October is a month that many look forward to, for a multitude of reasons. Oktoberfest will be in full swing, Halloween is knocking at your door, the holidays are nigh and (apparently) all your favorite books of the year will be released. Publishers go through seasons, the same way movies do, and we are in peak season now. This October will see the release of many highly anticipated books, such as Dan Brown’s Origin, John Green’s Turtles All The Way Down, Rick Riordan’s The Ship of the Dead, Jennifer Egan’s Manhattan Beach and Philip Pullman’s La Belle Sauvage, among others.
Needless to say, October could break the bank for the book lover – so why do publishers do it to us? Here are three main reasons.
- Holiday Shopping: They know you’re not likely to buy all those books for yourself throughout the month, especially so close to gift giving season. But, with these books fresh in your minds, you’ll be making your wishlists. While sales can flatline throughout the year, there is typically an end of the year spike for book sales.
- Bestseller/Book Displays: This logic also keeps these books fresh in the minds of bookstores, prepping holiday displays. Around this time of year, stores are in full-on holiday mode and recently released, highly anticipated books will make it to central displays.
- It’s Award Season: The National Book Award eligibility timeframe is from December 1 to November 30, so the “fresh” logic applies here as well. By releasing books towards the end of the eligibility window, the books will still be fresh in the judge’s minds as they move to make long lists for winners. This logic is also mirrored in the “Oscar Bait” movies that get released at the end of the year.
To top it all off, October is “National Book Month.” It’s a great time to celebrate your love of literature, and pick up a highly anticipated release (or pad your holiday wish lists with them!). While you’re at it, kill two birds with one stone: celebrate with the concept of Literary Libations. Pair your favorite Oktoberfest brew with your favorite mystery, fantasy or illustrated classic. A Pint and a Pullman? A Belgian and a Brown? So many options to work with.
Cheers to October, “National Book Month” and stacking your TBR list.
Originally posted on GoRead.com
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