For the Book Trade

Promote your books, make money and encourage reading

Welcome to the world of Jólabókaflóðið – the Icelandic ‘Christmas book flood’ literary tradition, which first took place in December 1944 to celebrate the country’s independence from Denmark.

The non-for-profit company, Jolabokaflod CIC, runs two complementary book trade and reading initiatives that match the Old Norse and book trade calendars: the Jolabokaflod Book Campaign (winter) and the Sumarbokaflod Book Campaign (summer). These initiatives encourage people everywhere to Buy books to Give to their loved ones to Read, over the festive season (Jolabokaflod) and over the summer holiday period (Sumarbokaflod). All profits are reinvested into Jolabokaflod CIC’s projects and events. Find out more at the About section of the website.

Mirroring the Icelandic tradition, Jolabokaflod CIC publishes and manages the Book Bulletin online catalogue that comprises recommendations of new books and old favourites and advertising for people making the recommendations. Here is the contents page of the online publication, for you to find your way around the catalogue as recommendations are added during the 2018/19 period.

You can see examples of how we display the book recommendations by viewing books loved by Leonardo DiCaprio, Naomi Campbell and Mark Zuckerberg (first revealed at the Frankfurt Book Fair in October 2017).

By contributing to the Book Bulletin 2019 crowdfunding campaign at CrowdPatch, people pay for space in the catalogue to display their book recommendations and to promote themselves and their companies, organisations and projects. Each book recommendation can be purchased from book retailers by clicking through title-specific links.

The crowdfunding campaign for Book Bulletin 2019 started on 26 October 2019 (First Day of Winter in Iceland) and will conclude on International Book Giving Day (14 February 2020).

Future Jolabokaflod CIC marketing campaigns, based on the titles featuring in the Book Bulletin catalogue, will run between the following dates:

Jolabokaflod Book Campaign: start date, The First Day of Winter (celebrated in Iceland, e.g. 26 October 2019); end date, International Book Giving Day (14 February)
Sumarbokaflod Book Campaign: start date, The First Day of Summer (celebrated in Iceland, e.g. 23 April 2020); end date, International Literacy Day (8 September)

Recommendations to the Book Bulletin catalogue will be collected throughout the year: the cycle for one edition starts on 1 July (to celebrate International Day of Cooperatives on the first Saturday in July) and ends on 30 June (World Social Media Day) in the following year. Financial contributions for books recommendations are welcome at any time.

The live public phase of the Book Bulletin crowdfunding campaign in any given year starts on The First Day of Winter in October and ends on International Literacy Day in September the following year.

Read on below to find out how publishers, literary agents, authors, bloggers, booksellers, librarians, teachers, activists and talent agents (as well as general readers) can benefit from getting involved with the initiative.

How to get your recommendations into the Book Bulletin catalogue

Visit the Book Bulletin 2019 profile page at CrowdPatch. You will see five levels of recommendation rewards on offer in the crowdfunding campaign, namely:

£10.00 – Your recommendation is published in the Book Bulletin along with promotional links to your name and organisation/project. Your choice is publicised via social media. Your details are also listed on the Acknowledgements page.
£15.00 – You get two recommendations published in the catalogue along with promotional links to your name and organisation/project. Your choices are publicised via social media. Your details are also listed on the Acknowledgements page.
£20.00 – You get five recommendations published in the catalogue along with promotional links to your name and organisation/project. Your choices are publicised via social media.Your details are also listed on the Acknowledgements page.
£50.00 – Your book recommendation is ‘Book of the Day’ in one of our daily online slots that display one book per web page. Your choice is publicised via social media. Your details are also listed on the Acknowledgements page.
£100.00 – Your lead titles, events and companies are showcased by purchasing an advertising slot on the Book Bulletin 2019 crowdfunding page (see right, the dummy placement ads shown are for London Book Fair, Twelve Ronnies and Smart Startup Ltd, respectively).

In addition, recommendations made by London Book Fair and Frankfurt Book Fair attendees respectively are FREE on a ‘one person, one vote’ basis: every person who registers to the Jolabokaflod CIC patch gets one free book recommendation. Your choice is publicised via social media and your personal/professional details are also listed on the Acknowledgements page. The London Book Fair and the Frankfurt Book Fair are held at times outside the periods designated for the Jolabokaflod and Sumarbokaflod Book Campaigns

Outside the terms of the free offer above, please pay for your recommendations either online via PayPal or bank card (by clicking on the ‘Contributions’ button or a reward card at the Book Bulletin 2019 profile page) or by sending money via bank transfer or cheque to the Jolabokaflod Book Campaign. Contact us to get our bank details.

