Book of the Month (BOTM)
Book of the Month (BOTM) relaunched 2015 as a modern subscription ($15.99/month for 1 hardcover), curating 5-7 new releases monthly. Members choose 1+ books, skipping months freely. By 2023, BOTM had 500K+ active members.
Curation Model
BOTM’s judges (authors, critics) selected books, mixing literary fiction, thrillers, romance, and memoirs. Early picks of “The Silent Patient,” “Where the Crawdads Sing,” and “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” became massive hits—BOTM functioned as tastemaker.
Community
BOTM built community via Instagram, Facebook groups, and member discussions. Unboxing photos showcased BOTM’s distinctive packaging. Add-on books ($9.99) let members buy more at discount. The “BOTM pick” label became marketing asset for publishers.
Competition
FabFitFun, Uppercase, and other book boxes competed, but BOTM’s curation and affordability dominated. Critics noted selections skewed toward commercial fiction over literary risk-taking, but members valued accessible quality.
Sources: https://www.nytimes.com/