Even though there are many online book clubs on the Internet, you can start your own online book club. The best thing about starting your own is that you can design it to reflect your particular reading interests and your own style. It’s a very satisfying experience, but you have to be prepared to dedicate a lot of time to your pursuit. You won’t just be a participant, you will be setting the stage for others to join your reading community and contribute to the discussion of books. The steps below outline how you can get your own online book club started.
[Edit]Steps
- Don’t try to reinvent the wheel. Before you even think about the first book you want to offer for discussion, take some time to peruse existing online book clubs and check out what kind of software they are using. You don’t have to be a software engineer in order to create a website.
- Think about how you would like the discussions to flow. You might want to use a message board system, an email system or a blog. There are advantages and disadvantage to each option, and your choice should reflect the amount of time you have to devote to interaction. Again, look at a variety of online book club websites and think about which type of discussion forum appeals to you.
- Make your website inviting. Like it or not, first impressions still count. People see the graphics before they start to read the content. Experiment with colors and different fonts. Ask your family and close friends to look at your website, and ask them to navigate through it before it goes live. Listen to the feedback and work on making your online book group site an enticing stop for book lovers.
- Start with what you know. Make your first book choice one that you are passionate about. Be prepared to keep the discussion going. If you can’t think of a list of questions, check out some reading group guides on the Internet. Here are some standard discussion questions you might want to use:
- What do you think of the book’s title? How deep into the book did you get before you understood the relevance of the title? Did the title reflect the main themes of the book?
- What are the key characteristics of the protagonist? How did the personality and life experience of the protagonist shape the direction of the novel?
- Did the action in the novel parallel important events in history?
- Did reading the book evoke any strong emotion in you? Did you cry? Did you laugh? Why? Was there one event in the novel that resonated with you deeply?
- Offer more to your readers than a book discussion. Do some research on the author or the setting in the book. Add links to book reviews, positive and negative, and ask your members to comment on those reviews.
- Keep it fresh. It takes time to build up a membership, and your members will grow if you keep the content fresh and interesting. Keep all discussions active. Ideally, you will want to check in with your website multiple times during each day. Always provide new information so that your site doesn’t appear to be stagnant.
- Market your new online group. Ask your family and friends to drop in and join in the discussion. Invite all your Facebook friends and all of your email contacts. Print your own business cards with the name of your website; ask the local book stores, coffee shops and libraries if you may leave your cards there.
- Make people feel welcome. You can do this by following up on every comment so that your visitors don’t feel like they are being ignored. It’s up to you to keep the conversation flowing.
[Edit]Video
[Edit]Tips
- Find the website of a book’s publisher; there you will find information about the author, and often the publisher will provide reading guides for some of their books.
- Potential members of your online book club may be more likely to join if you offer a free monthly newsletter via email. The newsletter doesn’t have to be lengthy, but it should be provocative enough to entice members to revisit the site. Provide a link to your website in the body of the email to make it even easier for them to reconnect to the site and join in discussions.
- Write to authors and invite them to participate in a discussion about their book. First time authors might be particularly amenable to the idea, it is a way for them to connect with their readers.
[Edit]Warnings
- While it is important for you to gather some demographic information, including the email addresses of your members, be sure to make it easy for them. Make joining your online club an easy and painless process.
- Be sure your website is secure and let potential members know why the site is secure.
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