Business & Tech
Meet the Band of Book Lovers Who Saved and Relaunched the Book-of-the-Month Club
The iconic, 90 year-old club was nearly dead when a group of book lovers stepped in to give it new life. Here's how they did it. [SPONSORED]
The Book of the Month headquarters in Manhattan is a reader's paradise. Stacks of hardcovers in crisp colorful jackets sit on every desk and fill shelves along the walls. It's a space fit for a staff who spends days poring through new releases and debating which titles deserve the blessing of America's most iconic book club. The club is growing rapidly among readers in their 20s, 30s, and early 40s, and its Instagram account has picked up more than 120,000 followers in less than a year.
But just a few years ago, the scene was drastically different. Book of the Month, the 90-year-old brand that fed three generations of hungry readers their next favorite book, was dying. Sales had been declining for more than a decade, slaughtered by giant online superstores spitting out so-called "recommended reads" using computer algorithms. It was unclear how — or if — the company would survive.
With time running out, the new CEO John Lippman, had to do something fast and wondered if he could do better by readers. "We wanted to create something fun and helpful for readers in America” said Lippman, an avid reader himself, "and I never really found computers to be better at recommending great books than actual humans.”
Lippman also noticed that the same names kept showing up over and over on the “best-seller” lists. The lion's share of the press always seemed to go to well established writers that readers already knew, not the younger ones yet to be discovered. Maybe there was a way to bring more attention to great novels by up-and-coming authors — but how?
Then Lippman decided to do something radical: shut it down and start from scratch.
The Book of the Month team at their headquarters in New York City.
Recreating a Historic Process
In 2015, as Lippman set out to remake the club for today's readers, he hired a group of book lovers to read through new releases and provide trusted recommendations, and a team of software engineers to build an incredible online experience for members. And then they got to work transforming a sleepy mail-order business into a modern online subscription service.
Today, the club announces five new selections on the first of every month. Members choose which titles they’d like to receive by the sixth, and a box ships containing their new hardcover, handwritten notes from the judge who endorsed it, as well as other goodies. If you don’t choose a book, your subscription is extended for an another month at no additional cost. “Our first priority is getting our readers a great book each month, so we never send members a book they don’t choose” said Jennifer Dwork, Head of Content and Partnerships at Book of the Month.
Most of the selections are novels by debut and emerging writers, and most of the authors are female. There’s a special effort made to include titles by smaller independent publishers. This month the club is featuring its first early release, the hotly anticipated Swimming Lesson by Claire Fuller. The novel is available exclusively to club members now; everyone else will have to wait until March when the title becomes available in superstores.
"Swimming Lesson" by Claire Fuller is available exclusively to BOTM members this month.
To become a Book of the Month member, all you have to do is go to the site to sign up. You’ll pick your favorite genre, answer a few questions, and you’re all set. This month, they’re sweetening the deal for Patch readers. Sign up using the code PATCHBOOKS and receive 3 months for just $9.99 each, plus a free tote. You can also gift a subscription to someone on your holiday shopping list and try a month totally free yourself.
Defining a New Generation of Readers
Surprisingly, Book of the Month's members are mostly in their 20s and 30s. "Young people are reading more books, and more physical books in particular, than you might expect," said Dwork. "So much time is spent staring at various electronic screens these days, and a lot of people are looking to make some room for pauses in their life."
Book of the Month has created a site where avid readers can do more than just shop for their next read. There's a blog featuring member photos, essays by book experts, and even food & book pairing advice. There are also discussion forums for chatting with other members and also the judges.
Real Book of the Month members posting to Instagram.
"Guaranteeing" a Great Read
Book of the Month members can count on more than just a list of titles at each month. The team is so focused on pleasing members that Lippman has been known to follow comments on social media and offer free replacements to any member unhappy with a recent book.
Fortunately, the club's judges rarely pick duds. "We work with bloggers, journalists, authors and other passionate readers who are incredibly dedicated to selecting great books. And our judges put just as much work into explaining each book selection as they do picking them in the first place," said Editorial Director Maris Kreizman. "You can get a standard review anywhere, but if you actually want to understand what it's like to read a book, that's what our judges will tell you."
And celebrities are getting involved as well, with recent Guest Judge appearances by people like Anthony Bourdain, Allison Williams and Andy Cohen. This month, Abbi Jacobson of Comedy Central’s "Broad City" picked a collection of stories called, "Whatever Happened to Interracial Love."
Abbi Jacobson is Book of the Month's December Guest Judge.
Celebrating the Best Books of the Year
This month, there's a new way for readers to get involved. The club has invited members to vote in its first annual Book of the Year Award. Debut and emerging authors represent more than half of the nominees, and the winner will be announced at the end of December. It’s a great page to check if you are looking for suggestions from some of the best books of the year.
Read more about what Book of the Month has to offer and sign up using the code PATCHBOOKS and receive 3 months for just $9.99 each, plus a free tote.
All photo credits: Book of the Month
