book. A publishing partner should help you sequence format production sensibly rather than trying to launch everything simultaneously.