How to Start — and Sustain — a Successful Book Club
When I mention I run a book club — now going into its fourth year — I always get some puzzling responses: “Oh yeah! I’m in a book club. But we never read the book,” or, “Oh yeah! I’m in a book club. But we don’t really know what to read,” or, “Oh yeah! I’m in a book club. But we never usually find the time to meet.” On top of that, book clubs get a bad rap as simply social groups, or not worth the time. (As Anne Hathaway’s character exasperatedly remarks in Ocean’s 8, “Book clubs are the worst.” And no, I haven’t seen the Diane Keaton film.)
I happen to have an amazing book club — the Brew Pub Book Club. It took some work and some luck to get it to where it is, but it’s nothing anyone couldn’t accomplish. Here’s how to do a book club right:
1. Actually Read and Discuss the Book
This seems like a no-brainer — it’s a book club, right? But there’s a fair amount of book clubs that don’t read the book, and simply use the time as a social hour. Or, they just don’t know how to get everyone to read it.
The idea is to work backwards: Set a precedent that at each meeting, you will actually discuss the book, whether everyone’s read it or not. (I have called off book club in the past because not enough people finished the book.) And those who haven’t finished it are certainly welcome to come, but understand that we’re going to talk about the ending.
Not sure how to properly discuss the book? Check the back matter for discussion questions. Or go online to the book’s publisher, which usually has a list of questions as well. Or do a Google search. You’ll find that there are plenty of sites that offer guidance questions for discussion, and different sites take different approaches to those questions. Or, you can simply…
2. Stack the Deck with an English Major or Writer, or Two
I happen to be a writer and an English major, twice over. My entire education was based on discussing books in the classroom, or workshopping stories. Go beyond the “Did you like this book? How did this book make you feel?” to bigger questions on whether the narrative voice was appropriate for the work, or how setting was used as a character, or if there was a successful dénouement. (I actually refer to our book club as “English class over dinner.”) Ask around — you’ll not only find English majors or writers interested in joining your club, but they’ll be the ones who can lead you further down that discussion path. This means that book club will be that interesting mix of…
3. Esoteric, Yet Accessible Conversation
Not everyone is going to be at the same level of being able to discuss a book. But I’ve found that those who are new to book discussion appreciate the depth that seasoned literary folks bring — so it’s really Ok to have those different levels. Ultimately, each person is going to read the book through their own filters, and bring something unique to the table, whether they know that the book was told in third person limited free indirect discourse or not.
4. Find the Right Place to Meet
A good portion of my book club is made up of my co-workers, so it seemed natural to meet out at a restaurant near work. That’s been a pretty successful strategy, in that it’s a public space where people may feel more comfortable joining (rather than going to someone’s house). It also takes the pressure off of someone to host every time, too. If you do opt for the restaurant option, make sure that it’s a place that has big enough tables (round tables, not long ones, for better discussion), reasonable prices (you might not know who can afford what), and that will let you hang out for a while.
5. Provide Value
I’ll admit that I’m selfish in running a book club. I get to hang out with friends, read books I probably wouldn’t read, and have great discussions about literature — the things that I love! But I’ve learned that the book club is providing the same value for those attending. They enjoy having someplace to go once a month. They like being exposed to all different types of literature. They enjoy learning more about how to read better and discuss deeper. They come for a book club and get a book club (this ties back to #1 — provide value by delivering on the value proposition of a book club). A study by Publisher’s Weekly reports that book club members were most satisfied when their book club discussed the book for 40 minutes, and 97% of members want to read books that will spark great conversation. Make sure you’re giving folks a return on their investment.
6. Give Members Buy-In
Similarly, each member should feel that they have some kind of buy-in, or ownership, within the club, and the easiest way to do that is allow members to choose the books. We went through two iterations of this: At the beginning, we went around the circle, and each member would chose the book for a specific month. They could even lead the discussion, if they liked. While it wonderfully allowed us to read a variety of choices, it sometimes backfired: If the choice was too “out there,” no one read it; one person was invested, but others weren’t. So we changed it a year ago to a polling system, where each member submits a handful of choices, and we all vote. Top books make our season list — which means there’s broader interest, which means better attendance. This system has worked well, and continues to allow that buy-in. Which shows you that you need to constantly…
7. Innovate and Iterate
Try new approaches for book selection. Try new places to meet. Try new approaches at discussion. Go on field trips or do theme nights. A book club is a great testing ground, so long as you’re keeping to the core of what it’s about. But a book club can’t stay static, and isn’t meant to, especially around membership. I have one original member still with me, but a slew of new folks who have been attending and adding to the conversation. It’s neat to see how the dynamics shift.
8. Be a Leader
You would think that something like a book club would best function democratically, right? The best programs and initiatives, though, are often spearheaded by a person with vision, passion, and really good organizational skills. I’ve heard of a few book clubs in my circle who only meet when everyone can agree on a time (i.e., never), or who have fizzled out. Having a leader keeps it all on track. I send out emails to the group, I set the schedule, I oversee the polling, I make the reservations, I keep the discussion on track (it runs itself, at this point, so minimal work there), and I generally keep things fun. Make sure you have someone at the reins.
There are people who view reading as a solitary activity. I personally find no greater joy that getting together and discussing a book with a group of friends — and if you’re reading this, you share that same joy as well. These eight points should be enough to get you started on your book club, or inject some new life into a dwindling book club you might be a part of already.
