How to Start and Run a Successful Book Club

Figuring out how to start (or join) a book club can sometimes be challenging. Additionally, running a successful book club takes some prep work both when you start the club and as your club grows. Here are some tips to get your book club up and running.

Starting a Book Club

1.    Finding Members

• Browse Bookclubs.com to see if there is a book club you’d like to join or use it as a resource to start your own club.
• Many cities have their own Facebook group, and if you’re interested in starting an in-person club, you may want to post there to see if there is any interest.
• Check your local library and independent bookstores as they often have multiple book clubs.
  • Do you work for an independent bookstore looking to start a book club? Check out our Bookmarked for Bookstores Book Club Program, specifically for independent bookstore-run book clubs!
    
• Talk to friends, family, neighbors, coworkers, and people you know from outside interests. Ask those people if they know anyone who might also want to join. 

2.    Setting Expectations

• Determine the types of books you want to read – i.e., are you open to any genre, are there certain genres you want to focus on (e.g., literary fiction, historical fiction, etc.), are there specific topics you want to concentrate on (e.g., women’s experiences, LGBTQIA+ experiences, historical events/people, contemporary issues, etc.)
  • Try exploring various fiction categories or nonfiction categories to get the discussion going.
• Determine how you want to select books – i.e., give each person a chance to choose, have everyone bring an idea and the group votes, select all your books at the start of the year, follow someone else’s book club list (e.g., your library, a group you find online, a celebrity book club, etc.)
• Determine where to hold your club – i.e., at the person’s house who chose, at a café or diner, at the library or local independent bookstore, at some other public place, virtually, etc.; and how often (e.g., monthly, every other month, as schedules allow, etc.)
• Determine how strict you want to be about people reading the book. Is this just a social gathering, so people don’t mind if you didn’t read the book, or do you want this to be more serious? Make sure everyone understands the club’s expectations up front so there aren’t any disagreements later.

Running a Book Club

1.    Book Selection Ideas

• Review celebrity book club picks and major media picks like Read with Jenna, Reese’s Book Club, Good Morning America, etc. 
  
• Check out BookPage and the Indie Next List (libraries tend to carry BookPage, while independent bookstores carry the Indie Next List, or you can go to both of their websites and subscribe to the newsletters)
• See what other book clubs are reading on Bookclubs.com
• Check out what in-person or virtual author visits your local library and independent bookstore have coming up, and choose to read a book by an author coming to town (and plan to attend their visit with your book club, of course!)

2.    Food Options

• Looking for the perfect book club snacks? Check out Pinterest for some great ideas!
• Use your book as inspiration (sometimes they have recipes in the back like this Book Club Guide)
• Keep it simple with spreads from places like Costco or Sam’s Club
• Meet at a local cafe or diner

3.    The Discussion

• Book club discussion guides are available on most publisher or author websites like this Resources page.
• A lot of authors will do virtual visits, so make sure to try and reach out to the author of your pick to see if they will join your meeting! As mentioned earlier, libraries and independent bookstores often have authors do virtual visits, so you can try attending those as a group.
• Give each person a chance to voice their opinion about the book. And always remember to be respectful of opinions – not everyone will like a book you like and vice versa. But that’s okay! Listen to what everyone has to say, even if you don’t agree. 

4.    Organization

• Create a text or email group or use Bookclubs.com to organize communication.
• Keep track of what you’ve read in a planner like these, online (e.g., Goodreads, Bookclubs.com, on a spreadsheet, etc.), or on your phone.
• It is best to determine dates right away – whether for the year or at the end of your meeting, otherwise it can be difficult to get everyone on the same page remotely.
• Keep track of how you rated each book in your planner, online, or phone.