Why Book Clubs Matter in the Age of Tablets

Publishers have long relied on local book club selections to boost sales. But for indie booksellers, book clubs’ importance to the bottom line has been mixed in recent years, particularly with the rise of e-books. Now that sales of print books have rebounded, some booksellers are finding that catering to book clubs helps sales improve even further.

Book clubs continue to be popular. In a 2015 report on the ubiquity of book clubs, the New York Times estimated that five million Americans belong to one or more. People want to socialize over their reading, said Lisa Baudoin of Books & Company in Oconomowoc, Wisc. Like many booksellers, she has built strong relationships with book clubs in her community.