Overview
Private Campaign, Exclusive to Members of The (Very Gay) Book Club
In July 2025, The (Very Gay) Book Club, curated by NYT bestselling author and “homo historian” Dr. Eric Cervini, offered members an exclusive, free eBook download of Florenzer by Phil Melanson in addition to the hardcover they received as part of the club. The campaign was a collaboration between W.W. Norton, Booktrovert, and the Allstora book club, designed to drive direct engagement with club members.
Campaign Snapshot
- Audience: ~1,200 Members of The (Very Gay) Book Club
- Offer: Free eBook of Florenzer via Booktrovert
- Partners: W.W. Norton, Booktrovert, The (Very Gay) Book Club
- Length: 7-day exclusive, private campaign
How We Did It
From conception to execution, this campaign took less than an hour!
- Planning: Partners collaborated on campaign details and timing.
- Setup: W.W. Norton created and scheduled the private campaign quickly & easily, using the Booktrovert campaign builder within their NetGalley account.
- Pre-Launch: The (Very Gay) Book Club sent an email prompting members to create a free Booktrovert account ahead of the drop.
- Launch Day: Club members received a follow-up email containing a link to the Booktrovert campaign, so they could claim their free eBook (and instantly send it to their Kobo, Kindle, or read online).
- Campaign Period: The exclusive private campaign remained active for 7 days, giving club members plenty of time to access their free eBook.
- Reminders: Club members received a follow-up nudge on Day 6 to give them a last chance to participate before the campaign ended.
Why It Worked
- Hyper-targeted audience: The campaign spoke directly to an engaged, identity-driven book club community.
- Direct, trusted communication: All messaging came from the club itself, boosting open rates and click-throughs.
- Exclusivity added urgency: Members knew this was a limited-time, members-only perk.
- Seamless collaboration: Publisher, book club, and platform worked in sync, making the experience smooth for all sides.
- Data-rich insights: The publisher gained access to engagement metrics and email contacts for easy follow-up.
- Easy to replicate: The process was lightweight and scalable for future campaigns.
The Results
- Booktrovert campaign had a 28% click rate
- 11%* of total book club members claimed a free eBook
- Booktrovert’s Detailed Analytics offered the publisher and book club host insight into members’ interest in digital fulfillment, demographics of those members, as well as the email addresses of those who participated, making it easy to follow up with them as needed.
Takeaways for Publishers & Authors
Looking to try something similar?
- Start with community: Partner with a niche book club, influencer, or membership-based group already talking to your ideal readers, or create your own!
- Keep it simple: Use existing tools (like your NetGalley/Booktrovert account) to build private, invite-only campaigns.
- Let them lead: Allow your partner (book club host, curator, influencer) to send the messaging to build trust and drive engagement.
- Create urgency: Be clear about the window of availability (or number of copies available) to encourage immediate action.
- Make it measurable: Use campaign data to understand audience behavior and identify warm leads for future outreach.
We’re here to help!
Want to reach niche readers where they already are? Private Booktrovert campaigns help you connect, convert, and cultivate community! Learn more here, or reach out for more info.
*Campaigns that are digital-only (rather than bundled with print) are likely to see a much higher adoption rate!
