Hosting a book club sounds great, right? A group of friends coming together to read and talk about a shared book is my idea of a great time. Add in some special details like themed food, activities, and music and you’ve got the makings of a legendary tradition.
As the book club meeting nears closer, you feeling might start to change from excitement to confusion and stress.
How do you even run a book club?!
I’ve been hosting The Bookcase Beauty Book Club since 2021. I’ve run both online and in-person events and I’ve learned a lot about how to host a book club that feels welcoming but not overwhelming. You can totally do it, too!
You can read more about my start up here!
Where do you begin?
Begin by deciding where your potential members live. Do they live locally and have the ability to physically meet? Do they live locally but don’t have the ability to physically meet? Are they spread across states and time zones? Do you have a space you want to host in once a month?
These reflections will help you decide if your club should be hosted in person or online!
For me, an online book club ended up working the best for the schedules of my local friends and the accessibility for my long-distance friends.
I host my club on a platform specifically designed for book clubs called Bookclubs!
I’ve used Bookclubs for years and highly recommend it to all who host their own clubs. The interface is fantastic for club communication, calendar scheduling, book highlights, group polling, and more!
For example, Bookclubs pulls from a library of thousands of books that you can use in polls and to set your “Currently Reading” status. I especially love using this feature when making polls for what we will read. It automatically fills in the synopsis, so that my club members can easily make a decision.
I also love the scheduling features! With my Pro Plus account, I can host video chats right on the platform. Meaning, I don’t have to keep a Zoom subscription for video chats!
They also have a great messaging stream! Anyone in the club can post a message to the group. The format is similar to any other posting thread, so the comments stay organized and easy to follow.
I could seriously go on and on about how much I love this platform! You can access it as both an app and web format!
They have a free version, but with their paid versions you get access to the tools that make running an online book club the most interactive!
And, if you’re looking to turn this into a source of income with membership dues, you can email Bookclubs after you start your paid account and they will help you get set up!
The best part?! Not only is Bookclubs a place for your club to call home, it’s also always helping you find new members!! Their Join a Book Club page helps connect bookworms all of the world with the club that’s just right for them!
You’ll find hundreds and hundreds of book clubs available to join – celebrity book clubs, influencer book clubs (like mine!), and even genre specific clubs! As a public book club host, your club will be featured for potential new members to explore and join!
Is Bookclubs only good for online book clubs?
No, it’s a great tool to help keep local book club chapters connected throughout the month and organized on their current read and conversations! It also helps in-person clubs schedule meetings with designated locations!
Should I wait until the start of a new year to begin?
WHY?! The calendar year mindset is such a trick. Remember the famous Benjamin Franklin quote, “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.”
If there is one thing I’ve learned about growth, it’s that you have to take messy action. You are never going to begin anything if you convince yourself that you should be an expert before you even begin.
Go for it!! Start that club that’s been on your heart.
Okay, you’ve convinced me! How do I choose the right book?
This will depend on your style completely! Do you want to read from the same genre every month? Do you want to take turns with your club members choosing books?
You may have caught on from my screenshots above that I *don’t* choose the books, and it’s been the most freeing thing as a host!
Personally, my club reads from a variety of genres. Each month, I choose 3-4 books that are high on my TBR from a specific genre and have my club vote on what they would most like to read! I’ve found that this engagement leads to more ownership of the book and a better rate of reading the book and meeting attendance!
If you’re really looking for a launch book, I’d recommend one of Katherine Center’s books! They’re the perfect balance between romance, comedy, and just a *little* weight. They make for great discussions!
How do I get people to join my club?
You don’t need a large social following to begin. Anyone can start a book club!!
- Encouraging friends and family to join you is a great way to start building your club! Ask them to invite others!
- Share you club in local mom groups or church bulletins.
- Share it with your coworkers or the parents on your child’s sports team.
- Post about it on social media!
- Be sure to list your club as “public” on the Bookclubs platform to attract new members.
If you do have a social media following of book lovers, like a Bookstagram or Booktok account, utilize it! Create content around your book picks. Encourage followers to join you. Highlight when something fun happens with your club, like when I met my online club in real life at our first Reading Retreat!
How do you come up with discussion questions?
I love to use these tabs when I read! I mark things like important plot points, opportunities for discussion questions, and memorable quotes. These tabs help me generate a list of discussion topics and questions.
But there’s also an easier option! Bookclubs has generated discussion questions for the most popular book club books on their site! These lists have helped me so many times! You can also request discussion questions for a specific book if they aren’t already available!
I also make Book Club Kits! These kits include discussion questions, themed food and drink ideas, themed activity ideas, a personally curated playlist, and more! You can check them out here!
I’m feeling inspired to start my own book club! Anything else I should know?
Let go of perfection! Start simple and go deeper over time. Building a new community of friends doesn’t happen overnight!
It takes a lot of vulnerability to start a book club. It also takes a lot of vulnerability to join one, especially if you don’t know the members (or host) very well. Be patient and gracious to your members who are stepping out of their comfort zone to join you!! It takes time and consistency, but relationships will grow!
