Hi everyone,

I recently received a book request for a Sunset cook book.  The requestor has an RC that says "No book club books".   I was given this book years ago, and I have no idea where it came from.  It was printed in 1980 and did not have a ISBN number on the back cover , but there was one behind the title page.  How do I know if its a book club book?  Do you have any idea why someone wounldn't want book club books?

Also, I read somewhere on this site that larger flat books need special attention for mailing.  This book is 10" x 8"x 1/3".  Any advise? 

Thanks in advance

Patty

Bookclub books are oftentimes a different size than the publisher's editions.  BC books are usually smaller and printed on cheap paper.  BC books usually have the same cover art but they will never have the publisher's price on the inside of the dust cover.

ok thanks LeeAnne - This book is a softcover, but there is no price printed anywhere on the book.  Just a small sticker that says 3.99 on the front cover.

I have never heard of a paperback book club book so I doubt your's would be a BCE. Are you sure there is no price on the book anywhere? The older books usually had them on the spine or inside the front cover.

If it were me, I'd accept the request as long as there is nothing on the book stating it is any type of book club issue/

Melanie D.: I have never heard of a paperback book club book

Melanie, I think you may have mistyped???   I belonged to a bookclub a while back and ALL of their books were paperbacks.  QPB (Quality Paperback Bookclub).  They had special edition books printed up all the time for the club, and I believe it is a very popular club.

Many times it is on the title page or on of the front pages.  Usually small type and towards the bottom of the page.  You can also search the title or I think you said there was an ISBN on the title page....see what the search returns.

I found this website on how to identify a bookclub book http://www.emptymirrorbooks.com/collecting/firstedition.html#bookclub

Here is some from the website - some of the bullets have been covered above.

Identifying Book Club Editions

There are several ways to identify book club editions (BCE). Different book clubs use different criteria for identifying their books. As a rule of thumb:

• Book club editions will not be priced. (However, some University presses & small presses do not price their books either, so lack of a price will not always be a sure way to identify a BCE.)
• Book club editions are often a little smaller than a regular hardcover book, and may feel lighter. The paper may not be the same quality as on the trade edition.
• There may be a blindstamp impressed into the back cover of a hardcover book. Turn the book over, and look near the bottom of the back cover, near the spine. There may be a small shape impressed into the cover. This is a blindstamp and always indicates a book club edition.
  This text is copyrighted by http://www.emptymirrorbooks.com
• Look at the flaps of the dustjacket. There may be a notation "Book Club Edition," or something similar.
• Check the copyright page. Occasionally the name of the book club will be found here.
• Paperback book club books are often (but not always) a little larger than the trade paperbacks. They will not be priced.

If in doubt, do a web search for a bibliography of the author in question. If you still can't find the answer, the folks at rec.collecting.books newsgroup may be able to help you out.

Some book club editions are sought by collectors; most are not. But there are easy ways to research your book's possible value.

I too used to belong to QPB.

As far as the Sunset book, I think you are safe in accepting. Sunset is part of Oxmoor, but I don't think they've ever had a book "popular" enough to go to a book club, it's pretty much magazine content and how-to, sort of like the Southern Living Books - and I've never seen either available from a book club.   

So, I don't think that Sunset books were ever also released by a Book Club.

Sunset usually publishes their own publications .. it is not like a regular fiction book where the publishing rights get sold to all kinds of places.

I could be wrong, though.

In this case, you might want to accept the request and just ask the requestor if they meant the RC to apply to your book. You would have to cancel the request if it turns out that they don't actually want the book after all ... but I suspect that their RC doesn't really apply to Sunset published books. But, I would ask them just to make sure.

Regarding the packaging ... for large books like that, I usually just use a manilla envelope, but if the envelope is larger than the book, I fold the extra and tape it tightly around the book. If the book is thinner, you can take some cardboard cut to size to stiffen it (side of a ceral box, part of a leftover box, etc). Although, I usually find that the books are OK just inside the envelope (tightly wrapped around, of course). I also make sure that I tape around all dimensions of the package, so I put some tape completely around the length and height of the book package (also the depth, if the package is large enough).

I have never heard of a paperback book club book

I have: I don't know if they are still around - but there was a Paperback Book Club - all their books were paperbacks. I have also recieved paperback books from another book club. It is true that most of their books are hardcover, but they do have an occasional paperback.

So Book Club Books can be paperbacks!

When I wrap a large book, I slip it into a clean plastic bag, then cut up a sturdy grocery bag and wrap it like a gift.  And then (the most important part) I use packaging tape on all edges, corners and seams.  For a large book, I'll also run two lengths of tape around the middle of the book, one in each direction (think "ribbon") to make it sturdier.