NextReads newsletters are a great way to stay abreast of recent releases that are sure to be popular with readers, even if they don’t hit the bestsellers list (we’ve got newsletters for those too, though, straight from The New York Times!). But what your readers may not know is that we also promote older titles, the gems on your shelves that aren’t getting a lot of airplay anymore. These can tie together thanks to “themes” like read-alikes for a popular new movie or series release, trends in a genre, or just a loosely grouped set of really awesome titles.
They can also tie into current or seasonal events, which makes for the start of a great book display, reading list, or other content for your website and social media. Sometimes, they’re groupings you wouldn’t expect, which adds a clever note to any displays that mix fiction and nonfiction, or cross-age levels.
As an example, in June, we’ve got themes on:
- The Summer Reading theme Tails and Tales (Fiction A to Z; for younger readers, check out the May issues)
- Weddings, as June’s a popular month for them (Romance)
- Japan, since the Summer Olympics will (hopefully) take place there this year (Armchair Travel)
- The Great Outdoors, since June is National Great Outdoors Month (Mystery)
- Celebrate Pride (Bio and Memoir)
In July, we’ve got:
- More on Japan (Home, Garden, and DIY)
- Olympic athletes (Popular Culture)
Not to mention two read-alike themes (one for fans of picture book author and illustrator Jon Klassen, one for fans of The Mysterious Benedict Society) plus a ton of other fun stuff.
If you need help promoting the books hanging out on your shelves, we invite you to build book displays and widgets using this content. We’ve even included a book display sign on weddings to help get you started; search “book display” in LibraryAware to find more or “blank sign” to make your own!
Shauna Griffin is a Content Strategy Manager for NoveList. She is currently reading When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson.
