But it doesn't always. Publishers are notoriously bad in figuring out their markets. Trade paperback lines which aren't instantly successful have also caused problems for paperback editors. This is not because the people are inadequate, but because results haven't been magical. Publishers would be more successful if they really thought it through.
Publishers have to learn to pinpoint markets and promote books.
They don't do that. The garment industry doesn't do that. They don't put out ballgowns in the Midwest in the middle of July. The manufacturing costs of publishing a trade paperback are very similar to those of publishing a Hardcover book. For this reason, Weyr doesn't understand the logic when a publisher says a novel should be published in trade paperback and gives price as the explanation.