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Rumpus Book ClubThe Rumpus Book Club
Update: For technical reasons Letters In The Mail is part of The Rumpus Book Club, though different. There’s information on this page that applies. And you can manage your subscription from here.
Update: We also have a Rumpus Poetry Book Club.
How The Rumpus Book Club Works: You pay $25 a month ($35 for international) and every month you get a book in the mail that hasn’t been released yet. We’ll discuss the book all month while we read it. You’re invited to a moderated online discussion with the author at the end of the month which we’ll edit and run on The Rumpus as a feature article (like this one).
You can also write a review of the book and we’ll run the best written review(s) on the website. You don’t have to participate in the discussion or review the book, you could just subscribe to receive a new, unpublished book every month.
We’re going to try to only read good books. We’ll fail sometimes. The books will often be hardcover, but not always. Occasionally they’ll be paperback originals, like Tao Lin’s Richard Yates, which was our August 2010 selection. Other books featured in The Rumpus Book Club include the 1,000 page hardcover The Instructions by Adam Levine, The Chronology of Water by Lidia Yuknavitch, Vicky Swanky Is A Beauty by Diane Williams, and Wild by Cheryl Strayed.
It’s neat because we’re going to have a discussion about new books, rather than waiting to be told what books are approved for cultural consumption. It used to be that only people in the media got advance copies of books but that wall has come down quite a bit. Now everybody’s a reviewer.
- Domestic ($25)
- International ($35)
- Poetry Domestic ($22)
- Poetry International ($33)
- Book and Poetry Domestic ($42)
- Book and Poetry International ($63)
- Mystery Subscription, Domestic ($18)
- Mystery Subscription, International ($26)
- Letters In The Mail (Domestic) ($5)
- Letters In The Mail (International) ($10)
Already have a subscription? Log in to update it.
It’ll be easy to unsubscribe from the book club at any time.
You can also save money by purchasing a one year gift subscription for yourself or a friend.
FAQ:
Q: Who do I contact for customer service? A: isaac@therumpus.net.
Q: Can I sign up for both the Poetry Book Club and The Rumpus Book Club and get a discount? A: Yes. You can subscribe to both for $42 a month.
Q: I don’t like Paypal. Can I pay by check? A: Yes, but only for year-long subscriptions. Make checks out to The Rumpus. Send $250 domestic or $350 international to: The Rumpus, 490 2nd Street #200, San Francisco, CA 94107.
Q: How do you choose your books? A: There are several ways that books are chosen. Our favorite is when someone we really trust tells us that they’ve come across a book that was earth shattering. An example of this is Cheryl Strayed recommending The Chronology of Water, which will be released from Hawthorne House, a great small press, April 2011. Another is when there’s a specific book that we’re really interested in and we think our readers will be interested in, that’s why we chose Richard Yates by Tao Lin. When we think a book is particularly controversial we’ll usually discuss it with the book club members first in our book club discussion group.
One thing you can always be certain of is that we will never make a decision based on the price of the book or anything other than quality. But of course we will sometimes choose books that aren’t as good as we had hoped and we will miss books we should have chosen or two books will come out in the same month and we’ll 0nly get to choose one. It’s an imperfect system, we are a small operation.
Q: Is it true there are plans to start a poetry book club? A: It has happened. The Rumpus Poetry Book Club is in effect.
Q: Are there refunds. A: No. But it’s easy to cancel your subscription and we tell you what books we choose as far in advance as possible.
Q: How do I find out about times for The Book Club chat with the author and stuff like that? A: We send announcements through our Book Club Announcement group (different from the discussion group) and Poetry Book Club Google group. If you joined that book club but didn’t get an invitation to the announcement group please send an email to Isaac@therumpus.net. It’s not mandatory to join the announcement group or the discussion group.
Q: What happened to the comments on the book club? A: We moved the book club URL. You can read the original discussion here.
May 25th, 2010 at 1:36 pm
May I ask whether this Book club offer is available to UK residents too? if so what is the cost?
Thank you
May 25th, 2010 at 5:33 pm
Hi Dean,
For right now we’re allowing people to join from international locations. Soon we’ll set up a separate subscription option for readers abroad.
