Book of the Month
An American book-subscription and e-commerce service that lets members choose from a curated selection of new hardcover titles each month.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Book of the Month is an American book-subscription service and retail brand founded in 1926 by Harry Scherman, Max Sackheim, and Robert Haas. It was created as a systematic way to promote and distribute noteworthy new books to a broad readership. Rather than relying solely on conventional bookstore discovery, the club used an editorial selection process and its own reputation to make books commercially visible. Members historically received a monthly publication describing a main selection and alternative titles, then indicated which book they wanted; under the earlier negative-response system, a member who did not reply could receive the principal selection automatically. The club became one of the most influential subscription-based book businesses in the United States. Its selections helped bring books by both established and emerging writers to large audiences. Early examples included Sylvia Townsend Warner's Lolly Willowes, the club's first selection in 1926, Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind in 1936, John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men in 1937, and J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye in 1951. The organization also promoted books through its periodical Book-of-the-Month Club News and through the public prestige attached to being a club selection. Within two decades of its launch, membership had grown from approximately 4,000 subscribers to more than 550,000, and the club reported distributing its 100 millionth book in 1951. The business changed ownership several times. It was acquired by Time Inc. in 1977, became connected to Warner Communications after the 1989 Time-Warner merger, and later participated in the Bookspan subscription business. Bertelsmann assumed full ownership of Bookspan in 2007, sold its United States subscription operations to Najafi Companies in 2008, and Najafi sold Bookspan to Pride Tree Holdings in 2013. The original judges' panel was eliminated in 1994, and Book-of-the-Month Club, Inc. merged with Doubleday Direct in 2000. In late 2015, around its ninetieth anniversary, the brand relaunched in a more contemporary digital and e-commerce form under chief executive John Lippman. The modern service presents members with approximately five to seven new hardcover options each month, selected and endorsed by an editorial panel. Members choose the title they want, may skip a month, and can participate in online discussion. The catalog emphasizes debut and emerging authors: reference material indicates that approximately three quarters of its titles are by up-and-coming writers and about four fifths are fiction. The company also produces distinctive editions with special endpapers and casings, giving the subscription product a collectible identity. The relaunch broadened the brand's appeal among younger readers, particularly Millennials and Generation Z women. Within two years, membership reportedly exceeded 100,000, while its Instagram audience grew beyond 1.5 million followers. Fast Company reported in 2025 that the business had surpassed 400,000 members. The service offers fixed-term membership options, including three-, six-, and twelve-month plans, with books generally shipped during the first week of each month. In 2016, it introduced the annual Book of the Year award, known as the Lolly in tribute to Lolly Willowes. The award is selected through member voting and became an important part of the brand's reader-community strategy. In 2017, Book of the Month released its first television commercial, titled "Monthly." Today, the brand combines editorial curation, subscription commerce, proprietary editions, social-media marketing, reader discussion, and awards programming.
History
Book of the Month grew out of Harry Scherman's earlier mail-order publishing work. In 1916, while working as a copywriter at the J. Walter Thompson advertising agency, Scherman helped establish the Little Leather Library with Max Sackheim and Charles and Albert Boni. That operation sold miniature reprints by mail and reportedly distributed tens of millions of copies during its first five years. Scherman and Sackheim subsequently created an advertising agency focused on marketing books, giving them practical experience in building demand for titles that had not yet achieved broad recognition. In 1926, Scherman, Sackheim, and Robert Haas founded the Book-of-the-Month Club. Scherman described the club as a standard brand: instead of requiring each new book to establish its reputation independently, the organization would lend its own editorial authority to selected titles. A panel of readers and reviewers evaluated books, and the club promoted its choices through a monthly publication and direct communication with subscribers. The first selection was Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner. The model quickly expanded, growing from about 4,000 initial subscribers to over 550,000 within twenty years. The club's influence extended beyond subscription sales. A selection created a promotional distinction that publishers and authors could use in marketing, while the club's large distribution network introduced readers to books that might otherwise have struggled for attention. Its historical selections included Gone with the Wind, Of Mice and Men, and The Catcher in the Rye. It also became associated with emerging authors. Nelson DeMille later credited the club's 1978 selection of By the Rivers of Babylon with helping the novel reach hundreds of thousands of additional readers and become an immediate bestseller. The organization remained a major book-distribution business through the second