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How to Start Your Own Book Club
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With explosive #booktok trends, the world of literature is shared to a global audience. Join a book club or start your own book club. For this retired teacher, this warms my heart more than Jason Momoa! Book clubs are about more than just finishing a book – thanks in part to social media, the uprise in reading proves that clubs are about connection and creating a space where people come together to share ideas.
Who Can Start a Book Club?
Readers who want deeper community connections, leaders looking to combine networking with reading, and book lovers who enjoy hosting and are ready to build something meaningful with like minds.
Why Start a Book Club?
- Read and discuss impactful books
- Build professional and personal relationships
- Support each other’s goals
- Expand local community connections
Your Audience
- Who is this club for? (Entrepreneurs? Moms? Professionals? Co-workers? Creatives?)
- What transformation do you want members to experience?
- Will meetings be casual, structured, or hybrid?
- Is this purely community-focused or part of a larger brand?
Meeting Structure
- Monthly or bi-monthly meetings
- In-person, virtual, or hybrid
- One book per month or per quarter
- Rotating discussion leaders or fixed host
- Shared readings, based on interest or genre
Book Selections
- Personal growth
- Leadership development
- Business strategy
- Confidence building
- Faith and mindset growth
- Entertainment
Meeting Venue
- Coffee shops
- Local restaurants
- Community centers
- Churches
- Co-working spaces
- Private homes
Promoting Your Book Club
- Facebook community groups
- Social media local hashtags
- Eventbrite
- Local Chamber of Commerce
- Email or text
- Word of mouth
Resources
Many times a book club fades is lack of organization. How structured do you want your club to be?
- Discussion question guides
- Meeting agenda templates
- Email reminders
- Social graphics
- Sign-up forms
- Member contact list
Atmosphere
- Respectful conversation
- Confidentiality
- No sales pitching (unless structured)
- Encouragement over competition
- Consistent attendance
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Lack of structure
- No reminder system
- Choosing books with no discussion value
- Allowing dominant personalities to control conversation
- Not clarifying group purpose
- Inconsistent meeting dates
Takeaways
Starting a book club begins with the format of your club. The format doesn’t have to be set in stone. I find myself trying new things to keep my group members engaged and enjoying the variety of interactions. You’ll do that too.
STEP 1: Know your audience and set up your club accordingly: in person, virtual, or both. You don’t have to select just one format. Many clubs are a hybrid.
- In Person – Many people still prefer the lively discussions of books that they love or despise
- Virtual – The convenience of participating at your own convenience
- Hybrid – Best of both worlds, arrange social gatherings in addition to virtual social groups
STEP 2: Set your ground rules: group book selection frequency, genres, or share individual reading choices, audiobook selections, or a combination of all.
STEP 3: Activities & Socials: How large do you want your group to be? Growing your club, socials, discussions/meetings, reading goals, trips, etc. changes with the size of group you are trying to accommodate.
Lucky for you, starting a successful book club event doesn’t require elaborate décor or even complicated menus—it’s built on simple planning, comfortable yet fun conversation, and small details that make people feel included. You can do it!
Double Booked – A Ready-Made Club for You
Create your own local chapter of theDouble Booked Club using ready-to-use resources – more downloads & printables – designed to make launching simple. And no — you don’t have to keep the name Double Booked.
