The only thing better than gifting somebody else a box of educational goods, is gifting it to yourself. Hachette have come up with an astounding idea for you to do exactly this. A monthly feminist book box to which you can subscribe for three, six or twelve months - the more months you subscribe, the lower the subscription price. The box will include two of Hachette’s feminist titles, one from their front list and one from their backlist, along with specially commissioned artwork. Ten volunteers will choose the titles and this team will change every six months.
Due to the global pandemic, people have been forced to cut off many social events, leaving them feeling lonely and slightly isolated. Hachette have been creative with this, as their monthly book box will include, on top of the selected books and artwork, a monthly book club in which one, or both, of the authors will also be taking part. This will help its subscribers to feel part of a community while, at the same time, giving them something to have in common and talk about.
The one thing subscribers will most definitely have in common will be their passion for feminism. In the 21st century, women are still the under-represented gender. For this reason, it is of great importance to read women authors and to learn, of course, as much as possible about feminism. Hachette’s book box will give women the opportunity to broaden their horizons, read more upon feminism, share their thoughts, opinions and beliefs with each other, and most importantly, to have the chance to come together and manifest the importance of equality.
There are several reasons book box subscriptions have been experiencing an increase in sales over the past few years. Firstly, there’s the convenience of having new reading material delivered right to your door, particularly in the current climate when many bookstores are closed due to the pandemic. The boxes are quite personalized with themes to suit every reader from YA to fantasy to non-fiction. Though the boxes vary quite a lot in price, with some lying on the more expensive end of the scale, many boxes still provide greater value than if you were to buy the book and book related goods individually. There’s a certain novelty and air of mystery surrounding the boxes as well. Often subscribers don’t know what book or goods will be in the box until it arrives, only provided with a general theme or a small hint beforehand. Bookstagram has also prompted an increase in book box sales by fostering a desire between Bookstagrammers to collect the bookish merchandise offered in the boxes to use in their posts.
As well as this, book boxes hugely benefit the authors whose books are featured. For instance, they contribute to book sales, with the price of the book included in the box. They also serve as an excellent publicity method for the author, with their book being distributed world-wide allowing them to gain new readers. There is an element of prestige that goes along with the books chosen for book boxes. These books have been handpicked by professional readers because they believe it is one their subscribers will enjoy. The gifts often featured in the book boxes reflect the sense of the author or the book as a brand, as the gifts are personalised to the book. The book boxes also work as a free marketing tool for the author, as subscribers are encouraged to share photos of their book boxes on social media platforms such as Instagram or Twitter or in unboxing videos on YouTube.
It seems that book boxes will continue to enjoy growing in popularity and Hachette’s feminist book box should be no exception. The announcement of the box has already received a positive response on Twitter, with many readers eager to sign up. The inaugural box will be launched on 8 March on International Women’s Day, with the theme being ‘Forgotten Women from History.’ Although the box is currently only available in the UK, subscribers will have the added benefit of free delivery. For those not based in the UK, other feminist-themed book box subscriptions that ship internationally include Books That Matter and Feminist Book Club.