Revamp of our February 2021 blog post to include details about the new Eligible Icon helping publishers easily identify which titles are eligible for Loan Stars recommendation by library staff.
Looking for ways to promote your forthcoming titles? Loan Stars could be the program for you.
Loan Stars is a readers' advisory tool that allows library staff across Canada to recommend forthcoming titles they deem essential for Canadian libraries and Canadian library patrons — adult, young adult, and juvenile readers alike. Each month, the 10 most recommended books in BNC CataList become part of either a monthly Loan Stars Adult list or a bimonthly Loan Stars Jr. top picks!
These lists are shared by the media, library wholesalers, and public libraries. To be eligible for top pick status, a book must be:
publishing for the first time;
forthcoming;
English-language; and,
listed in BNC CataList.
What’s new in Loan Stars?
You asked. We listened. Publishers can now see which titles are eligible for Loan Stars recommending in CataList. Look for the Eligible graphic in catalogues and title detail pages to see which titles you can promote to library staff.
To view the Eligible icon, simply look at a catalogue containing some forthcoming titles either in the tile or scroll views.
The ‘next Loan Stars top pick’ checklist
But how can your forthcoming books become Loan Stars picks?
Make sure your books are in CataList
All Loan Stars recommendations take place in CataList. If your titles aren't there, they can't be recommended. In CataList, library staff have the option to recommend a title, to request an advanced reading copy, view available supporting resources (such as samples, excerpts, interior images, reading and teacher guides, etc.), and even write reviews to go along with their recommendations.
All forthcoming titles more than two months away from their publication date are eligible for Loan Stars. For example, library staff can recommend titles that publish in May right up until the end of March. We're always working ahead so that library systems have enough time to order and catalogue the books prior to publication.
Make advanced reading copies (ARCs) — and supporting resources — available to library staff
Make your ARCs, samples, and excerpts easily accessible — we can't stress this enough! Library staff are more likely to recommend your book if they get a chance to read something: either an ARC, sample, or an excerpt. Having interior images available also makes recommending your book easier, especially for Juvenile titles and Comics & Graphic Novels.
ARCs
You can get ARCs to library staff any way you want, but we recommend either or both of these two easy methods:
Enable reading copy requests for your CataList account. This will allow library staff to request digital or print ARCs directly from you.
Use a galley service like NetGalley. This makes digital ARCs quickly and easily available. Readers who choose NetGalley will be taken to NetGalley's website and requests will come from their site. CataList allows users to also search and browse for titles on NetGalley. If you're using NetGalley we recommend that you respond to requests in a timely manner.
Samples and excerpts
Samples and excerpts are very similar. The main difference is length.
Excerpts are usually short and tend to be focused on capturing the reader’s attention with a brief passage. On the other hand, providing the first two or three chapters of a book, including front matter is common practice for samples. However, samples can be as long or short as you’d like.
Remember, samples and excerpts are important not only for Loan Stars recommendations but also as a marketing tool. Read this blog post to find out more about the role of these assets in the purchase decision-making process and discoverability.
Not sure how to get started? Learn how to provide samples and excerpts through BiblioShare and CataList.
Images
Interior, front, and back cover images play an important role in Loan Stars recommendations, especially for the Loan Stars Jr. list. We recommend providing at least two full spreads in order to give library staff a good sense of your book.
Don’t think you have any interior-worthy content? Here are some books that also benefit from interior image provision:
Poetry collections: provide a sense of the layout and careful design of your poetry collections,
Non-fiction titles that have visual art and graphic design components, or
Fiction titles that have maps, family trees, or character lists.
No spoilers, though!
Wondering how you can send front, back, and interior images to BiblioShare? Check out this blog post.
Promote forthcomning titles
Here are some ideas for how to promote your titles to library staff:
Let library staff know that you're actively participating in the Loan Stars program through your library mailing lists.
Keep approved library staff reviewers informed about the ARCs you have available for request.
Create CataList catalogues specifically for Loan Stars and promote them to library staff. Make sure these catalogues contain books for which you have sample content or ARCs and that you feel will appeal to the library market.
When you give away an ARC think about ways that you can say to your readers: "Here's your free book. If you like it, please thank us by recommending it on CataList for Loan Stars."
Celebrate your Loan Stars picks!
Your book made it to a Loan Stars list. Congratulations! Now what?
Interact with us on social media. On top of our twice-a-month mailings, we also promote the lists and catalogues of forthcoming eligible titles on our Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest accounts.
Tell everyone that your book is a Loan Stars pick in your ONIX. Read up on how you can tag Loan Stars picks in your ONIX feeds.
Download print-ready posters of the lists from the Adult and Jr. archives, as well as any website and/or print material you might need for promotion purposes.
We're here to help! Have questions, ideas, or comments, please contact us.
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