Setting Up a Book Club
Good Planning Will Ensure the Launch of a Successful Readers Group
Jan 21, 2008
Starting a book club from scratch may seem a daunting task, but it is actually very straightforward!
There are a few key steps to ensuring a well set up book club that is fun to belong to:
One of the keys to setting up a successful book club is to ensure that the good planning takes place. Determining the type and nature of the book club and the books that are likely to read is one of the most important parts of planning your new club.
What Exactly is a Book Club?
The single criterion of a book club is that a group of people share the common experience of reading a book and exchanging observations. Book clubs can be great fun, offering the opportunity to meet new people, exchange thoughts and observations, and bring a new dimension to the wonderful world of books and reading. Often taking part in a book club can widen the enjoyment of a book and open up some new ideas.
What Type of Book Club?
Is the book club to be light and fun, or more serious and deep thinking? Will the group discuss fiction, non-fiction or a mix of both? Deciding on the right type of book club and setting some early ground rules is essential to the long-term success.
Some types of book club might be:
- A group of work colleagues reading and discussing a different work of fiction each month
- A group of keen readers meeting to read and discuss recent bestsellers
- A ‘virtual’ group, meeting via the Internet. Facilities such as Yahoo Groups make a convenient way to do this
- Enthusiasts of a specific subject meeting in person or virtually to discuss their passion. Be it a specific author, books about local history or perhaps even books following a theme, there are plenty of opportunities for book clubs focused on a particular subject.
- Keen (or perhaps not so keen!) cooks meeting to discuss recipes from one of the latest cookery best sellers, perhaps also to exchange thoughts and sample dishes.
How to Recruit Members
Inviting people to join the book club is important, as a lively and vibrant book club is dependent on the right mix of people. Notices can be placed in a variety of places, for instance:
- Libraries
- Newsagents
- Pubs
- Bookshops
- Church magazines
- Community centers
- Virtual members can be found through forums and discussion boards on related websites
Anywhere where people might see a notice will be ideal. When starting a book club it is important to let people know what is being planned and garnering the level of potential interest early on can help with planning the direction of the club.
Once the initial planning has taken place the next stage is to start planning how the book club will actually run, including where and when it will meet.
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