Discount Book Clubs: Basic Facts
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.
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 99ยข 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.
