Calling Colorado Authors! The Book Club Resource Has an Opportunity for You

[Note, the numbers relating to the collection below have since changed, but the guidance on submitting titles is the same. See the full list of current book club sets for up-to-date information.]

Background

The Colorado State Library’s Book Club Resource (BCR) is a physical collection of nearly 400 titles, or “sets” of books for book club groups throughout the state. Book clubs sign up through their local libraries to borrow book club sets, each bag containing between 6-15 copies of a single title. The BCR includes a diverse collection of literature types and subject matter, ranging from local fiction to best-selling nonfiction, classics, young adult, poetry, contemporary fiction, and more. The BCR is largely made up of generous book donations from public libraries within the state. The BCR provides book club sets to more than 150 public, institutional, K-12, and academic libraries in Colorado. Our readership and our collection are growing constantly, so take advantage of this opportunity to include your book in the BCR now!

What makes for a “good” book club book?

A good book is, of course, subjective, but we believe that there are some fundamental attributes which make for good additions to the BCR collection.

• Books should be of interest to a general audience, so no academic books, manuals, or books designed for a very limited or niche clientele.
• Books should include themes which would make for interesting, engaging, and entertaining discussion.
• Works with clear cultural value and works that speak to diversity, inclusivity, and equity are of paramount importance in our collection.

Rules

1. Submissions shall be commercially-published works. Ebooks, vanity press, and unpublished material cannot be accepted into the BCR. Pre-publication copies are allowed.
2. Authors shall provide at least 8 copies of their work (10 copies is preferable) free of charge to the Colorado State Library for use in the BCR.
3. Priority shall be given to local authors, but authors outside of Colorado will also be considered.
4. If requested, an author shall provide a single copy of their book for evaluation; the book will be returned to the author if the title is not considered appropriate for the BCR.
5. The acceptance of a title into the BCR is at the total discretion of BCR management.

Applications

To apply, click here and complete the application form. Please contact bookclub@coloradovirtuallibrary.org if you have any questions or concerns.