Stephen
May 25th, 2010 at 7:38 pm
i’ve signed up, and i’m psyched.
May 26th, 2010 at 9:49 am
Is it possible to only join the book club for one month and still receive all the online benefits for the one month?
May 26th, 2010 at 10:25 am
It is. Just subscribe and then unsubscribe.
May 26th, 2010 at 12:21 pm
Grats on the new page. Can’t wait to get the first book.
May 26th, 2010 at 12:23 pm
What a rockin’ thing to do. When I get $25 I’ll be in…meanwhile I’ll spread the word among mi gente…
May 29th, 2010 at 9:10 am
Aw com on guys I just promised my wife I would cease buying books for 90 days
May 29th, 2010 at 11:20 am
Great idea…I posted your link on my blog!
May 29th, 2010 at 11:23 am
Oops….typo on my first comment..will spread the word!
May 31st, 2010 at 7:40 am
This is a great idea. How can a soon to be published author submit a book for consideration for the bookclub?
May 31st, 2010 at 11:11 am
$25 is too much for an ARC– which should be free and can’t be resold. Make it $10 and I’m in.
May 31st, 2010 at 11:24 am
Citrus County (Hardcover) ~ John Brandon (Author)
Price: $14.85 & eligible for free shipping with Amazon Prime
The Surf Guru (Hardcover)~ Doug Dorst
Price: $17.13 & eligible for free shipping with Amazon Prime
This title will be released on July 15, 2010.
Richard Yates (Melville House Publishing) (Paperback) ~ Tao Lin
Price: $10.08 & eligible for free shipping with Amazon Prime
This title will be released on September 7, 2010.
All Is Forgotten, Nothing Is Lost: A Novel (Hardcover) ~ Lan Samantha Chang
Price: $16.29 & eligible for free shipping with Amazon Prime
This title has not yet been released.
May 31st, 2010 at 12:43 pm
You’re also getting the book before it’s officially available and getting time with the author. Comparing release date prices with the book club subscription is kind of missing the point.
June 1st, 2010 at 1:38 pm
And you’re having an unrepeatable communal reading experience, which should count for something. “Free shipping with Amazon Prime” is basically an insult in this context.
June 3rd, 2010 at 7:22 am
This might be heresy to ask, but any chance of including electronic delivery? We would love the chance to be involved in something like this but have gone fully to Kindle and Kindle for iPad. Maybe this could be part of Rumpus iPad app?
June 3rd, 2010 at 1:12 pm
If the selections could be signed by the author, there could be no quibbling about cost!
June 4th, 2010 at 7:54 am
The Harvard Book Store (not the Coop) has a subscription arrangement for autographed copies of volumes on a monthly basis. Some of the writers give readings, but there is no communal event beyond that.
As a McSweeney’s fan/subscriber and a Film Movement subscriber, I am willing to try this for a time.
June 4th, 2010 at 10:32 am
Hey Stephen,
I am an international subscriber (Canada)who signed up in May at 25.00$.
Will international subscribers who signed up at 25.00$ be grandfathered, or will you need us to re-subscribe at 35.00$?
June 4th, 2010 at 10:33 am
Hi Sean. For now we’re going to grandfather you. Down the road we might ask you to resubscribe.
June 4th, 2010 at 10:40 am
Cool.
Thanks for the fast reply.
I love the site, although it does get in the way of correcting exams.
Can’t wait for my book to arrive.
June 6th, 2010 at 4:10 pm
I signed up when you first announced the book club and am excited to read the first book. Are you shipping first class/priority or media mail? I’m curious since I live in Hawaii and media mail can take 3-4 weeks to arrive.
June 7th, 2010 at 9:43 am
Hi Rob. I’ll check. When did you sign up?
June 7th, 2010 at 11:09 am
Hi Stephen..My Paypal receipt is dated May 19. Thanks for checking.
June 7th, 2010 at 11:15 am
Hi Rob. Please let me know if you don’t receive the book by Thursday.
June 7th, 2010 at 2:51 pm
I just got a note from a Book Club member that she’s received the first book. Suh-weet!
June 8th, 2010 at 9:55 pm
This all sounds great, though I only plan on joining in September for Lan Samantha Chang’s book.
