How to Start a Book Club

Books clubs can be a great way to socialize with friends, read great books, and have fun.

Book Clubs Can Be Whatever You Want Them to Be. Read. Eat. Drink. Socialize. And Just Have Fun.

I’ve never been a part of a formal book club, but I have studied literature and fiction with other writers and literature majors for over thirty years. I do, however, know plenty of people who do participate in book clubs, about 99.99% of them female, so kudos to them for their literary pursuits (where are my male book club participants?)!

What I’ve learned about book clubs from my significant other as well as female friends who are in book clubs is that not all book clubs are the same. Here’s what I’ve learned:

• Clubs can act as social gatherings and/or literary explorations and discovery

• Not everyone reads the book

• Some club members are appalled at the selections made by other members

• Not everyone is into the same genre(s), which leads to the above bullet

• Not everyone is as knowledgeable about literature as other club members

• Some members only show up when it’s their book choice that’s being discussed

Make Sure You Set Up Some Rules and Guidance so Everyone Knows What to Expect.

Some Steps to Consider on How to Start a Book Club:

• Keep your group down to a manageable size—not too small, not too large

• Decide the genres everyone is comfortable with/will enjoy participating discussing

• Set clear expectations on how you’ll approach the club, i.e., how often you’ll meet, who picks the book (everyone should get the opportunity to select a book unless they decline), who’ll bring the wine (or coffee or whatever)

• Where the book club will be held

• And try to keep a routine. Have the book club meet at the same time each month or every couple of months, but keeping it consistent will ensure better attendance and participation

Once You Start the Book Club:

• Read the book! Too many book club members are there just to socialize. If everyone’s cool with it, great. But if it were me, I’d want to discuss the book someone in our group took the time to select for us all to read.

• Prepare questions. Make sure they’re insightful ones, or silly ones, if that’s what your group is about. Remember, you all decide what the rules are, so consider them carefully. You don’t want your members dropping like flies because they didn’t know what to expect and were let down.

• Make sure everyone’s respectful. Have a leader, if appropriate, manage each meeting.

• Make sure everyone knows who’s responsible for what. If someone is hosting, they shouldn’t have to supply the food, the booze, the whatever. Helping each other makes the experience that much more enjoyable.

• Make sure the books you select are available for purchase or that you still have a library in town that carries said book.

• If you live near the book’s setting, maybe plan a trip to visit where your characters live. I did that in England when I read George Eliot’s (Mary Ann Evans’s) novels, visiting the Midlands (she grew up there and named fictional towns based on where she lived).

• Invite the author! Plenty of authors will show up for a zoom meeting if you invite them. Just reach out via email if you can find it. I’ve done a number of zooms and have loved them, because it was clear the book club readers had read my book. (Not everyone, but most of them).

And the main thing you should strive for when participating in a book club? Have fun!

Some Beverage Ideas Include Coffee, Tea, Chai, and, Of Course, Wine, Beer, and Cocktails!

Cully Perlman is a novelist, short story writer, blogger, and Substantive Editor. He can be reached at Cully@novelmasterclass.com