In A Sign Of The Times, Bertelsmann Closes Its Book Clubs Division

Book clubs—of the Book of the Month Club, "get 10 books for a dollar" type, not the Oprah variety—were once an essential revenue stream for the book publishing industry, with millions of customers buying discounted books directly. But today, with deep discounts and wide selections offered by online retailers, book clubs have become much less important to the publishing industry. In a nod to changing times, Random House parent company Bertelsmann is now closing Direct Group, its book clubs and direct marketing division, effective June 30.