Post on 11-Aug-2020
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#BookClubLove
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Jennifer Lohmann2010 Romance Writers of America Librarian of the Year
Wendy Crutcher2011 Romance Writers of America Librarian of the Year
Lisa Schimmer2015 Romance Writers of America Librarian of the Year
Panelists
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The elements of romance
A Central Love Story: The main plot centers around individuals falling in love and struggling to make the relationship work. A writer can include as many subplots as he/she wants as long as the love story is the main focus of the novel.
An Emotionally Satisfying and Optimistic
Ending: In a romance, the lovers who risk and struggle for each other and their relationship are rewarded with emotional justice and unconditional love.
Why romancebook club?
Market share & demographics
13%
13% of Adult Fiction market
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$1.08 billionTotal Annual Sales:
30-54Average Age:
Male 16%
Female 84%
Format of romance
E-books, 39%
Mass market paperback, 32%
Trade paperback, 18%
Hardcover, 9%
Audio & Other, 2%
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Romance gets the circulation going
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How to (virtually)romance thebook club
#TBRChallenge
Reminder post the weekend
before
Static information page with due
dates, themes, links to participants etc.
http://wendythesuperlibrarian.blogspot.com/
TBR Themes & Due Dates
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FAQs
• Do I have to follow the theme?• What if I skip a month?• What if I post my commentary
early/late?• Do I have to have a blog?
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Can it work for your library?
• Shaking up the book group concept• Extending summer reading
• Harnessing existing software• Expanding the definition of “Good Discussion” titles• Finding new life in backlist titles• Perfect for the current age of social media
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How to romancethe book club: face-to-face
Romance Lovers Book Club
Consistent date and
time
Flyers handed out at each
meeting in addition
to Meetup invites
with book selections
Thematic titles
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Choosing books & guiding discussion
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Can it work for your library?
• Shaking up the book group concept• Fewer rules and regulations for the book
discussion leader• Expanding the definition of “Good Discussion” titles• Finding new life in backlist titles• Take format into consideration• Serving a dedicated group of readers and library
users whose reading tastes are consistently dismissed = building your community
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Romance reviews & recommendations
Q&A
Romance for the uninitiated:Titles for testing the watersStarting a romance-specific book clubChoosing books for mixed-aged groupsSelf-defense against literary pretension
How to have good discussions
Free your mind
No hard and fast rules, just romance
Icebreakers for new groups
Q&A
Getting people interested in participating:
Ideal number of readers
Promoting the book club
Getting men involved
Ideas for those who aren’t feeling the love
Q&A
Thank you!
http://bit.ly/NovBookSquad
Join the club!
ResourcesRomance Genre: https://www.rwa.org/p/cm/ld/fid=578
Romance Industry Statistics: https://www.rwa.org/p/cm/ld/fid=580
LJ materials survey 2015: http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/2015/03/lj-in-print/materials-breakout-materials-survey-2015
TBR Challenge: http://wendythesuperlibrarian.blogspot.com
Romance Lovers Book Club: http://www.meetup.com/Romance-Lovers-Book-Club/
Booklist: http://www.booklistonline.com/
Library Journal: http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/category/books/genre-fiction/romance/
Publishers Weekly: http://www.publishersweekly.com/
RT Book Reviews: http://www.rtbookreviews.com/
Kirkus Reviews: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/romance/
All About Romance: http://www.likesbooks.com/
Smart Bitches, Trashy Books: http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/
Dear Author: http://dearauthor.com/
Heroes & Heartbreakers: http://www.heroesandheartbreakers.com/
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Contact us
Lisa Schimmerlschimmer@ebsco.com
Wendy Crutcherwendycrutcher@yahoo.com@SuperWendyhttp://wendythesuperlibrarian.blogspot.com
Jennifer Lohmannjenniferlohmann@gmail.com@jferlohmannhttp://www.meetup.com/Romance-Lovers-Book-Club