Tell us your book recommendations via InMail messages at CrowdPatch or via direct email.

You can also endorse books that have already been recommended by other people; this strengthens the objective value of the recommendations without diluting the impact of our promotion of you and the work you do.

Reasons to make contributions to the Book Bulletin

When you send us the book recommendations you have purchased, you are taking part in the promotion of Jólabókafló ð ið around the world, which reconnects people to their love of books and reading for pleasure, especially over the Christmas holiday and summer vacation periods. You are also investing in yourself, by commissioning us to promote you, the work you do and the interests you pursue.

The recommendations are books loved by real people, so make great read-for-pleasure suggestions for presents to give to loved ones at Christmas, birthdays and other special occasions and festivals throughout the year – and to treat yourself as books for reading on your summer vacation.

As well as readers in general, there are compelling reasons why people in the book trade and related sectors will benefit from making contributions to the Book Bulletin 2019:

Publishers

Massive ROI, minuscule marginal costs and potentially huge profit margins on offer (figures based on an average profit margin of 13% for a corporate publisher: The Bookseller, 2 March 2018):

‘Book of the Day‘: Buy the online equivalent of a bookshop window – one page, one featured book – and benefit from dedicated digital and social media marketing. Get into profit after making additional sales of 20 trade hardback copies (RRP £20.00), 30 trade paperback copies (RRP £12.99) or 43 mass-market paperback copies (RRP £8.99) of your ‘Book of the Day’ titles
Front list: Publicise the books you are launching now at a fraction of the cost of included them in a printed Christmas catalogue. For example, buy five recommendations for £20.00 and get into profit after making additional sales (across five titles) of 8 trade hardback copies, 12 trade paperback copies or 18 mass-market paperback copies of your recommendation titles
Back list: Promote great books on your back list that you want to champion which deserve another shot at gaining readers’ attention at a fraction of the cost of publicising them elsewhere. For example, buy five recommendations for £20.00 and get into profit after making additional sales (across five titles) of 8 trade hardback copies, 12 trade paperback copies or 18 mass-market paperback copies of your recommendation titles
Events: Promote your courses, talks, seminars, festival participation, parties and other events. Publicise your Eventbrite events in the Jolabokaflod CIC patch
Competitions: Advertise reader competitions in which you are participating
Campaigns: Encourage authors, staff and/or readers to run Jolabokaflod CIC crowdfunding projects to get their books into the hands of disadvantaged and vulnerable readers (e.g. homeless people, schools, hospitals, care homes).
Advertising: Showcase your lead titles, imprints and companies by purchasing an advertising slot on the Book Bulletin 2019 crowdfunding page

Literary agents

Potentially huge benefits for your clients’ profiles and book sales:

Authors: Build your clients’ profiles by association with the books they love whilst taking advantage of the opportunity to promote and sell their books
Books: Publicise your clients’ work by association with the books they love whilst taking advantage of the opportunity to promote and sell their books
Campaigns: Encourage clients to run Jolabokaflod CIC crowdfunding projects to get their books into the hands of disadvantaged and vulnerable readers (e.g. homeless people, schools, hospitals, care homes).

Authors

Massive ROI, minuscule marginal costs and potentially huge benefits for your author profile and brand (figures based on an average profit margin of 3% for authors published traditionally – The Guardian, 5 March 2018 – and 50% for hybrid-publishing authors in print – Publishing Perspectives, 26 February 2018 – and 70% self-published authors: The Telegraph, 15 April 2016):

Reputation: Build your author profile by association with the books you love by other writers whilst taking advantage of the opportunity to promote and sell your own books
‘Book of the Day‘: Buy the online equivalent of a bookshop window – one page, one featured book – and benefit from dedicated digital and social media marketing. Get into profit after making additional sales of your ‘Book of the Day’ titles, as follows
- Trade hardback copies (RRP £20.00): 84 traditional | 5 hybrid-published | 4 self-published
- Trade paperback copies (RRP £12.99): 129 traditional | 8 hybrid-published | 6 self-published
- Mass-market paperback copies (RRP £8.99) 186 traditional | 12 hybrid-published | 8 self-published
Front list: Publicise your new books at a fraction of the cost of online advertising elsewhere. For example, buy five recommendations for £20.00 and get into profit after making additional sales (across five titles) of your recommendation titles, as follows:
- Trade hardback copies: 34 traditional | 2 hybrid-published | 2 self-published
- Trade paperback copies: 52 traditional | 4 hybrid-published | 3 self-published
- Mass-market paperback copies: 75 traditional | 5 hybrid-published | 4 self-published
Back list: Promote your previous books at a fraction of the cost of online advertising elsewhere. For example, buy five recommendations for £20.00 and get into profit after making additional sales (across five titles) of your recommendation titles, as follows:
- Trade hardback copies: 34 traditional | 2 hybrid-published | 2 self-published
- Trade paperback copies: 52 traditional | 4 hybrid-published | 3 self-published
- Mass-market paperback copies: 75 traditional | 5 hybrid-published | 4 self-published
Campaigns: Run Jolabokaflod CIC crowdfunding projects to get your books into the hands of disadvantaged and vulnerable readers (e.g. homeless people, schools, hospitals, care home

