So you want to start a book club!
• Quit talking about it and just do it!
• Be clear about what you want to get out of a book club.
• Seek out members who will be
committed and share your objectives.
• Decide on a date, make a list of prospective members
and send them a catchy invitation that explains
your concept for the book club.
If you don’t think you know enough people –
ask invitees to bring a friend with them.
• Choose the book for the group to read or
invite the attendees to bring their favorite book.
• Send your invitations out early enough (4-6 weeks)
to allow everyone time to clear their calendar.
• You have a lot to cover in this first meeting but
keep a close watch on the time!
You don’t want to scare people off by giving
them the impression the time commitment
is more than they can commit to.
Whether during this meeting or the next, you must:
o Select a name for the group.
o Develop organizational guidelines
such as how often you will meet,
where you will meet, what type of books you will read,
how will the books be selected,
how many members will be in the group,
will dues be collected, will food be served, etc.
o Choose a date and time for the meetings
(i.e. each second Sunday at 4 pm).
o Set a time frame (i.e. 4 -6 pm),
of course they may stay later if the spirit dictates.
o Before you close, the next meeting should be set up –
date, time, name of the book to be read
(you should have a selection ready
or ask one of the invitees to do so).
o Set guidelines for regular attendance,
excessive tardiness, guests and children.
• Now that you have things going –
continue to steer things to a
comfortable place for all members.
o Encourage members to read selections
before recommending them to the club.
o Encourage the meeting facilitator to
prepare for the discussion by
being knowledgeable about the selection.
o Look for local authors who will come to or
call into your meeting when you are reviewing their book.
o All members should keep an eye out –
for local literary happenings and, when possible, attend
as a group – it will broaden your literary horizons.
o Don’t be discouraged when members leave –
just continue to work toward developing
a cohesive, committed group.
• If you have questions or need help,
please don’t hesitate to call upon the Divas at
