Book-Of-The-Month Club (BOMC)(R) Program(TM) Achieves Success Because Members Choose

    NEW YORK, Jan. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Book-Of-The-Month Club's Smart Reader
 Rewards is achieving great success because the program has added a powerful
 new ingredient to the traditional club's focus on great editorial expertise:
 consumer choice. For over 75 years, Book-of-the-Month Club, operated by
 Bookspan, helped Americans choose what to read. Now, with Smart Reader
 Rewards, choosing has a whole new meaning. The club's enrollment has increased
 more than 20 percent since the introduction of SRR in mid-2004.
     Smart Reader Rewards represents a sweeping departure from how BOMC
 previously operated. Historically, BOMC featured one major book, known as the
 Main Selection, every month. All BOMC members would receive the Main Selection
 unless they declined the selection. Now, each Smart Reader Rewards member is
 in charge of his own featured selection. (Current BOMC members remain enrolled
 in BOMC although they are welcome to transfer to SRR.)
     "The combination of member control along with editorial expertise and huge
 savings has a powerful hold on people who love books," said Victoria Skurnick,
 Editor-in-Chief of BOMC. "Fifteen years ago, the price clubs seemed
 revolutionary; ten years ago, the online booksellers were the new thing. But
 SRR is the first time readers can find knowledgeable editorial selection,
 total convenience and low prices all in one package."
     Linda Andersen, Senior Vice President, Marketing of Bookspan, said, "Smart
 Reader Rewards is all about giving information, choice and great value to
 people who love to read. Back when the concept of book clubs was created with
 SRR's parent brand, Book of the Month Club, readers were anxious for
 knowledgeable 'judges' to tell them what they should be reading. Today, smart
 consumers are looking for information so they can make their own discoveries,
 and SRR provides that by providing illuminating insights into hundreds of the
 best books in various categories. This allows the buyers to choose books that
 suit their tastes and interests."
     Individuals receive up to $220 worth of books for $1 when they join Smart
 Reader Rewards. Once the member is in the club, he or she receives:
 
      -- A monthly magazine through the mail with an online website with
         editorial reviews and author features in the area of interest to the
         individual member
 
      -- 30% to 80% savings off publishers hardcover edition prices
 
      -- Free Shipping and Handling when the member orders a minimum of $24
         worth of books
 
     Additionally, there are no longer cards to return when the member replies
 online or by phone.
     Here is how Smart Reader Rewards works: Both the catalog and Internet site
 are divided into sections to help members find their titles more efficiently.
 Members choose from one of five categories: Mystery & Suspense, History &
 Biography, Fiction, Nonfiction & Current Affairs, and Home/Health. These
 categories contain the hottest best sellers and noteworthy selections, each
 previewed by Book-of-the-Month Club's editorial board. Smart Reader Rewards
 members receive each month the Featured Selection from their chosen genre.
     BookSearch Plus is a book finder service providing over 70,000 additional
 titles beyond those available in the club. If members cannot find the book
 they want listed in the catalog or online, they can use Booksearch Plus and it
 will find it at no additional cost.
     There is a Smart Reader Rewards website for those who want to join
 (http://www.srrclub.com) with features, including Member Reviews in which one
 member can get a recommendation from another on particular books and authors.
 The website offers Author Interviews, Excerpts, and Sneak Previews in addition
 to the entire online catalog of books. (Once someone is a member, he or she
 can log onto the member site at http://www.smartreaderrewards.com.)
     SRR is being advertised in Parade, USA Weekend, TV Guide and Good
 Housekeeping, among other publications where BOMC hasn't run advertising in
 over five years.
     Book-Of-The-Month Club remains committed to its tradition of providing the
 best books at the best prices, as well as to discovering hot titles and
 authors before any other bookseller. The Smart Reader Rewards program improves
 the offer by providing even more savings and making it easier than ever. And
 with new features like Reader's Choice and Booksearch Plus, among others,
 members get more of the kind of books they prefer automatically. Readers won't
 find this combination of selection, service, and value anywhere else.
 
     About BOOK-OF-THE-MONTH CLUB
     Book-Of-The-Month Club (BOMC), founded in 1926, is the country's oldest
 and largest book club offering the best books in a variety of categories from
 fiction and nonfiction to entertainment, self-help, and more.
 
     About BOOKSPAN
     Bookspan is the premier direct marketer of general interest and specialty
 book clubs. With more than 8.5 million members, its book clubs include Book-
 of-the-Month Club(R), The Literary Guild(R), Quality Paperback Book Club(R),
 Doubleday Book Club(R), and more than 40 others. BOOKSPAN is a partnership
 between Doubleday Direct, Inc., owned by Bertelsmann AG and Book-of-the-Month
 Club Holdings LLC, owned by Time Warner Inc.
 
 

SOURCE  Bookspan