At this point, we know about subscription boxes and most of us have used one or two. The mainstream boxes like Stitch Fix, Ipsy, Hello Fresh; we’ve all gotten the adverts and the promotional codes, used them once and immediately unsubscribed from that free trial. But what about for the connoisseur whose tried it all? The online shopping fiend with fast fingers and their credit card on standby, the one who will try for the most outlandish things, the one who is constantly trying to find the right gift for their significant other…that person has seen the depths of the internet and still comes up empty when they want something unique.  

That’s where the Book Boxes step in. 

The more niche they are, they better they do.

-Emir Elaguizy, CEO and cofounder of Cratejoy 

With the number of genres and sub-genres and sub-sub-genres of literature and an endless market just starving for something different that will stand out, curated book subscription boxes are the superhero that print books need. And in a marketplace of over 7,000 subscription boxes worldwide1, book boxes are at a unique advantage in that they can be highly specialized2 and specific to their ideal consumer.  

Image by @xenatine
August 2023 “Reap What You Sow” FairyLoot Box

Also, book boxes aren’t just great for the people; Publishers get a big boost as well from this business model. Subscription boxes that are distributed by bookstores are a “win-win-win” for publishers, bookstores, and readers3. 

As a publisher…we can sell a larger quantity of nonreturnable books to bookstores. And since the booksellers have a loyal group of customers, we know that they’re sending our books to readers who will fall in love with our titles.

-Valerie Pierce, Director of Retail Marketing and Creative Services at Sourcebooks 

And if a reader is really excited about their box, they post about it4 on Instagram, Twitter (or ‘X’), or TikTok, and their subsequent reach helps the publisher and the subscription box extend their online presence5 to that individual’s followers and so on, and can eventually lead to more followers and more sales for the box and the publisher. 

But it’s not just the books that convince people to subscribe—though most of the books are special or box-excusive editions—but all the bits and bobs included6 in the boxes are the reasons why consumers will choose one box over another. From bookends to mugs, tote bags to cookbooks, the people want the things that will bring them back to the story in a single moment (it’s us, we are the people).

Image by @readwithacapricorn
May 2023 “Feuding Gods” FairyLoot Box

Book subscription boxes engage readers even after the book has been read and put in a place of honor on the “has been read” shelf, which—if we’re being really honest with ourselves here—does not happen often. That is the difference between a book you can just pick up at a bookstore and one that is handpicked for a specially curated box of goodies. Books by themselves will go to a house but book subscription boxes find books a home7. 

Featured Image Source: Illumicrate

Footnotes

  1. Andonova, Y. et al. 2021. Riding the subscription box wave: Understanding the landscape, challenges, and critical success factors of the subscription box industry, Business Horizons, [online] 64 (5), 631–646. Available at: https://www-sciencedirect-com.napier.idm.oclc.org/science/article/pii/S0007681321000264 [Accessed 02 October 2023].  ↩︎
  2. Rosen, J. 2019. Crate Escapes: Subscription book boxes for kids offer publishers and booksellers a new revenue stream, Publishers Weekly, [online] 266(29), July. Available at: https://link-gale-com.napier.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/A595252172/EAIM?u=napier&sid=bookmark-EAIM&xid=cc7d51f6 [Accessed 02 Oct 2023].  ↩︎
  3. Rosen, J. 2019. Crate Escapes: Subscription book boxes for kids offer publishers and booksellers a new revenue stream, Publishers Weekly, [online] 266(29), July. Available at: https://link-gale-com.napier.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/A595252172/EAIM?u=napier&sid=bookmark-EAIM&xid=cc7d51f6 [Accessed 02 Oct 2023].  ↩︎
  4. Noorda, R. 2019. The Element of Surprise: A Study of Children’s Book Subscription Boxes in the USA, Publishing Research Quarterly, [online] 35 (2), February, 223-235. Available at: https://link-springer-com.napier.idm.oclc.org/content/pdf/10.1007/s12109-019-09641-z.pdf [Accessed 02 October 2023].  ↩︎
  5. Rosen, J. 2019. Crate Escapes: Subscription book boxes for kids offer publishers and booksellers a new revenue stream, Publishers Weekly, [online] 266(29), July. Available at: https://link-gale-com.napier.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/A595252172/EAIM?u=napier&sid=bookmark-EAIM&xid=cc7d51f6 [Accessed 02 Oct 2023].  ↩︎
  6. Noorda, R. 2019. The Element of Surprise: A Study of Children’s Book Subscription Boxes in the USA, Publishing Research Quarterly, [online] 35 (2), February, 223-235. Available at: https://link-springer-com.napier.idm.oclc.org/content/pdf/10.1007/s12109-019-09641-z.pdf [Accessed 02 October 2023].  ↩︎
  7. Rosen, J. 2019. Crate Escapes: Subscription book boxes for kids offer publishers and booksellers a new revenue stream, Publishers Weekly, [online] 266(29), July. Available at: https://link-gale-com.napier.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/A595252172/EAIM?u=napier&sid=bookmark-EAIM&xid=cc7d51f6 [Accessed 02 Oct 2023]. 
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