half of the twentieth century. Time Inc. acquired it in 1977, and the business became part of the corporate structures associated with the Time-Warner combination after 1989. In 1994, the original judges' panel was discontinued. In 2000, Book-of-the-Month Club, Inc. merged with Doubleday Direct, producing Bookspan, a subscription venture initially connected with Time Warner and Bertelsmann. Bertelsmann obtained complete ownership in 2007, sold its United States subscription operations to Najafi Companies in 2008, and Najafi transferred Bookspan to Pride Tree Holdings in 2013. The brand's late-2015 relaunch represented a shift from its traditional mail-order club identity toward a digitally marketed, e-commerce subscription service. The current model presents a small set of new hardcover books each month, usually five to seven titles, selected by an editorial team or panel. Members choose their preferred book rather than simply receiving a predetermined main selection. The service also supports online discussion and produces editions with special physical design elements, such as distinctive endpapers and casings. The modern club has concentrated heavily on debut and emerging authors and on commercial fiction, while retaining room for nonfiction and a range of genres. It expanded its audience through social media, celebrity guest judges, and member participation. The Book of the Year award, launched in 2016 and later known as the Lolly, formalized the community's role in recognizing a favorite annual title. Winners have included John Boyne's The Heart's Invisible Furies in 2017, Madeline Miller's Circe in 2018, Taylor Jenkins Reid's Daisy Jones & the Six in 2019, and Brit Bennett's The Vanishing Half in 2020; later listed winners include titles by Kristin Hannah, Gabrielle Zevin, Abby Jimenez, Liz Moore, and Charlotte McConaghy. By 2025, Fast Company reported membership above 400,000, indicating that the century-old concept had become a substantial modern subscription brand.
- 2017
First television commercial
[1]The company releases its first television advertisement, titled "Monthly."
- 2016
Book of the Year award launches
[1]Members receive a formal role in selecting the year's favorite title through the new annual award.
- 2015
Modern Book of the Month relaunch
[1]The brand introduces its current digital-first subscription model around its ninetieth anniversary.
- 2013
Bookspan is sold to Pride Tree Holdings
[1]Najafi Companies sells Bookspan to Pride Tree Holdings, the current parent identified in the reference material.
- 2000
Book-of-the-Month Club merges with Doubleday Direct
[1]The combination creates Bookspan, a broader subscription-business structure.
- 1994
Original judges' panel is eliminated
[1]The club ends the original form of its judges' panel.
- 1977
Time Inc. acquires the club
[1]The subscription business becomes part of Time Inc.
- 1951
The club distributes its 100 millionth book
[1]On its twenty-fifth anniversary, the club reports distributing its 100 millionth book and selects The Catcher in the Rye.
- 1937
Of Mice and Men is selected
[1]John Steinbeck's novella becomes one of the notable early selections associated with the club.
- 1936
Gone with the Wind becomes a club selection
[1]The club selects Margaret Mitchell's first novel, helping expose the then-unknown author to a large readership.
Products and positioning
A convenient, community-oriented discovery service that uses editorial curation and distinctive physical editions to help readers find notable new books.
Subscription service · 2015
Monthly Book Subscription
The core service presents members with a monthly group of approximately five to seven newly published hardcover titles. Members select the book they want, with membership plans commonly structured for three, six, or twelve months. Books are generally shipped during the first week of the month, and the service supports skipping or changing a monthly selection.
Literary award · 2016
Book of the Year Award
Introduced in 2016, the annual award allows members to vote for a favorite Book of the Month title. It is known as the Lolly, a name referencing Lolly Willowes, the club's first selection in 1926. The program connects editorial curation with community recognition.
Special-edition books
Book of the Month Editions
The company produces its own versions of selected books, distinguished in some cases by special endpapers, casings, and other physical-design details. These editions make the monthly shipment feel like a collectible product as well as a conventional book purchase.
Marketing campaigns
- 2017Monthly
United States
Book of the Month's first reported television advertisement presented the service as a recurring monthly reading ritual and supported the brand's post-2015 relaunch.
Outcome. The campaign marked the club's move into contemporary mass-media advertising; a quantified campaign result was not provided.
Brand decisions
2016
Launch of the Book of the Year awardOtherBackground
The relaunched service sought to deepen member participation beyond the monthly purchase.
Action taken
Book of the Month created an annual member-voted award, later branded the Lolly.
Aftermath
The award became a recurring community feature and a way to spotlight selected titles.
2015
Relaunch as a digital-first curated subscription serviceStrategyBackground
The historic mail-order club needed a contemporary model for readers accustomed to online commerce, social media, and subscription boxes.
Action taken
The company relaunched around a small monthly set of new hardcover titles, member choice, online discussion, social-media engagement, and specially designed editions.
Aftermath
Membership reportedly exceeded 100,000 within two years, and Fast Company reported more than 400,000 members in 2025.
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