If you would like to start a book club, the first step is planning. Decide how many members you would like, where and how often you would like to meet, and your criteria for choosing books, for example. Some of these factors, along with other ground rules, can be developed or refined by consensus once you have a small "core group" established.
To begin building your club base, think about any friends or acquaintances you have that may like to start a book club with you. Anywhere you are in contact with others and already have some friends, such as work, school, or church, is a perfect place to ask around and begin gaining members. You may be able to find enough people to start a book club right away, but if only another person or two show interest, you can enlist their aid in formulating rules and in advertising and recruiting new participants.
Logistics are important when you start a book club. Choose a time and place convenient to everyone and how often you will meet. Once a month is usually a good frequency. Some book clubs meet at the same place every week, and others rotate so that members share hosting duties. Decide what kind of refreshments, if any, will be provided, and what guidelines your discussions will follow.
Before you start a book club, decide how books will be chosen. Perhaps everyone can make suggestions and vote, or suggestions can be chosen randomly, or core members can take turns. Some people start a book club with a special theme, such as classics or women writers, and others are quite inclusive, allowing non-fiction books, poetry, novels, self-help, and other genres.
You may wish to have a designated person lead the discussion each time, perhaps switching off among members, or you may ask everyone to bring a topic or question. Many books, especially those on recommended book group reading lists, such as Oprah's Book Club, include discussion questions in an appendix. Discussion questions for many others may be found online by searching under the book's title.
After you start a book club, you can advertise not only by word of mouth, but also through flyers. In addition to places you frequent, consider leaving flyers at places readers are likely to visit, such as the library or a local cafe. Advertising is always important to keep your book club going, as members may come and go.
