How to Start an Online Book Club: A Step-by-Step Guide
Virtual book clubs are the perfect way to connect with other introverted book lovers. Book clubs are a time-honored tradition among bookworms, but ever since the rise of platforms like Meetup, and the COVID-19 pandemic, many readers have discovered that online book clubs are uniquely fun and easy way to make new friends, on and off the page!
This guide will teach you how to host a virtual book club, from planning to growing and sustaining the club. We cover scheduling, book selection, online platform choices, starting discussions, sourcing books, everything you need to get started right away. My foray into the world of virtual book clubs started with Book of the Month and trying to keep up with social media discussions of the selections. Your club can be as simple as this or more intimate and in-depth.
Planning Your Virtual Book Club
Define Your Book Club's Purpose and Identity
Before you begin recruiting members to your virtual book club, you should focus in on your vision for what kind of books you’ll read and the type of discussions you hope to have with fellow readers. Decide if you want to focus on reading a specific genre, a theme, or if you want to read widely. This will help you guide your target audience for book club members. Do you want to have structured discussions following pre-made reading guides, or a more conversational tone? Do you want to have a more academic or more social discussions? After making these decisions, you’ll be able to write up a mission statement that lets potential members know what to expect from your club.
Then, turn to one of the most important aspects… the name of your club! Try to choose something that reflects the vibe of your book club. You can even add a logo to make your club stand out. Platforms like Canva give you a simple way to design a logo.
Choose the Right Platform
Before you begin hosting meetings, you’ll need to make sure you have a video conference room set up to host your members. There are a variety of options, so let’s take a look at the pros and cons of each option.
Zoom: Zoom experienced a surge in popularity in 2020 because it can host so many participants and allows hosts to share calendars and members to send documents, notes, tasks, and use a chat. There is a free version of Zoom, but note that you’ll be limited to 40-minute meetings. Choose a subscription for limitless meeting times. Zoom is full of advanced tools like whiteboards, breakout rooms, and waiting rooms.
Google Meet: Google Meet is easy to use and free to anyone with a Google account. While this may be the most cost-effective option, Google Meet is much simpler than other platforms with no waiting rooms or breakout room options. Some users complain about laggy browsers freezing their video calls.
Microsoft Teams: Microsoft Teams works seamlessly with other Microsoft apps so your members can easily trade notes among each other. The drawback is that you must have a Microsoft 365 subscription to use it.
Webex: Webex offers high-quality video and audio with strong security features. This is one of the most expensive options for virtual meetings though, and some users find its interface more confusing than other options.
Determine Your Format and Schedule
Once you’ve settled on the club theme, name, and video conference platform, you can decide on how often your club will meet. You might choose weekly, monthly, or bi-monthly. Decide how long these meetings will be. Many people don’t want to exceed 90 minutes, since there’s no mingling over snacks in a virtual book club. Will your schedule be consistent or flexible? You might find your needs changing over time as you get to know your members. Some members may respond better to consistent times while others will appreciate and adapt to flexible meeting times. Don’t forget about time zones when scheduling! Even if all your members are American, your East and West coast book club members could get lost in the time zone shuffle. Make sure you consider these differences when scheduling and always state what time zone your stated time is in.
4. Establish Group Size and Membership
The last big decision for launch is how large you want your online book club to be and how you’ll go about choosing members. While large groups are exciting, they can make virtual discussion confusing and stilted. Many people find the ideal size of a book discussion is 8 to 12 people. If you have a lot of interested members you could create breakout discussion groups or create a waiting list of new members. You’ll need to decide if membership is open or based on application or invitation. A stricter selection process can help you find members that will show up consistently and have their book read. You can use questionnaires to try to determine which applicants are most committed to the club and wait list the ones that have lukewarm interest.
If you create a wait list or closed membership system, make sure your rules and procedures are transparent, and the selection process is fair. Make sure adding members off the wait list is first come-first served basis. Let applicants and members know the rules upfront. If members are skipping meetings you may want to state that more than two no shows means that members will be suspended from the club and put back on the wait list. If guidelines for membership and application are clear, everyone will likely feel it’s a fair process.
Selecting and Preparing Reading Material
Book Selection Methods
Book selection can be tricky, but here are a few tips to make sure your club is happy with what you all read:
Choose books using a group voting system (polls, rotation, nomination process).
Balance popular titles with diverse and unexpected choices.
Consider accessibility like the price of the book, availability in audio and e-book format, and whether local libraries carry it.
Seasonal or thematic reading selections can make fun meetings. You can choose to appear on camera with themed costumes or other creations.
Some publishers will send advanced readers copies to book clubs, so look into the application process and how to qualify.
If your club likes to have formal discussions, look up specific book club editions which come with a guide for clubs, pre-determined questions, and sometimes even exclusive author interviews.
Creating a Reading Calendar
Schedules are of the utmost importance to book clubs! All members need to know how long they have to read a book before the next meeting. Here are some tips for creating a book club schedule:
Plan reading schedules based on book length and complexity.
Set realistic page goals between meetings.
Accommodate slower and faster readers with a compromises and happy mediums. Give slower readers adequate time and offer supplementary work, like short stories for faster readers.
Create a digital calendar everyone can access via a social media group or your video conference software.
Sourcing Books Affordably
Books can be pricey, and most people have a limited book budget. So, what’s a book club to do? Luckily, there are plenty of affordable options out there, such as:
Digital library resources (Libby, Hoopla, etc.)
