I read an article a few days ago about the evolution of book clubs. Basically, it talked about:
- how book clubs are one of the keys to books’ popularity
- how book club members have started reaching out to authors about coming to speak in person at their meetings
- how even libraries are getting involved in book clubs.
So this got me thinking … how can authors take the initiative with book clubs? Here are a few ideas:
1. Go local. Look around online and find local book clubs in your area. Offer to attend one of their meetings and discuss your book.
2. Go global. Just because a book club isn’t local to you doesn’t mean you can’t reach out to them. If there are book clubs in your genre that aren’t based near you, offer to join them via Skype.
3. Go to the library. Many libraries are getting involved in book clubs. So visit your local library and talk to the librarian about any clubs that go on in the area, who you can talk to, how books are selected for those clubs, etc…
4. Use your website to talk to book clubs. Dedicate a page on your website to speaking to book clubs. On this page, talk about why a book club would benefit from reading your book and the types of book clubs that it would be appropriate for. Another great idea is to offer “extras” for book clubs (like a downloadable discussion guide).
5. Scour social networking sites. There are plenty of book clubs that exist online through Facebook, GoodReads, etc… Find the ones that you think would be a good fit for your book and reach out to them.
Getting your book read by a book club can be a huge first step in making your title go viral.