Many book clubs have been forced online by Covid-19 and various lock downs. However, there were also many that were online before we knew what a coronavirus is. There are several benefits to running your book club online that are often ignored. And they don’t have to be overly difficult to run or set-up. This is my guide to running an online book club, and making the most of virtual reading!
What are the Benefits of Online Book Clubs?
1) Discussion is About the Book
Inevitably, every in-person book club that I’ve attended turns into personal time/catch ups. Overall, that isn’t a bad thing for me- I’m only in in-person book clubs with people I know and like. However, it means that there isn’t a lot of book chat, and if you want book chat, that’s a problem.
Online book clubs tend to be focused on the book and not much else. Some virtual book clubs will have a separate off-topic thread, but most focus solely on the book that they are reading at the time. If you want more book chat, virtual may be for you.
2) You Will Meet New People
Unless you have moved an in-person book club online, you will most likely “meet” new people in an online book club. Because you are in a book club, you automatically have something in common, so it is a fairly easy way to meet new people. It gets harder and harder to make new friends when you are an adult, and even more so when you are looking for people physically around you. And if you are a book person, there is nothing like finding another book person to be friends with!
3) More Flexibility
Depending on how your online book club is set up (more on that below), you typically don’t need to commit to a specific time to discuss the book. (And obviously no place needed!) I find that in-person book clubs tend to fall apart, or at least really thin out, because of people’s schedules. Something changes and you are no longer able to be there on Tuesdays at 7 or whatever time it is. Online book clubs allow anyone and everyone to take part, no matter what is going on in their life.
Guide to Running an Online Book Club
After starting the #AnHistorianReads book club in July 2018, resurrecting it in April 2020, and being an admin for the Royally Good Reads book club, I’ve learned a lot about online book clubs. I’ve made some mistakes (not anywhere close to the end of the world), and I’ve figured out what to do and what not to do. It’s not rocket science, but there are a few things that you can do for success!
1) Pick a Theme/Focus
I would recommend that you pick some sort of theme or focus. Maybe you loved Bridgerton and now want to do a Regency romance book club. (I’ve seen many crop up recently- it seems a surefire bet right now!) Or perhaps you have a favourite author and want to read through their whole catalog (again).
When I first started the #AnHistorianReads book club, I alternated betwen fiction and non-fiction, but I found it was just too scattered. I switched to focusing on lighter classics when I brought it back in 2020, and that has been far more successful- people know what they are in for. (And it’s easier to pick the books.)
2) Set Your Reading/Discussion Schedule
There are a million different ways to schedule an online book club. Because you aren’t bound by in-person meetings, it doesn’t necessarily have to be “whole book read by X date”. If you do decide to read the whole book, I would recommend picking a recurring date to discuss on; it eliminates mix-ups and allows for planning.The Royally Good Reads book club does read one book a month, and we discuss on the last Friday of the month (with questions posted throughout the day).
You can also do smaller sections/ chunks of the book with more frequent discussions. For the #AnHistorianReads book club, we read 3-4 chapters per week, with a weekly general discussion on thoughts. The discussion post goes up on Saturdays, but people can respond whenever they want.
The schedule can be whatever you want! Just make sure that you clearly post it where people can see as soon as they join, and that you stick to it.
3) Choose a Platform
Like finding somewhere to physically meet, you need to find somewhere to host your online book club. I have kept mine on Facebook because it is a free platform and Facebook groups are easy to use. However, I’ve seen people use Twitter, Reddit, and even private message boards. There is no right or wrong answer, you will find different types of members on each platform. My only recommendation is that you choose an option that is free for members.
4) Find Ways to Involve Members
Obviously members are involved in the book club, as you wouldn’t have a book club without people to discuss with. However, people tend to be more invested and involved if they have a say in something. I like to periodically poll the group for ideas for upcoming books- I have a list of ideas, but it’s lovely to hear what everyone else wants to read. (And they often think of books that I never would have otherwise thought of myself.)
You could also have different members host discussions. I go with a very open-ended discussion in my own group, but if you have more directed questions, a guest host might be fun. We tend to come up with similar questions over and over, so a fresh mind coming up with new questions can be a nice change of pace.
5) Allow Extra Time for Admin
Unless you have a massive book club, I don’t think you need a lot of extra time. However, I would give yourself 15-30 minutes a week to deal with admin stuff. Approving/adding new members, coming up with questions, scheduling posts, selecting future books- make sure you have some time to get that done. If you are using Facebook or Twitter, there are scheduling tools that allow you to queue up future posts!
And of course, make sure that you have time to read the book. That sounds obvious but anyone who hosts a book club of any format has forgotten to get their reading done at some point. (I like to read a little bit ahead each week, to make sure.)
♠
If you are looking to join a book club, you can check out both of mine! The #AnHistorianReads book club reads lighter classics, typically 3-4 chapters a week. We are currently reading Emily of New Moon by LM Montgomery. And the Royally Good Reads book club reads different royal fiction and non-fiction books, about any and all royals from the past and the modern period! Like I said before, we read one book a month, and discuss it on the last Friday of the month.
Do you have any questions about running an online book club?
Cheers,
The Historian
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Great post. I’ve been part of an online book club for a couple of years now and really enjoy it. It’s worked out well during the pandemic but also before that for me due to my disability. I don’t have to think about inaccessible venues, transport, feeling unwell etc.
It really does open it up for so many people, and removes so many barriers- I love that it has made book clubs more accessible!!