Quick & Dirty Results: Book of the Month Club
One of our Quick & Dirty Survey questions asked, “Do you have a Book of the Month club?”
20% of respondents answered YES
80% of respondents answered NO
Many of you who answered NO mentioned that you thought it was an interesting idea.
The most listed type of Book of the Month club was a Signed First Editions Club.
Starting a Signed First Editions Club is a great way to add guaranteed monthly sales, and there are many ways to go about structuring this type of club:
- You can charge a membership fee, but then extend a discount to club members.
- You can charge a set monthly price to cover the cost of the book plus incidentals, like shipping & handling.
- You can charge the cover price of the book, with the understanding that some months the book might be $24.95 and others it might be $39.95.
- You can allow members to opt out a certain number of months, or you can allow substitutions.
If you’re interested in starting a monthly Signed First Editions Club, I recommend studying the way other bookstores have thoughtfully structured their programs. I’ve listed a few stores below, but there are many, many more bookstores that offer great programs. Just Google “Signed First Editions Book Club” to see for yourself.
R.J. Julia Booksellers in Madison, CT
Village Books in Bellingham, WA
Fiction Addiction in Greenville, SC
Watermark Books & Cafe in Wichita, KS
Square Books in Oxford, MS
Book Passage is San Francisco and Corte Madera, CA
Greenlight Bookstore in Brooklyn, NY
And if you’re considering starting a club like this, be sure to visit with all of your reps so they can keep you in mind when authors are signing.
