Trade book publishers acquire, edit, produce, publish, and sell the books you’re most likely to see in a brick-and-mortar bookstore. These are traditional publishers creating books for a consumer readership. While the internal company structures and organization of conventional trade publishers vary, each generally publishes books in a broad variety of formats (hardcover, trade paperback, mass market paperback, e-books, audiobooks), and a wide selection of topics and genres.
Note that some trade book publishers are parts of larger media entities that may also own textbook publishers. While there are many trade publishers in the United States, the major ones are referred to as “the Big Five” book publishers.