Recto and Verso --- Sitting in a tree...

[R. C.]

From the department of overthinking, a question:

How important is it, in a science fiction paperback, to begin a chapter on the odd page (recto)?

R.C.

[TimothyEllis]

From the department of overthinking, a question:

How important is it, in science fiction, to begin a chapter on the odd page (recto)?

There are no pages on an eBook.

They're variable according to font and font size.

[Bill Hiatt]

For paperbacks, I begin the text of the book on an odd page, but chapters begin wherever they begin. I've never had complaints on that issue.

Realistically, delaying chapters so that they begin on an odd page could conceivably increase the printing price (especially with lots of chapters). I'm pretty sure no one want to pay extra for a recto chapter start. But that's just my opinion.

[Post-Doctorate D]

I try to always have chapters start on an odd-numbered page.

Unless you have 100 chapters in a book, the effect on page count is generally going to be insignificant.

[Lynn]

If you consider a trade paperback a premium product, you start every chapter on the right hand page. If you consider it your version of the mass market paperback, you bring down the cost every way you can while still making it readable.

There's an inbetween there too, but overall, I treat trade paperback sizes and hardcovers as premium products so I start all chapters on the right hand page. But there's no rule either way.