For first time authors, I always suggest somewhere in the middle. Never ask for more than the best selling authors. It is less expensive to produce and to ship. Besides, the reading public won't think any less of you as a writer because your book isn't a hard cover edition. What's important is the quality of the writing.
Publishers prefer to republish books in hard cover to increase their profit margin.
Do yourself a favor and go into the bookstores and research prices. Page count is an important consideration when deciding on a fair market price. Remember, success is based on volume, not high pricing. These are the major categories in literature. Do your research.