Recently, a friend of mine and I started a gothic literature book club. We enjoyed the socialization, venues, and friendships in other clubs, but we wanted to focus more on serious literature and discussion. After a few years of attending these clubs, we felt we had learned enough to start our own. Here are 8 steps to help you start a book club.
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Step 1: Get Started
Before launching your book club, reflect on the goals you set to keep members engaged and motivated. Do you envision it as more of a social gathering with less emphasis on book discussions? Or are you interested in having meaningful literary conversations? Clarifying your vision will help you determine the focus of your book club and the genres you’re likely to read.
Additionally, decide whether you want to host the group alone, partner with a co-host, or have members take turns leading discussions, selecting venues, and managing logistics.
Once you’ve established your objectives for the book club, you can move on to the next steps.
Step 2: Define the Genre
What genres of literature or themes would you like your book club to focus on? Options include general fiction, gothic literature, horror, science fiction, romance, classics, and thrillers. If you decide to organize your book club around a specific genre or theme, what criteria or definitions will you use to select the books?
Step 3: Pick the Venue
Where do you plan to hold your book club? How much time will you need? Many book clubs combine reading discussions with social activities, such as dinner or brunch, often at the host’s home. Other options include libraries, coffee shops, or virtual meetings. Once you choose a location, consider how well it aligns with your club’s style to ensure a comfortable, inviting atmosphere for everyone. Having members vote on the venue for next month’s discussion can increase engagement and shared ownership of the process.
Step 4: Consider Membership
When selecting a venue, it’s essential to consider the size of your group, as each location has its own limitations. Restaurants typically allow small groups to gather without charging a fee. Coffee shops and private homes may have restricted space. Libraries can accommodate larger groups, while virtual clubs can host even larger gatherings. However, it’s worth noting that larger groups might make having meaningful discussions more difficult.
Step 5: Select the Books
Before your first meeting, you’ll need to select a book. For future discussions, one option is to choose 12 books in advance—one for each month—and share this list with the book club members to encourage engagement. Alternatively, you could allow members to nominate and vote on books each month for the following month’s reading. This approach promotes participation and gives everyone a sense of ownership in the reading schedule.
Step 6: Develop Discussion Questions
Many book clubs center their discussions on questions related to the book being read. These questions can often be found on the author’s or publisher’s websites, or you can create your own in advance. Additionally, you can use general literary questions that focus on aspects such as plot, structure, writing style, tone, characters, and setting, as these can lead to in-depth discussions. Informal discussions are also practical, allowing each member to bring their own discussion points to the table.
Step 7: Stay Organized
Some book clubs can last for years, so it’s essential to stay organized to keep track of previous book selections, venues, and members. Apps like Bookclubs, Fable, Bookclubz, Novellic, and Book Club can assist with organization, tracking, messaging members, making book selections, rating books, and more.
Step 8: Schedule the First Discussion
There are a few particulars you’ll need to work out before launching your first book club meeting. Once you finalize the details, schedule your first discussion at least four weeks in advance. This helps build anticipation and gives members enough time to prepare and participate actively.
You can use various platforms to organize this. Consider book club apps such as Bookclubs, Fable, Novellic, and Book Club. Additionally, Meetup, Facebook groups, and book blogger websites also host book clubs with options for both in-person and virtual meetings.
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