Scope and Contents
The collection consists of proofs and "first reader reports" that document a component of the selection process for titles that became Book-of-the-Month Club recommendations. The proofs are pre-publication copies of manuscripts, used by Book-of-the-Month Club judges to select titles. They can be located in Series I and Series III.
The reports comprise reviews by in-house editors and outside readers of manuscripts under consideration for publication. They were written by a wide variety of individuals including Rosemary Benet, Basil Davenport, Elizabeth Wynne Easton, Roger Pippett, John Sherry, Russell Thacher, Ralph Thompson, and Leon Wilson.
The reports comprise reviews by in-house editors and outside readers of manuscripts under consideration for publication. They were written by a wide variety of individuals including Rosemary Benet, Basil Davenport, Elizabeth Wynne Easton, Roger Pippett, John Sherry, Russell Thacher, Ralph Thompson, and Leon Wilson.
Dates
- 1946 - 1979
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
The materials are open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
The Book-of-the-Month Club Records is the physical property of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. For further information, consult the appropriate curator.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Book-of-the-Month Club, circa 1978 and 2000.
Arrangement
Organized into three series: I. Manuscripts, circa 1959-1978. II. First-reader Reports, circa 1946-1962. III. Additional Manuscripts (July 2000 Acquisition), circa 1951-1979.
Extent
39.94 Linear Feet (70 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Catalog Record
A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog
Persistent URL
Overview
The collection consists of proofs and "first reader reports" that document a component of the selection process for titles that became Book-of-the-Month Club selections. The proofs are pre-publication copies of manuscripts, used by Book-of-the-Month Club judges to select titles. The reports comprise reviews by in-house editors and outside readers of manuscripts under consideration for publication. They were written by a wide variety of individuals including Rosemary Benet, Basil Davenport, Elizabeth Wynne Easton, Roger Pippett, John Sherry, Russell Thacher, Ralph Thompson, and Leon Wilson.
History
The Book-of-the-Month Club (BOMC) was founded in 1926 by Harry Scherman (1887-1969) in partnership with Maxwell Sackheim (1890-1982) and Robert K. Haas (1890-1964). Created to satisfy a perceived demand for quality literature that could not be met outside of urban centers, it was one of a number of direct-mail clubs developed in the 1920s, including the Literary Guild and Dollar Book Club. The BOMC went public in 1947, though the Scherman family maintained a controlling interest until sale of their shares in 1977 to Time Inc.
The BOMC sold new releases to its membership through recommendations published in a monthly catalog. Pre-publication manuscripts were submitted to the BOMC for review and were considered through a tiered system of in-house and outside editors culminating in an editorial board, referred to as judges in BOMC literature, that met monthly to consider vetted submissions.
The BOMC sold new releases to its membership through recommendations published in a monthly catalog. Pre-publication manuscripts were submitted to the BOMC for review and were considered through a tiered system of in-house and outside editors culminating in an editorial board, referred to as judges in BOMC literature, that met monthly to consider vetted submissions.
Processing Information
This collection includes materials that previously used the call numbers Za BOMC, Uncat MSS 170, and Uncat MSS 1023.
- American literature -- 20th century
- Benét, Rosemary, 1900-1962
- Book clubs (Bookselling) -- United States
- Book-of-the-Month Club
- Books -- United States -- Reviews
- Davenport, Basil, 1905-1966
- Easton, Elizabeth Wynne
- Pippett, Roger
- Sherry, John, 1923-1999
- Thacher, Russell, 1919-1990
- Thompson, Ralph, 1904-1979
- Wilson, Leon
Creator
- Title
- Guide to the Book-of-the-Month Club Records
- Author
- by Christopher Geissler, Tom Hyry, and Beinecke staff
- Date
- March 2008
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Part of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library Repository
Location
121 Wall Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Opening Hours
Access Information
The Beinecke Library is open to all Yale University students and faculty, and visiting researchers whose work requires use of its special collections. You will need to bring appropriate photo ID the first time you register. Beinecke is a non-circulating, closed stack library. Paging is done by library staff during business hours. You can request collection material online at least two business days in advance of your visit, using the request links in Archives at Yale. For more information, please see Planning Your Research Visit and consult the Reading Room Policies prior to visiting the library.