E-book subscription services (Kindle Unlimited, Scribd)
Independent bookstore ordering options with discounts
Book swapping between members
Supplementary Materials
For the most voracious and studious readers, you might want to read materials related to the novel you’ll discuss. Here are some ideas for what to seek out:
Author interviews and profiles to share
Critical reviews and analyses
Related articles, podcasts, or videos
Background information on historical contexts or literary movements
Facilitating Engaging Discussions
For many people navigating how to host a virtual book club, their biggest challenge is figuring out how to keep up an interesting discussion while keeping the group engaged. Below we’ll look at tips for preparing discussion points, planning the flow of a meeting, techniques to keep up the conversation, and other activities to supplement the book chat:
Preparing Discussion Questions
Create open-ended vs. specific questions
Balance plot, character, theme, and style discussions
Find sources for pre-made book club questions
Encourage deeper analysis without sounding like a literature class
Meeting Structure and Flow
This is just a suggestion of a meeting schedule. Feel free to experiment and adapt to whatever works best for your book club.
Opening icebreakers and check-ins
Main discussion of the book which can follow chronological order of plot points, thematic elements, or free-flowing chats
Activities beyond basic discussion (character analysis, predictions of what will happen next/in a sequel)
Closing thoughts and transition to planning the next meeting
Facilitation Techniques
Encourage quieter members to participate
Manage dominant personalities tactfully
Keep the conversation on track without stifling organic discussion
Handle disagreements productively
Creative Activities to Enhance Engagement
Author Q&As (when possible)
Theme-related food and drink suggestions
Book-to-film/TV comparisons
Creative response activities (fan art, writing prompts, etc.)
Technical Considerations and Troubleshooting
Now that you’re full of virtual book club ideas, you can turn to the technical aspects of making a meeting run smoothly. Be familiar with any tech and software you plan to use to make sure meetings run smoothly by keeping these tips in mind:
Setting Up for Success
Create and distribute meeting links securely.
Test your setup before meetings (audio, video, lighting).
Make sure you know how to share your screen. This comes in handy for showing supplementary materials to members.
If you choose to record your meetings, make sure you have everyone’s permission ahead of time. Try out a test recording session so you don’t lose your meeting data.
Handling Technical Issues
Give a quick rundown of meeting room controls before the meeting. Many people struggle to turn on their camera or accidentally mute themselves.
Help members check to make sure they’ve given their computer access to mics and cameras. This is one of the most common video conferencing problems.
Create a backup plan for platform outages.
Support less tech-savvy members with patience and quick tutorials.
Know when to postpone vs. when to adapt on the fly. If your members aren’t very tech savvy, they might not be able to switch platforms as easily as you can and find it most convenient to reschedule.
Digital Tools to Enhance Your Club
Book tracking apps (Goodreads, StoryGraph, etc.)
Scheduling tools (Doodle, When2Meet)
Document sharing (Google Docs, Notion)
Communication between meetings (WhatsApp groups, Discord servers)
Privacy and Etiquette Considerations
Set ground rules for recording and screenshots so all members feel comfortable participating.
Manage background distractions by asking people with noisy pets, children, or traffic to mute their mic when they aren’t speaking.
Set clear guidelines for camera on/off preferences based on the comfort of all members.
Create a safe space for honest discussion by practicing good listening skills.
Growing and Sustaining Your Virtual Book Club
Once you have a few meetings under your belt, you can look to growing your club or ensuring you go strong at your current size for years to come. Keep these concepts in mind as you move forward:
Building Community Between Meetings
Use digital spaces for ongoing conversation. WhatsApp and Discord are popular group chat platforms that can help your group build deeper friendships and stay in touch.
Share related content and recommendations. Sharing fan art, theories, and reactions as you read adds a lot of fun to the experience.
Take advantage of a rainy Sunday by issuing mini-challenges or reading sprints so you can all make reading progress together.
Celebrate members' personal milestones to grow closer together.
Handling Membership Changes
Onboard new members effectively and fairly
Address decreasing attendance appropriately
Decide when and how to part ways with problematic members. You should instate a zero-tolerance policy for bullying, racism, and hateful speech. Don’t hesitate to block members who engage in this after their first transgression. You don’t need to explain yourself in these cases. For more minor disagreements among the group you might want to turn to another member who isn’t involved to help you resolve conflicts in an impartial manner.
Refresh the format of your meetings if members are growing bored or attendance is waning by changing up the format or trying some of the suggestions below.
Special Events and Variations
Author events and guest speakers
Book-to-movie nights
Reading marathons or challenges
Partnering with other book clubs for special discussions
Measuring Success and Gathering Feedback
Gather anonymous surveys for honest opinions
Check-in about format and book selections
Adapt based on member feedback
Recognize when major changes are needed
Case Studies and Success Stories
There are countless virtual book clubs you can learn from that will inspire you. Many of them are run by celebrities.
· Goodreads Choice Awards Book Club
· Get Lit!
Get Started and Launch Your Club
You’re prepared to get to work on launching the virtual book club that dreams are made of! Get started by downloading the Bookish and Bright Virtual Book Club Starter Kit, which includes a planner, example discussion questions, book suggestions, and ice breaker ideas.
Tag me when you hold your first meeting and let me know how it goes!