Four Things To Consider Before Joining A Book Club

There is no doubt that book club membership offers many advantages, such as great savings, personalized recommendations and often unique selection of reading material. However, there are two sides to every coin and, as always, it is a good idea to examine both sides, read the fine print and know what exactly you are signing up for before actually doing it. Here are five things that often get overlooked by prospective members.

Obligation

Book club membership, in the majority of cases, implies a certain obligation. Signing up does get you several books at a ridiculously low cost or even completely free, but in exchange you will usually have to agree to buy a few more books at the club's regular prices – which are most often on par with those at large online retailers. For example, Doubleday Book Club – one of the most popular outfits – offers you 6 books of your choice for a mere 99¢ at sign-up (plus shipping charges), but if you take the offer you will have to buy four more books from their catalog in the next two years. It is still a great deal, and you'll save tons of money on it, but nonetheless: you should be aware of this stipulation before joining.

Shipping Expenses

Here's another thing from the fine print that often gets overlooked. Book clubs advertise their introductory offers as "first 6 books for 99¢" or "8 books for $2", but 99¢ or $2 is not what you are actually going to pay. Shipping expenses need to be added to the equation and that decreases the fabulosity of the deal to an extent. Of course, this is still a great bargain, as in most cases you get several new hardcover books for about $3 apiece (sometimes less). Or, if you want to look at it from another angle: you pay full price for one book and the rest of them (up to 7 with some book clubs) are free, as is shipping and handling. Still, you need to be aware that your initial cost is not going to be 99¢.

Book Club Editions

Book clubs sometimes print their own editions, whether to achieve additional savings or bring into new life some long-forgotten title(s). Book club editions are identical to regular editions in terms of content and artwork: same words, same covers. However, they are sometimes altered in size or printed on less expensive paper. They may also have a “book club edition” mark on the inside flap. Such editions are generally considered to have a lower resale value. We haven't really seen any complaints about their quality, but, again – it's something you might want to know about.

Selection

This may seem like an obvious thing, but: be sure that the club you're planning on joining actually has what you're looking for. For example, if you are mainly interested in cookbooks, then you'd probably be better off signing up for The Good Cook instead of one of the bestseller clubs – although some of those will have a decent selection of culinary literature as well. The point is, there is plenty of book clubs out there and it might be worth taking some time to browse the offerings and then choose what best suits your interests. This site is a comprehensive resource with the majority of book clubs reviewed and dissected to the smallest detail, so – why not take advantage of it. Of course, once you've made your choice it is also a good idea to head to the chosen club's website and double check that they do in fact carry whatever books there are that hold your fancy.