#bookclublove · 2010 romance writers of america librarian of the year wendy crutcher ... •...

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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