How to Play

PubFight

Gaining insight on next season's hottest books is great. Using that knowledge to build your very own entirely fictitious publishing empire is even better.

If you geek-out on ARCs and advance reviews, have much love for Oscar pools, Giller bets or fantasy sports leagues and enjoy a little friendly competition, you're going to love PubFight.

We are currently recruiting for the 2009 Season! Contact us at pubfight@booknetcanada.ca to find out more.

Before You Begin...

Think you can spot this fall's surprise blockbuster? Predict a Giller-bound author? Willing to put (fake) money and (real) literary street-cred on it? If you're saying yes, yes, yes and you've got access to BNC SalesData, you're ready to be a PubFighter.

The Auction

Do your homework and get ready. In June or early July, you and your league mates are going to Fake Frankfurt for a knockdown, drag-out fight to determine who gets which real new titles for the fall season. Bring a bidding strategy, tissues and consolation cookies: this is where kingdoms are won and lost.

BNC will provide you with the list of frontlist, not-yet published books up for auction and $200,000 in (fake) dollars for each player. Your players bid furiously until each title has gone to the highest bidder - but be careful! Winning bids count as advances and the book's real sales will have to earn out before you make money.

Contact us at pubfight@booknetcanada.ca to find out more.

The Game

After your auction, you'll send your list of who got what and for how much to BookNet. We'll load it up into the PubFight site and send all your players their log-ins. Each players decides how many books to print to begin and everyone crosses their fingers.

Your season starts when the first Fall books hit the street. Every week, BookNet Canada applies all the true unit sales for your titles from BNC SalesData to your PubFight stock.

You manage your print runs and stock levels. Pile 'em high and watch 'em fly or print conservatively and avoid dead stock come January: you pick your strategy and let the best PubFighter win. But remember: if your titles sell more in the real world than you've got on hand, you lose those sales.

Contact us at pubfight@booknetcanada.ca to find out more.

The Champion(s)

After the ribbons and wrappings settle on the holiday season in January, you crown your winners. You determine how you want to congratulate or soothe your league (and then get ready for the next season)! BookNet Canada will host a celebration night so you can find out how all the other leagues did and maybe even earn a skunk prize or two!

Contact us at pubfight@booknetcanada.ca to find out more.