June 9th, 2010 at 8:13 am
Just received Citrus County in the mail this morning.
June 10th, 2010 at 6:37 am
Just got Citrus County in the mail–thanks! Looking forward to reading it.
June 10th, 2010 at 11:34 am
Received Citrus County yesterday. Started reading it right away. Lovin it so far!
June 10th, 2010 at 3:35 pm
Citrus County came today. (Thank you, Mr. Mailman.) Although I’ll be reading it in tandem with Inherent Jest, I’m sure I won’t get the plots or characters all tangled together…unless yarn is involved.
June 10th, 2010 at 3:38 pm
INIFINITE Jest. Ever since I’ve read Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon, I keep mixing up the damn titles. Apologies to both authors.
June 10th, 2010 at 3:39 pm
Still waiting to hear from someone who’s received the book in California. Sounds like it hasn’t made it to the West Coast yet. I hope it comes tomorrow.
June 10th, 2010 at 3:51 pm
I’m in Los Angeles and the book just arrived!
June 10th, 2010 at 5:04 pm
That’s great news!
June 11th, 2010 at 2:56 pm
Hi Stephen,
You asked me (a few comments back) to let you know if the book arrived by Thursday. Unfortunately, it’s still somewhere on the ship if it was sent media mail to Hawaii. The book may arrive too late for me to participate in the book discussion but I’ll enjoy reading it later.
Aloha from Rob
June 11th, 2010 at 3:21 pm
Shoot. Hopefully it’ll be there Monday. We’re going to take care to send out the next one in a more timely fashion.
June 13th, 2010 at 3:18 pm
So when does the Intelligent and Scintillating Online Discussion and Virtual Kaffeklatsch RE this book start?
I ate up my copy in 3 sittings, ready to start dishing about it!
June 14th, 2010 at 8:23 am
It’s started over here: http://therumpus.net/2010/06/the-rumpus-book-club-blogging-citrus-county-1/
June 14th, 2010 at 8:50 am
Hey Threemoons — I’m writing a post about Part One that should go up today, which will include all the links I know of to other Book Club members who have been writing about it.
June 15th, 2010 at 6:26 pm
Hi there:
Just wondering what (if any) sort of guidelines/basis/rationale/theme-you get it!-that are used re: the types of new books picked for readers. Is it random? Based on supply and/or demand? Hype? Industry peeps? Ewoks?
Curious-and very intrigued-minds like to know.
Thanks in advance!
~M
June 17th, 2010 at 6:52 am
Hey Stephen,
May I suggest that some slip of paper identifying the Rumpus Book Club could easily be stuck into the package by the publisher! (Maybe you guys could even make a book mark!)
Okay, so the delay time was only a moment or two before my sieve-like and over- addled brain remembered. But there was a series of thought that went, “Who is McSweeney’s Rectangulars and why did they send me a package. Hmmm, who sent me a book for Mother’s Day -late- and forgot the card? Oh, right, it’s that online book club I forgot I had joined!”
: )
suzy
June 17th, 2010 at 2:09 pm
Just wondering. I subscribe to McSweeney’s book club. Is there much planned overlap? Or, is this month’s offering and exception? Is there a return or cancel for this month policy?
Regards,
Bob
June 17th, 2010 at 9:46 pm
Hi Bobk,
There’s not much planned overlap. There’s no return policy but the books we’re choosing are announced far in advance.
Stephen
June 20th, 2010 at 7:57 pm
This is a FAB idea at a GREAT price ~ !
I don’t even have time to read a book anymore and I STILL want in…
I’m feeling that first flush of blog-crush, just might have to subscribe to show support of a really marvy plan.
Your pal,
~GirlPie
July 6th, 2010 at 12:27 pm
So, now I’ve joined. But where do I give my address and tell which extra book I’d like?
Thanks.
July 6th, 2010 at 1:57 pm
Hi Jeff,
You’ll get a welcome message within a day or two, but if you want to let us know your preferred extra book preference right now (a good idea) send a note to admin AT therumpus.net.
Thank you,
Stephen
July 7th, 2010 at 9:57 am
Down with The Rumpus book club! Up with The Rumpus poetry book club!
