We are happy to announce that the 2019 version of The Secret Language of Books is off to the printer. Many of you expressed appreciation for the earlier version of this booklet, which contained detailed information about NoveList appeal factors and tips for using them with readers. This time around, we wanted to create an even richer resource for you by including genres and themes. 

Since the scope has expanded, we’re calling this new edition our “Guide to story elements.” The concept of story elements captures the many different ways that a book may catch your attention — whether that is through appeal, theme, and/or genre. 

Over the years here at NoveList, we’ve done a lot of interesting (and fun!) things with metadata. For many readers, genre forms a core entry point into their preferred reading experience. NoveList genres encompass a wide range of reading and publishing trends that allow for a nuanced exploration of books (everything from contemporary fantasy to police procedurals). 

We recently added themes to NoveList, which are a new kind of access point that identify those sometimes hard-to-define aspects of a book that hook a reader (from fantasy books about the Faerie realm to romances about dating your best friend’s sibling). 

Add all this to appeals (which help you define the mood and style of a book), and you have all the elements in place to help readers find exactly what they are looking for.

We hope you find this updated edition of The Secret Language of Books useful to you in your work with readers, and that you have fun exploring the world of reading together.


Victoria Caplinger Fredrick is the Director of Book Discovery at NoveList.