Stories sound a lot better when you have people to share them with. Starting a book club is an excellent activity that starts great discussions and connects friends on a deeper level. It’s also a great way of socializing with people you don’t know. We all have our own philosophies, and sometimes listening someone else’s interpretation can completely change your own perceptions. Before getting started, we recommend a few guidelines to create the best book club.

How to Start a Successful Book Club in 5 Simple Steps

1. Figure Out Why You Want to Create a Book Club

Now that you’ve decided to start a book club, spend a few minutes deciding why you want to do it. What’s the purpose of your book club? What sort of people do you want to appeal to, and most importantly, what book genre do you want to focus on? If you want to be the leader of the club, settle on a number of hours you can spend there. Encourage members to participate in discussion and compel them to pitch in with their own ideas and suppositions.

2. Search for Potential Members 

Before starting the actual book club, it’s important that you test your idea. For starters, ask around and see who might be interested in joining. Talk about your plans on Facebook and assess who reacts. Ask friends to share your post and at the end see how many people want to join. Focus on making a poll, asking potential members what book genre they prefer. This will give you a general idea and it will help you plan sessions accordingly. It’s very important to focus on people that actually love to read books.

3. Pick a Place To Hold Book Reading Sessions 

Now that you have a plan in place and people interested in joining your book club, the next step is to pick a place. It can a library, a quiet café, the park, or your own home. For sessions to be as productive as possible, it’s super important to decide on a relaxing and inspiring venue. In the summer, you can easily head to the park. Reading and sharing opinions surrounded by a natural habitat enthuses people, and creates a very relaxed and productive ambiance.

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4. Keep The Book Club Interesting By Going Online 

Book clubs may be about reading paper books, but if you’re not organized it will fumble. That’s because it’s difficult to keep track of time, let alone find a way to spark an interesting discussion. The good news is you can use technology to help you keep things alive. For example, you can create a calendar on Google Drive. Ask your members to join and they’ll feel a lot more connected. Share ideas with them, include dates for future sessions and include book titles to discuss. This will motivate people to want to come and hear what you have to share.

5. Switch It Up 

Talking about the same books over and over again can bore your members. Not everyone has a weakness for fiction or sci-fi. Some might resonate with self-help books or non-fiction. It might be a good idea to set up debates. Or, you can read different books written by the same author and share ideas. There are many techniques you can use to keep things interesting. Talk about things you’ve learned from a book a colleague doesn’t like. Your insight might persuade them to read it as well. The key to a successful book club is to create productive debates, not conflicting debates. Asking questions and finding a way to meet somewhere in the middle without getting into a fight is essential to a fun and exciting book club

Last but not least, be open to receiving feedback and accepting criticism. Constructive criticism helps improve your book club’s functionality. The more open you are to accepting new ideas, the more chances you have to expand your club and add even more members. Reading is an excellent activity that people should embrace. It keeps our brains active and it expands our horizons. Good books are difficult to find, and your members can introduce you to new titles that may completely change your life.