Or, well, OK, I like ‘em both, but I’m just putting in a plug for poetry. It will feed right in to your iFractured media consciousness!
July 8th, 2010 at 11:36 am
is it possible to buy a six month subscription to the book club? i would like to give this as a gift to someone but not for the whole year.
i love this idea though!
July 8th, 2010 at 12:14 pm
Interesting… We could probably accommodate this if you paid for all six months, ie. $150.
July 15th, 2010 at 10:23 am
I know this is a totally unrealistic request, but I would join the book club and the poetry club if they were available in ebook format. I’m heading to Botswana to work for a year and would be so happy to have an awesome book every month. Since they are early copies, I’m sure it’s not possible, but anyway, thought I would say “up with the ebook!”
July 18th, 2010 at 5:43 pm
Hi there, I live in New Zealand and I’m keen to join the book club. What is the estimated shipping time for getting the books here?
July 18th, 2010 at 11:16 pm
Hi Angela. Books ship in plenty of time for you to participate in the book club. They generally arrive within two weeks.
August 2nd, 2010 at 5:41 pm
Really nice idea! I can’t afford it! But wish I could.
August 6th, 2010 at 11:55 am
i can’t decide between the poetry and the fiction. they both sound great, but both seems extravagant. there’s not a combined special offer price for both is there? that would be super cool and make me feel less like a literary lush.
August 6th, 2010 at 12:30 pm
Done. You can now get a three dollar discount when you sign up for both the poetry club and the book club. Click here.
August 14th, 2010 at 6:13 am
If I subscribe now will I receive a copy of Richard Yates?
August 24th, 2010 at 11:19 am
I have an imprint with a press. How can I get my authors’ work to you to see if you are interested in using their titles?
August 29th, 2010 at 10:19 pm
Since I’ll be reading Franzen’s “Freedom” in September, when should I join in order to start with Adam Levin’s “The Instructions?” I’ve been waiting in heavy anticipation for Levin’s book.
August 29th, 2010 at 10:58 pm
Hi Jack,
Anybody that subscribes now will receive both Samantha Chang’s All Is Forgotten, Nothing Is Lost and The Instructions before being billed again (since Samantha’s book is going out on Wednesday and Levin’s is going out before the end of September). If you subscribe on Wednesday you’ll only get The Instructions.
August 29th, 2010 at 11:32 pm
Thank you Stephen (well, for both your response and all you’ve written). I decided it’s best to start asap, so I paypal-ed my way in! I look forward to the books, community, discussions, et cetera.
September 17th, 2010 at 4:01 pm
I am going to subscribe. Right now, in fact. If that has any sway at all, let me use this fleeting moment to implore you not to use Flash. On our farm we do not have the means to purchase the larger computers and are forced to access the PC inter webs through the least expensive iPad (16G, currently $499). please do not deprive us of the trailers.
September 17th, 2010 at 7:36 pm
Are there grants available to support $25-a-month clubs? Or do I need to get one of those college scholarship books? I’d be willing to go halvsies with Samantha.
September 17th, 2010 at 8:37 pm
Hi,
To what extent is there overlap between the mcsweeney’s book club and the rumpus book club? I’m signed up for both and not sure if i should be. Obviously this one has the benefit of community and author interaction, am i going to end up with multiple copies of the same book?
the latest rumpus mail says “And, McSweeney’s Book Release Club subscribers: rest assured, you will get the book at the same time as the Rumpus folks and can participate in their discussion for the book.”
September 23rd, 2010 at 10:29 am
stephen elliott told me that the $25/month for the book club gets you the book but it also helps the rumpus, which to me is the more important thing. you can wait for the books to come out and nag your library to order them and then read them for free. if you don’t have money, you don’t have money. period. but if you can swing it, you get to read a book before it comes out and you get to talk about it with people online. i haven’t liked any of the books yet (except doug dorst’s) but stephen steered me to the emailed discussions that are happening, and i discovered that i don’t have to like a book to talk about it. anyway, don’t bitch about the club or the price. it is what it is and helping the rumpus, for folks who can and want to do it, is a good thing.
