Book Boxes: The Physical Book Subscription that Relies on its Digital Presence
Hachette recently announced the launch of The Feminist Book Box, the latest in an ever-growing number of book subscription boxes on offer for the avid reader. The Feminist Book Box will highlight the best in feminist writing across Hachette’s ten divisions. Each box includes two paperback titles handpicked by a diverse panel as well as a specially commissioned art postcard. As common with other book boxes, Hachette’s subscribers will gain access to an exclusive online book forum (Bookseller 2021).
Subscription box services have boomed in the past ten years, particularly in the US where the number of visitors to subscription sites increased from 722,000 to 21.4 million between 2013 and 2016 (Lehmann 2020). Yet subscription models are no new phenomena for the publishing industry. In 2014 the launch of Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited promised to match other digital subscription platforms such as Netflix and Spotify which had taken off at the turn of the century (Guardian 2014). However, with the later waning sales of eBooks and the renewed interest in physical books came the emergence of the book box subscription. What is it about these boxes that has everyone subscribing?
Contradictory to the physical nature of the box, much of its popularity stems from the digital world, with many box companies stating that Instagram is an integral element to their success (Noorda 2019). Indeed, Bookstagram (the ‘bookish’ corner of Instagram) is filled with people showcasing their latest subscription box deliveries. As of December 2018, over a million posts on Instagram used the hashtag ‘#bookbox’ (Noorda 2019). In January, popular account ‘Whatsallyreadnext’ shared a carefully arranged photo of her Books That Matter box to her 40,000 followers (Instagram 2021). The post also offered a 10% off code for followers — demonstrating how Bookstagram accounts are not only used to show off ones acquired books but also used by companies as marketing strategies.
The aesthetic design of a book box is intended to be shared on social media. NoIssue, a leading packaging design platform used by subscription box companies states that “the look and feel of the box matters just as much as its contents” (NoIssue 2020). Many box subscriptions include exclusive artwork either on the box itself or, as in the case of Hachette, as a gift. The beauty of a cardboard box that will only be discarded speaks for the power of displaying aesthetically pleasing images on social media platforms (Noorda 2019).
The creation of an exclusive online forum for subscribers to discuss the packaged books together further demonstrates how the book box has been developed for the digital world. A ready-made community of readers is waiting online for the new subscriber, taking away the hassle of assembling a book club and arranging meeting dates to discuss the book. With many genres of boxes available, the feeling that the box has been specially curated for a likeminded group of readers adds to the appeal of an online community. Indeed, Lehmann (2020) discusses how the qualities of book clubs can be applied to the book subscription model.
The book box trend reveals how the publishing industry sits in a unique position where the sales and success of the physical book relies upon its digital presence in online communities. Digitisation gave way to subscription platforms such as Kindle and Audible yet it has also allowed its physical equivalents to thrive. Gaining over 700 Instagram followers in just four days, The Feminist Book Box seems to be no exception.
Bibliography
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