Publishers enforce strict on-sale dates called embargoes for new books -- break one, and a bookstore risks fines, lost shipments, even a lawsuit.

A dagger next to a book's name on the New York Times bestseller list means something specific. Here's what actually decides which books make the cut, and why some vanish just as fast.

The feathered edges on some book pages look like a defect. They're a callback to hand papermaking that collectors have paid extra for since the 1600s.

A book carrying two ISBNs usually isn't a printing error. It's either a leftover from the industry's 2007 switch to 13 digits, or separate codes for separate formats.

Same title, same author, same words inside; the cover is a different story. Here's why American and British editions of the same book rarely look alike.

The gap between a hardcover release and its paperback isn't random. It's a pricing strategy, and some bestsellers have made readers wait years.