September 24th, 2010 at 12:18 am
Are you going to read any books in this club written by women?
In my experience, the answer to this question (unless the club is specifically a female one) is generally “we haven’t thought about it”, which generally translates to “no”.
September 24th, 2010 at 6:12 am
The November book, January book, and February book are all written by women. The September book was also by a woman. We’ve thought about it quite a bit.
September 24th, 2010 at 6:22 am
@yroc – McSweeney’s subscribers are eligible to receive a different book so you don’t get two copies of the same book.
October 2nd, 2010 at 12:06 pm
If I join this weekend (i.e. by October 3) can I still get the regular book and poetry book that shipped October 1?
October 10th, 2010 at 10:12 am
I just found out about this club when Stephen talked about it at Wordstock–so cool! Is it possible to find out what the next few books will be? xo
October 30th, 2010 at 7:16 am
I’m joining the book club because I heard you’ve chosen Roy Kesey’s upcoming novel, PACAZO. I was the copy editor for this novel, and I enjoyed it immensely. I figure, if you chose that book, I can trust your taste! Can’t wait to get my first installment!
December 30th, 2010 at 7:00 pm
Is it too late to join in time for the latest Shepard collection (February)?
June 27th, 2011 at 3:07 pm
May I offer a suggestion for a book to feature in the book club? How do I go about that?
Garrett
July 4th, 2011 at 12:21 pm
Student Discount?
July 12th, 2011 at 4:59 pm
Dude, what larks! Sounds like a lot of fun rubbing elbows with Rumpuses. I’m already a book reviewer times about a gazillion, so getting pre-pubbed books isn’t a draw for me. It’s hanging around with folks who think this site is way cool, which is obviously the opinion of the way cool. Considering I’m kinda teetering on the brink of the question of my own coolness right now, feeling vulnerable and needy, what the hell. You had me at Rumpus.
With compelling dignity,
Lisa
September 22nd, 2011 at 10:02 am
Yes, what about student discount? =)
October 10th, 2011 at 2:03 pm
Any student discount?
November 27th, 2011 at 8:25 pm
Teetering back and forth about whether to join up. “We’re going to try to only read good books. We’ll fail sometimes” is a bit disconcerting. Any listing of the books that have been selected since last year? Thanks!
December 17th, 2011 at 12:34 am
Hi, I live in Abu Dhabi, UAE. I have a p.o. Box. Can I subscribe?
January 3rd, 2012 at 10:19 am
Hm. I was trying to sign up for the letters and it appears I subscribed to the book club. Is there a relationship between the two, or is this a technical glitch?
January 3rd, 2012 at 11:12 am
There’s a relationship, they’re both “book club” plans. So as long as you weren’t charged more than $5 you’re in the right place.
January 19th, 2012 at 11:55 am
Sadly, I need to cut costs. How can I cancel my book club subscription? I have to do that, but I’d like to subscribe to Letters in the Mail so I still get my Rumpus fix.
January 28th, 2012 at 9:16 pm
You make it difficult to give you more money. I am trying to figure out how to add the $25 monthly book selection in Book Club to my $5 letter subscription. Have been going round and round on your site to no avail. Thanks.
January 29th, 2012 at 7:55 am
Hi Bettyjo,
I’m afraid you have to create a new account with a new email. It’s a bug we haven’t been able to fix. The other way would be to purchase a one year letter subscription out right: http://therumpus.net/shop/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=77
March 11th, 2012 at 12:03 pm
Hi, I subscribed on February 24th to Letters in the Mail. I’m not sure if I should’ve received a letter yet, but I haven’t. Should I be concerned?
March 11th, 2012 at 2:57 pm
Hi Viki,
I don’t think you should be concerned yet. I’d give it about four days.
stephen
March 15th, 2012 at 6:12 pm
I want to give Letters in Mail as a gift subscription. I can’t find information about how to do so. Please advise if this is an option. Thanks, Colleen
March 29th, 2012 at 6:12 pm
I joined the book club but can’t find the message/discussion boards. Help?
April 2nd, 2012 at 9:59 pm
Hi Stephen, Isaac, & co. I have financial woes at the moment so I have to unsub for a while. See you soon.