Six Things To Know Before You Join A Discount Book Club

(1) Read the fine print. Major book clubs such as the Doubleday Book Club, the Literary Guild and the Book-of-the-Month Club (now Smart Reader Rewards) typically offer introductory deals for new members such as five books for $1. The shipping charges, however, may total $15 or more. That’s still a good deal, but you should be aware that you are paying more than $1 for your books.

(2) If you see a magazine or newspaper ad for a club, visit its online site to join. You will typically find a much larger selection of titles than what fits on one or two printed pages. You also can search by title or author. Many larger clubs will carry the entire backlist of popular authors such as Danielle Steel, John Grisham, James Patterson and Stephen King but only offer one or two titles in their print ads.

(3) Book club editions are slightly different than the books you buy in a store. The words are the same, and they’re all there, but the paper may be thinner, or the physical size of the book slightly smaller. The book clubs print their own editions, which is one way they keep prices down.

(4) When you join a club, you will be obligated to purchase additional books in nearly every case. Typically the club will give you a year or two to get this done. You may have to purchase one book within a year, or four books within two years. Typically these books are $10 to $20 each.

(5) Every three weeks or month, depending, you will receive a paper catalog in the mail, along with a card that shows your - continued below ...