Aotearoa NZ Book of the Month unites booksellers, libraries and publishers behind local books, sponsored by Libby.
On 1 November, the Coalition for Books will launch Aotearoa NZ Book of the Month, a new nationwide campaign that will celebrate a single New Zealand book each month across bookshops, libraries, digital platforms and media.
The campaign aims to help New Zealand readers discover New Zealand books through their local libraries and bookstores. It is sponsored by Libby, the library reading app from OverDrive, used by library borrowers across the country.
Each month, one title will be promoted nationally through a suite of branded digital and printable materials, paid advertising, and book club questions. Booksellers, librarians and any other organisation that wants to take part can use the materials free of charge.
“Booksellers and librarians champion New Zealand books every day on the shop and library floor” says Renee Rowland, Manager of Booksellers New Zealand and Deputy Chair of the Coalition for Books.
“This campaign brings all of that work together into something bigger than the sum of its parts - a campaign that unites the book industry to promote New Zealand books to New Zealand readers, which is a stepping stone to the rest of the world.”
Malcolm O’Brien ANZ Manager for Overdrive says OverDrive and Libby, the library reading app are very proud to be the inaugural sponsors of the Aotearoa NZ Book of the Month campaign.
“NZ has a vibrant and successful publishing industry that deserves the support of companies that benefit from their work. Public libraries and their patrons are also at the heart of books and reading and by promoting unique and original NZ books each month we hope to vastly increase the reach and scope of the NZ authors and their books,” he says.
How the books are chosen
Selection is a collaborative process across the Coalition. To be named Aotearoa NZ Book of the Month, a title must be readily available in print, ebook and audio, and its publisher must agree to take part. Picks will be deliberately varied, ranging across prize winners and new releases, backlist favourites, children’s books and non-fiction.
Making sure readers can get the book
The Coalition works with each publisher to ensure physical copies can be supplied quickly, and with OverDrive to ensure the ebook and audiobook can be borrowed continuously throughout the month. Libraries will have extra copies available, both on the shelf and on library platforms.
For booksellers, the Coalition will aim to provide a buying group offer, an advance listening copy on Libro.fm, and confirmed supply for each title.
For bookshops and libraries
The campaign is opt-in. Bookshops and libraries will learn each title two months in advance under embargo so they can plan stock, and will receive the marketing materials two weeks before launch.
Retailers and libraries are encouraged to go further with window displays, in-store and library book clubs, and their own creative ideas.
“We hope it will be good for sales and borrowing, but we’re playing the long game,” says Rowland.
“In an increasingly noisy world, it’s getting harder to get people to choose New Zealand books, or to choose books at all. We want this campaign to be a loud and clear national voice, supporting everyone in the sector – from rural librarians to urban booksellers, publishers big and small, and authors across the motu.”
The first Aotearoa NZ Book of the Month will be revealed on 1 November, with a new title announced on the first of every month after that. Media will receive an embargoed announcement of each title several days in advance.
ENDS
About the Coalition for Books
The Coalition for Books is a collaborative organisation bringing together booksellers, libraries, authors, publishers, festivals, reading organisations and others. It delivers strategic initiatives that connect New Zealand readers with local books and authors and raise the visibility of New Zealand books.
About OverDrive
OverDrive, a certified B Corp, is the leading digital book distributor serving more than 80,000 public, academic, corporate and school libraries. OverDrive works with thousands of publishers to provide the largest digital catalogue. It supplies 95% of NZ public libraries with ebooks, audiobooks, magazines and streaming video. OverDrive is a member of the Coalition.
