The Book Draft: The Guidelines and Regulations for the Selection of the Books and the Order to Which Such Selected Books Will Be Drafted. 3rd Edition
A. Dress Code:
I. All club members must don attire fitting to the occasion to every Book Draft event. This occasion being the culmination of one year of thoughtful contemplation, it is respectful that each club member must clothe themselves with the wardrobe set forth by the Book Draft Commissioner and the officers of the Pacific Literary Laboratories. Therefore, each member will sew the club patch onto the left breast pocket of a blazer or jacket. This blazer or jacket must be worn to the Book Draft.
II. Potential members are encouraged to wear a blazer to the Book Draft with the ambitious goal of earning an official PLL patch.
B. The Selection:
I. Each member of the draft will purpose three (3) books of his choosing. These books will be each member’s book candidates for the year.
II. Choose books you deem worthy of someone else's time. Either a classic, influential, or what you consider a must-read.
III. The emphasis will be works of literature; though, full freedom is given to the individual to choose from whatever genre they see fit as long as they adhere to guideline B. II. (see above).
IV. It does not matter if the member bringing a book has read the book or not, but it must be a book the member himself is willing to read. This means it is strongly discouraged to bring a book that the member knows he could not finish reading himself for whatever reason. I.e. length, dry content, etc.)
V. All books that have either been candidates from previous Book Drafts or The Book League selections are ineligible as candidates.
VI. The intent is that each book brought to the Book Draft be read cover to cover.
VII. Unabridged only.
VIII. A collection of stories or essays is perfectly acceptable, as long as the intent is to read all the stories/essays within the book’s cover. No collection of stories is acceptable if it does not contain the complete set of stories intended in the author’s/publisher’s original publication. This might be appealed if in the book’s history there is a controversy and republication of the book whereby the content of a book is changed and arguably bettered in the amendment of the book’s content. No excerpts of larger novels.
IX. The combined page count of the three (3) books should not exceed 1500 pages.
X. It is encouraged that each single book does not exceed 500 pages. In the event that you have chosen a tome longer than 500 pages, then guideline B. IX must take effect.
XI. Each member has full discretion on the edition or binding of the books chosen.
XII. Each member’s book choice shall remain discrete until the draft.
XIII. Each member will give a two to three (2-3) minute explanation on why you think the book is badass.
XIV. You are borrowing the books you select, and they must be returned. Please note that the intention is that each member brings three (3) books to the draft and leaves with the two (2) books he will read for the year. Each member will also bring home his book candidates that were not drafted. Note, you are supposed to feel bad if your books were not chosen. Pick better book candidates next time. Each member should bring books he is comfortable letting another member borrow for the year. In turn, take care of the books borrowed. If a book is damaged while in the care of a borrowing member the expectation is the borrowing member replaces the damaged book in the same edition and condition.
XV. Each member may bring what he already owns or he may buy a book for the event.This is completely up to each member.
XVI. The Sabbath Year - The members of the Pacific Literary Laboratories believe and acknowledge the right and glorious traditions found in the canon of Scripture and the canon of the Western Literature. In the former, there is the year of Jubilee wherein all debts in society are expunged. The Pacific Literary Laboratories will mirror this joyous event appropriating this to its own rules and regulations by declaring on every seventh year all previous book candidates left not chosen (the unelect) are once again eligible for future book drafts in the following seven year cycle.
C. The Draft of the Above-Mentioned Books
I. Each member shall have two to three (2-3) minutes to explain why he brought each book. This process, meaning the rotation of verbal appeals, may vary from year to year, and will be decided by the commissioner of the Book Draft.
II. After the verbal appeals of each book by each each member, each member will have ten (10) minutes to formulate a draft plan and research each book further. This will be done alone and on the online platforms he brings to the draft. (Looking up a book’s merits on your preferred book review website)
III. There will be a total of two (2) rounds, and each member gets a pick in each round.
IV. Each round will start with determining the draft order for that specific round. The draft order will be determined randomly. This is to ensure that each member chooses the book he wants most in the moment. This will discourage strategizing for the whole draft.
V. Each member is given (1) minute to draft his book.
VI. If the time expires before the pick is submitted, the member WILL BE SHAMED and excommunication from the Book Draft shall be considered by the Book Draft Commissioner and the members of the Book Draft. Be a man and make a decision.
D. After the Draft
I. No trading.
II. Books are to be returned no later than the next book draft the following year.
III. Books are to be returned in the condition they were received. See B. VIII.
Revised 12/28/21