Readers love book mail. Whether it’s a giveaway prize or something they ordered for themselves, there’s a certain thrill in getting a book in the mail – a present for yourself, a new world that you can lose yourself in for a few hours.
Uppercase Box takes that thrill to new heights for YA readers. Uppercase sends subscribers monthly boxes of goodies themed around a book. In addition to a shiny new hardcover, you can get any assortment of accompanying items – exclusive bookmarks and notebooks, beautiful jewelry, artwork, stickers, and more.
“I am beyond excited about the new bookish items that will be included in future boxes. There will definitely be some great books to read, of course, but I’m especially pumped to share some really special items I think book lovers will just adore,” said Uppercase founder Lisa Parkin.
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Contents from the August 2015 Uppercase box. Photo by Nicole Brinkley.
Parkin’s dive into YA didn’t start with Uppercase, though. For the past four years, Parkin has been blogging at Read.Breathe.Relax, reading and reviewing YA books. While she particularly adores YA fantasy – with Harry Potter, Graceling and the Grisha series being some of her favorite books – she reads widely across genres.
Her understanding of book trends and understanding what readers wanted – skills she learned through blogging – helped her decide to start Uppercase.
“Blog readers – along with friends and family – were always asking for book recommendations, and Uppercase became a natural extension of that. I was familiar with subscription boxes like StitchFix, and I thought ‘why not YA books?,’” said Parkin.
Parkin’s selection process is simple: find a book she loves and build the box around that. Sometimes that’s an urban fantasy novel. Sometimes it’s a contemporary romance. Diversity is sought-out, with past boxes including characters from diverse backgrounds or characters that struggle with their sexuality.
She keeps in mind what readers want, but every book she selects is one she is passionate about – and with her Uppercase Reading Experience, it has to be.
The Uppercase Reading Experience is unique to the Uppercase Box. In the books subscribers receive, they find post-it notes with a special code they can implement on the Uppercase website. The code unlocks exclusive bonus content that can be anything from additional backstory to a video with the author.
“We are planning on making the Reading Experience even more interactive,” said Parkin. “In the next few months, we’re going to take that to a whole new level.”
For Parkin, the success of Uppercase has been a delight. After all, there’s not a single thing she dislikes about creating the boxes.
“I am one of the most blessed people on the planet. I get to do something for a living that I’m incredibly passionate about with a group of people who are in love with the same thing – and who are some of the best people in the world, by the way. I honestly wake up every day feeling so incredibly thankful I get to do this.”
For more on the Uppercase Box, visit their website.
