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Corinna Norrick-Rühl traces the development of book sales clubs as both commercial organizations and cultural institutions. Clubs such as the Book-of-the-Month Club, the Book Society and Bertelsmann brought selected books into the homes of millions of readers.
The study explains the basic structures of club membership and follows their expansion during the twentieth century. It considers selection, distribution, pricing and the promise of belonging to a community of readers. A global perspective shows how these arrangements developed in different publishing markets rather than following one national pattern.
The later chapters examine the changing opportunities and difficulties faced by book clubs in more recent conditions. Convenience, community, concession and curation provide a framework for understanding why readers join. The book connects the practical business of selling books with the history of ownership, reading habits and the institutions through which literary recommendations reach an audience.
Corinna Norrick-Rühl. Book Clubs and Book Commerce. Cambridge University Press, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108597258. Licensed CC BY-NC-ND 4.0; the unchanged original edition and its required notices are retained.