Marketing: LDS book club updates

When I first posted about Time Out for Women back in July 2004, I noted that its book club had yet to include a work of fiction among its primary and secondary selections. I've been monitoring the situation and (unless I missed something), for the first time since its inception (May 2004, I believe) the TWOT Book Club will be reading a work of fiction -- The Great and Terrible, Vol. 1: Prologue, The Brothers*. The book is the first novel of a Last Days-themed series by Chris Stewart. Following in the footsteps of Nephi Anderson, Stewart actually sets Vol. 1 in the premortal life.

For more, check out the reading guide. My favorite question: "In chapter 4, we see Lucifer directly for the first time. What do you think of the author's portrayal? How does he use the physical setting to portray the emotional mood of Balaam's encounter with Lucifer?"

In my July post, I also noted that Deseret Book's emphasis on devotional works left the room open for other LDS publishers and booksellers to start book clubs of their own. Cedar Fort has finally followed suit -- teaming up with Deseret Saints Magazine to start the Deseret Saints Book Club. While TWOT's book club is organized via e-mail and an online forum (with some clubs meeting in non-virtual settings i.e. the old school way), The DSBC will take the form of a live online chat to be held on the fourth Thursday of the month. April's featured book is Mafia to Mormon: My Conversion Story by Mario Facione. He will be part of the April 28 online book club chat which will take place 7-8 p.m. PDT.

Having the author involved like that is very cool -- although it means that Cedar Fort is limited to featuring books that it publishes. Of course, since CF is solely a publisher, that only makes sense. Deseret Book has mostly featured its own titles, but when it doesn't, it still makes money on the retail end.

* I have no idea what this may mean, but the TWOT promotional code to get the discount on The Brothers is "Ratatouille."