Book Clubs Frequently Asked Questions
What is a book club?
A book club is a commercial (usually mail order) enterprise through which selected books are sold directly to the public at a price significantly below the recommended retail price in return for a commitment to buy a particular number of books over an agreed period of time.
How do book clubs work?
There are two basic types of book clubs: commitment book clubs and continuity book clubs.
Commitment book clubs feature attractive introductory offers containing several books for a symbolic price (for example 6 books for 99¢ or 4 books for 1$ each) in exchange for a commitment to buy a few more books at the regular club price within a certain timeframe; usually this means 2-4 books within a year or two. The club price incorporates a considerable discount, which can be anywhere from 30-80%, in some cases even more.
Commitment book clubs send their members a printed catalog every 3-4 weeks, along with a card which includes the title of the Featured Selection – a book chosen by the club's editors as a must-read of the moment. Members are not bound to buy the Selection though; they can opt for a different book (or several books) instead, or decline the offer altogether, either by sending the card back or responding on the club's official web site.
Once the obligation is fulfilled, the membership can be canceled at any time. Typical representatives of commitment book clubs are Doubleday Book Club, The Literary Guild, Book-of-the-Month club etc.
Continuity book clubs are subscription based operations in which members receive a pre-selected book or several books each month – usually from a specific genre or a part of a series – until the membership expires or is canceled. To prospective members a certain number of free books are often offered at the beginning to sweeten the deal or entice them to join.
Typical representatives of continuity book clubs are Harlequin (romance), Highlights (children's and educational) and Scholastic (children's and educational).
Which type of a book club should I consider?
That depends on your preferences. Being a member of a commitment book club is, to an extent, like shopping at an online retailer. The selection is similar: you can choose from a wide range of latest bestsellers from all genres and among all the popular authors such as John Grisham, Nora Roberts, Danielle Steel, Stephen King, Sylvia Browne etc. You do receive recommended reads on a regular basis, but can decline them and make your own choices. Compared to online retailers, there is an annoyance of dealing with monthly selections, but in return you save more money.
Continuity book clubs don't let you choose books yourself; instead, you will be shipped a themed book or several books each month, in tune with the specific club's offering. For example, if you're into romance books you can opt to receive romantic suspense books, historical romances, medical romances etc. These types of clubs work best for avid readers who enjoy books from a particular genre, and for people who lack the time or desire to shop for new titles on a regular basis. The shipments will often be composed of books that are not available elsewhere, so exclusivity is also part of the appeal.
Which clubs are most popular?
At the moment, the largest and most prominent is Doubleday Book Club, boasting approximately 1.2 million members. It's specialty is popular fiction, with a slight penchant towards women's prose. The Literary Guild is another very popular bestseller book club, with 1 million members. Crossings, offering a broad selection of Christian books, is also said to have over a million members. Many specialty book clubs such as Black Expressions, Mystery Guild, Science Fiction Book Club, seem to be quite fashionable too.
Which clubs offer the best deals?
Doubleday Book Club, with its 6 books for 99¢ deal and a broad initial selection, features the best introductory offer. With some care at shopping, you can get 10 bestsellers for under $60, and that includes shipping charges. The Literary Guild, on the other hand, offers a minimum 50% discount on everything purchased after the introductory offer, and is probably a better choice if you intend to stay a member for a while.
How can book clubs offer books at such low prices?
Several reasons. First, book clubs market the goods directly to you, the customer; by avoiding the middle man they are able to save a considerable amount. Furthermore, they cut their own deals with publishers, in order to pay smaller royalties etc. Finally, book clubs print the books at their own facilities, which lowers the production costs further.
Are book club editions different from regular books?
They are identical in terms of content and artwork: same words, same covers. However, they can be altered in size or printed on less expensive paper to achieve additional savings. They may also have a “book club edition” mark on the inside flap. Such editions are generally considered to have a lower resale value.
Do book clubs offer a satisfaction guarantee?
Yes, invariably. All the clubs offer some sort of returning policy, usually at their expense, in case the customer is unhappy with their merchandise/service.
Can I join more than one book club?
Absolutely. There is no reason why not. The clubs certainly don't mind, just be sure to stay in control about handling main selections.
How do I cancel my club membership?
The easiest way is to call or send an e-mail to the club's customer service with your request. Some clubs might require that you send in a written cancellation request.
