ABOUT THE FIRST LOOK BOOK CLUB

[Maria_H]

Have questions about the First Look program? Here are the answers to some Frequently Asked Questions

What is the First Look Book Club?
This is a unique opportunity to enroll in a private discussion with an author, about a book that won't be released for a few months. We'll send you an Advance Reading Copy -- for free! -- in time for the book club. In other words, you can be the first to get the scoop on the next great book, long before it ever hits the shelves!

How do I sign up?
Once we have a First Look selection, we'll make an announcement in the B&N Book Clubs, and open the enrollment period. If you are enrolled in one month's First Look Book Club, you're not automatically enrolled in the next one. Because quantities of ARCs are limited, each First Look Book Club will have it’s own enrollment. That's the only way to ensure that everyone will have a chance to participate. Instructions on how to enroll for each club are posted with each announcement.

What exactly is an Advance Reading Copy?
An Advance Reading Copy, or ARC, is an uncorrected paperback edition created by publishers for distribution to booksellers and the media a few months before the actual publication of a new book. The ARC you'll receive will look very much like the final version of the book. It'll have all the text, and usually all the photos, illustrations, and front matter included in the finished book.

Do I have to pay for shipping?
No. The ARC -- and the shipping -- is free to you. The book will be delivered from one of our warehouses, but will not go through our normal order path and therefore will not be listed as an "order" on your Barnes & Noble.com shopping account.

When will I get my free Advance Reading Copy?
Once enrollment starts, we will alert you to when the ARCs will ship. It can take up to two weeks to get your free book.

What happens if you run out of books?
We will be monitoring demand closely, and hope to have enough books for everyone. But quantities are limited, and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. If we run out of books, we'll post a message to the board, and close the enrollment period.

How do I find out about future First Look selections? Can I enroll right now?
Sorry, there's no pre-enrollment. Stay tuned to our Announcements board for news about our next First Look book club. Along with the announcement, we'll also post instructions on how to enroll.

If you have other questions about First Look, please post them here by replying to this thread.

And if you haven't done so already, please have a look at all of our current discussions. There's a lot going on.

[Johanna88]

Whoever is still reading and thinking about joining the first look book club, join now! Trust me! It is the best thing for us readers because we get to share our opinions with others that are willing to hear us and respond to us. It is a virtual book club. In my opinion it is better than a weekly face to face meeting because this way, we are discussing our opinions with people that live in other communities and states! Once you sign up, you will not regret it. It is wonderful!

[wbarker]

This is the first time I have heard about this book club, and I would like to say a big Thank You to Barnes & Noble for creating this opportunity for us!

Thank you!!!

[Aunt_Beth_64]

wbarker--

You are in for a treat! Enjoy.

Beth

[i_crowe]

So, I just signed up on B&N, but I am still really confused at how to sign up for this months First Look. Can anyone help me out?

[Maria_H]

Welcome to B&N Book Clubs!

Now that you have an account with us, you can sign up for the upcoming First Look Book Club with Stewart O'Nan. Go to this message. It has all the information you need to enroll into that club.

---

i_crowe wrote:

So, I just signed up on B&N, but I am still really confused at how to sign up for this months First Look. Can anyone help me out?

---

[SiggieKatz]

Maria_H - I just found this site today through a friend. Its really exciting to be able to comment on reviewer's copies. They are not new to me, my father used to review books. I seem to be going in circles on your site though. I tried to sign up to get a reviewer's copy of "Songs for the Missing" and your embedded link did not work for me (it kept taking me to the same page I was already on for some reason) so I clicked on your name and PM'd you that way. I hope that worked. Anyway I am excited to be here and I hope everything works out ok so I can participate!

Thanks!

[Johanna88]

It is good to hear that your father was a book critic, because it means that you must have some experience. Maybe you could give me some pointers on how to do a great posting. I hope that you enjoy the B&N first look nook club because it is great!

[Everyman]

Maria -- since the schedule thread is locked, I'm posting this here.

On the schedule, there is a thread for each section of the book, but none for the book as a whole. Is the third section thread also intended to be a discussion of the book as a whole? If not, can you add such a thread?

I like the way you're structuring the discussion. In the past I have been religious about only reading up to the chapters posted. But this time, since it's so long before the discussion opens and I've already read the first section, I'm going to keep on and read the whole book. So selfishly I would be happy to find a thread for discussion of the book as a whole.

[MJColson]

The way I read it was that the threads that mention chapter numbers are strictly for those chapters. The "topic" threads I think are open game for the whole book. I think that's why Karen said there would be only "spoiler rules" for the chapter threads, but the others were fair game and she gave warning that if we didn't want anything spoiled, we should stay away from the topic ones until we had finished the whole book. I was a little confused...LOL...but that's what I brought away from it anyway. Were you interested in a more general thread for the whole book without topics? That might be a good idea as a catch-all for any other topics people wanted to talk about without worrying about spoilers.