Bloggers and vloggers

Massive ROI, minuscule marginal costs and potentially huge benefits for your blog/vlog profile and brand:

Reputation: Build your blogging and/or vlogging profile by association with the books you love
Competitions: Advertise reader competitions in which you are participating
Campaigns: Run Jolabokaflod CIC crowdfunding projects to get books into the hands of disadvantaged and vulnerable readers (e.g. homeless people, schools, hospitals, care homes).

Booksellers

Massive ROI, minuscule marginal costs and potentially huge profit margins on offer (figures based on an average profit margin of 40% for bookseller: Chron, 2013):

Sales: Increase your sales by securing preferred seller status for your recommendations.
‘Book of the Day‘: Buy the online equivalent of a bookshop window – one page, one featured book – and benefit from dedicated digital and social media marketing. Your business would have preferred seller status for your recommendations. Get into profit after making additional sales of 7 trade hardback copies (RRP £20.00), 10 trade paperback copies (RRP £12.99) or 14 mass-market paperback copies (RRP £8.99) of your ‘Book of the Day’ titles
Front list: Publicise new books and bestsellers at a fraction of the cost of including them in a printed Christmas catalogue. Your business would have preferred seller status for your recommendations. For example, buy five recommendations for £20.00 and get into profit after making additional sales (across five titles) of 3 trade hardback copies, 4 trade paperback copies or 6 mass-market paperback copies of your recommendation titles
Back list: Promote staff picks and other stocked titles at a fraction of the cost of including them in a printed Christmas catalogue. Your business would have preferred seller status for your recommendations. For example, buy five recommendations for £20.00 and get into profit after making additional sales (across five titles) of 3 trade hardback copies, 4 trade paperback copies or 6 mass-market paperback copies of your recommendation titles
Events: Promote your company’s courses, talks, seminars, festival participation, parties and other events. Publicise your Eventbrite events in the Jolabokaflod CIC patch
Competitions: Advertise reader competitions that you are running
Campaigns: Encourage readers, customers, authors and staff to run Jolabokaflod CIC crowdfunding projects to get books into the hands of disadvantaged and vulnerable readers (e.g. homeless people, schools, hospitals, care homes).
Advertising: Showcase your lead titles, events and companies by purchasing an advertising slot on the Book Bulletin 2018 crowdfunding page

Librarians

Potentially huge benefits for your library profile:

Promotions: Build your library profile in your local community
Events: Promote your library courses, talks, seminars, book clubs, parties and other events. Publicise your Eventbrite events in the Jolabokaflod CIC patch
Book clubs: Advertise book clubs that you run and/or support
Campaigns: Run Jolabokaflod CIC crowdfunding projects to get books into the hands of disadvantaged and vulnerable readers (e.g. homeless people, schools, hospitals, care homes).
Readers: Encourage people in your local community to read more and use the facilities in your library

Teachers

Potentially huge benefits for your school/college profile:

Campaigns: Run student-led Jolabokaflod CIC crowdfunding projects to get books into the hands of disadvantaged and vulnerable readers (e.g. homeless people, schools, hospitals, care homes).
Events: Promote your school or college and its events. Publicise your Eventbrite events in the Jolabokaflod CIC patch.

Activists

Potentially huge benefits for your campaign’s profile:

Publicity: Build your cause’s profile by association with the books you love
Events: Promote your campaign’s courses, talks, seminars, festival participation, parties and other events. Publicise your Eventbrite events in the Jolabokaflod CIC patch
Campaigns: Run issued-based Jolabokaflod CIC crowdfunding projects to get books into the hands of disadvantaged and vulnerable readers (e.g. homeless people, schools, hospitals, care homes).

Talent agents

Potentially huge benefits for your clients’ profiles and careers:

Clients: Build your clients’ profiles by association with the books they love
Work: Publicise your clients’ work by association with the books they love
Campaigns: Run client-related Jolabokaflod CIC crowdfunding projects to get books into the hands of disadvantaged and vulnerable readers (e.g. homeless people, schools, hospitals, care homes).

Contact

Full contact details for getting in touch with Jolabokaflod CIC are found on our Contact page.

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