I'm glad the threads were set up to be more generalized. The more of the book I read, I'm convinced it would have been hard to discuss chapter by chapter. Looks to be a great read and good discussion.

[KxBurns]

---

MJColson wrote:

The way I read it was that the threads that mention chapter numbers are strictly for those chapters. The "topic" threads I think are open game for the whole book. I think that's why Karen said there would be only "spoiler rules" for the chapter threads, but the others were fair game and she gave warning that if we didn't want anything spoiled, we should stay away from the topic ones until we had finished the whole book. I was a little confused...LOL...but that's what I brought away from it anyway. Were you interested in a more general thread for the whole book without topics? That might be a good idea as a catch-all for any other topics people wanted to talk about without worrying about spoilers.

I'm glad the threads were set up to be more generalized. The more of the book I read, I'm convinced it would have been hard to discuss chapter by chapter. Looks to be a great read and good discussion.

---

You're correct MJ -- the "Final Chapters" thread encompasses the whole book as well.

Karen

[Everyman]

Well, Maria, it looks like you just can't win.

In past ARCs, the discussion has been scheduled for a time so soon enough after the book was sent out that the discussion was well underway before some people ever got their books. So this time you allowed plenty of time for the books to arrive before the scheduled start of the discussion on June 2.

But now you have the opposite problem. Although there is still over a week to go before the discussion is supposed to start, a number of people have already finished the book and are posting about it, with some specifics, in the general Welcomes and community Room threads.

It's just hard to keep such a big bunch of readers organized, isn't it? I really appreciate your trying hard to accommodate the needs of all your readers, but it looks like a harder task even than herding cats or keeping New York traffic flowing smoothly.

[jacurls]

I'm also very excited to get involved in this "virtual" book club!  I think that I can 'READ' books, but I look at it differently once others' opinions are involved.  It always get much more interesting.

[KathyS]

E-man, I noticed this.  And agree.

I have the feeling that some participants are not understanding the protocol for "book discussions", by either generally wanting to chat about how they feel about this book; some just getting into it;  some in the middle of it; and some finished with it -  they want to make their opinions count.  I don't discount these feelings of wanting to jump in as soon as possible, everyone gets anxious to start, but whether they are newbie's or seasoned, they should reserve their opinions of giving anything/feelings away, beginning, middle....OR end....until the format is drawn, and these opinions can be placed in their appropriate thread. 

And in no way should a review be given, NOW.  All of this can sway a reader.  I've read reviews in the past, here, or at the websites of these  B&N/Amazon book sites,  where people want to TELL the whole story, which drives me nuts.  I'm about ready to get my pencil out and draw some 'protocol pictures', here----but I won't.

---

Everyman wrote:
Well, Maria, it looks like you just can't win.

In past ARCs, the discussion has been scheduled for a time so soon enough after the book was sent out that the discussion was well underway before some people ever got their books. So this time you allowed plenty of time for the books to arrive before the scheduled start of the discussion on June 2.

But now you have the opposite problem. Although there is still over a week to go before the discussion is supposed to start, a number of people have already finished the book and are posting about it, with some specifics, in the general Welcomes and community Room threads.

It's just hard to keep such a big bunch of readers organized, isn't it? I really appreciate your trying hard to accommodate the needs of all your readers, but it looks like a harder task even than herding cats or keeping New York traffic flowing smoothly.

---

[LadyAlexis]

Hello, I am new to this and I wanted to know, Is there a guideline of what to post and where and when to do so?

I dont wanna be one of "those people"

Also, Thanks to BN, what a wonderful wonderful program!!!!!!

[detailmuse]

Everyman and Kathy, I agree. I decided to stop reading the Community Room and Introductions threads as soon as books started arriving. Have probably missed some good conversation!

LadyAlexis, you can find the schedule in post #5 here. The new topics (threads) will appear when the discussion begins on June 2.

---

LadyAlexis wrote:

Hello, I am new to this and I wanted to know, Is there a guideline of what to post and where and when to do so?

---

[Tarri]

I decided the best thing to do (for me) is not start the book until January 1. 

[Peppermill]

---

Tarri wrote:

I decided the best thing to do (for me) is not start the book until January 1.

---

Tongue-in-cheek, I presume? Or sarcasm?

[IBIS]

I assume she meant June 1st.

IBIS

[Tarri]

---

Peppermill wrote:

---

Tarri wrote:

I decided the best thing to do (for me) is not start the book until January 1.

---

Tongue-in-cheek, I presume? Or sarcasm?

---

  I guess we can blame it on me not knowing what day it is or doing two things at once.  I'm lucky if I can remember it's Wednesday night and I need to get the garbage to the street.  HAHAHA .  No sarcasm or tongue-in-cheek, just a mistake 

I'll be starting June 1 or Sunday whichever comes first .