The ultimate guide to getting your book picked by reader book clubs

Getting your book picked by reader book clubs takes specific actions and elements. Learn what's required and discover 7 ways to find clubs.

In one of my favorite Malcolm in the Middle episodes, mom Lois is excited about joining a book club with other mothers. She reads the book, highlights key passages, and arrives at the meeting prepared for a thoughtful discussion.

It’s not long before she discovers the book club is a ruse.

The women just want to escape from their families, drink wine, and gossip.

“You didn’t really think we read the book, did you, Lois?” asks one woman, shocked.

Fortunately for authors, many book club members take their club commitments seriously, reading the assigned book and arriving prepared to both socialize and discuss the book.

This is good news for you if you think your book is book club material.

But first, you need the right pieces in place.

Book clubs look for these elements

A top-quality book is the most important requirement for getting your book picked by reader book clubs. When your book is traditionally published, you’ve got that covered.

If you’re self-published, that means your book reads and looks like it was traditionally published.

No short cuts. No “I know how to use Canva so I created the cover myself.” No “I don’t need an editor.” No “I’m a good proofreader.”

A top-quality book is the most important requirement for getting your book picked by reader book clubs.Click to tweet

Here are other specifics that make your book attractive to clubs, especially those in your area interested in supporting local authors:

• You’re a book club member yourself, so you understand typical processes, dynamics, and preferences.
• The book is easy to acquire online, in stores, and at libraries. (Some libraries even offer book club kits with multiple copies.)
• The book includes book club discussion questions at the end.
• Your website features a downloadable discussion guide. (Get detailed information on what to include in a book club discussion guide in our popular online course, “Book Marketing 101 for Fiction: How to Build Book Buzz.”)
• You offer information on how to book you for iin-person or virtual book club appearances on your website. When possible, include video and photos of club appearances and club member testimonials with the booking information.

Get these elements in place before searching for and contacting book clubs.

Getting your book picked by reader book clubs starts at home

Book clubs often gravitate to traditonally published books by popular authors or “debut” novelists with publishers heavily promoting that first book as the next big discovery. Think New York Times best-seller list or Goodreads “best book lists.”

Book popularity reassures book club members. It says the book is reader-tested. Many club members also want to read what everyone else is talking about, and that’s typically best-sellers.

That’s why self-published authors without huge reader bases or buzz that attracts readers need to worker harder to get picked up by clubs.

It’s also why I recommend starting locally with a “homegrown” author approach. Here’s why:

• Local clubs often embrace and support local authors.
• You have a competitive edge with groups that favor author appearances.
• There’s a certain cache to interacting face-to-face with a good book’s author. That makes in-person author appearances appealing to them and productive for you.
• You can use local club meetings to discover which discussion questions resonate and what questions they ask that aren’t on your list but should be. Let them be your training ground for clubs around the country or world.
• Local club members who enjoyed your book can help you expand your reach by recommending you and your book to friends in other local clubs (especially if you ask them to).
• It’s easier to get contact information for club leaders.

Pursuing local publicity can help attract local club interest, especially if you talk in interviews about your interest in local book club appearances.

7 ways to find book clubs

When you’re a lesser-known author, you’ll have to contact clubs and introduce them to your book.

Starting with local book clubs not only helps you reach clubs that might be open to non-celebrity authors, it also helps make the process more manageable.

Whether you’re looking locally or around the country, here are options to try:

1. Visit your local library to learn more about clubs that meet there and how to connect with them.
2. Talk to your local bookstore community relations managers about clubs hosted by the store.
3. Talk to friends about the clubs they belong to and whether your book is a good fit for them.
4. Inquire on social media.
5. Search the book club section of Meetup.com.
6. Search on sites such as BookClubs.com and Reader’s Circle or list your book with Reader’s Circle.
7. Pay to add your reading guide to ReadingGroupGuides.com or advertise with BookMovement.com.

Starting with local book clubs not only helps you reach clubs that might be open to non-celebrity authors, it also helps make the process more manageable.

With book club leader contact information in hand (getting this information might not always be easy), use email to suggest the club read your book.

Explain why it’s club-worthy and provide links to the book’s description and your book club guide on your website. If you’d like to join the discussion in person, say so.

Follow up, and use any response feedback to better target your searches or refine your pitch. And don’t get discouraged if you don’t make progress quickly. Persist!

Reader connections are worth it

Like nearly every other book marketing tactic, attracting and connecting with book clubs takes time and effort.

Even so, if your book is appropriate for clubs — whether they’re general interest, cookbook, or Christian — consider reaching out to them.

The one-on-one interaction with people who have read (and loved) your book can be more energizing than a Starbucks latte.

In addition, the feedback you’ll get that you can use to shape your next book is almost priceless.

FAQs about authors and book clubs

1. What makes a book “book club material”?

The book is high-quality and professionally produced, whether traditionally or self-published. It is easily available through online retailers, stores, and libraries. In addition, it includes discussion questions at the end, and ideally, the author offers a downloadable discussion guide on their website. The author is also available for in-person or virtual book club appearances.

2. Why should authors focus on local book clubs first?

Local book clubs often prioritize supporting local authors and appreciate in-person author appearances. Starting locally allows authors to refine their discussion questions through direct feedback, use these meetings as training grounds for future appearances, and leverage local club members’ connections to expand to other clubs.

3. How can authors find book clubs to contact?

Authors can find book clubs through multiple channels: visiting local libraries, speaking with bookstore community relations managers, asking friends, posting on social media, searching Meetup.com, using Reader’s Circle’s search function, and advertising on platforms that serve book clubs.

4. What advantages do traditionally published books have in getting selected by book clubs?

Book clubs often select traditionally published books because they have built-in credibility. Publishers often heavily promote books by big-name writers, so those books are more likely to appear on prestigious lists. That reassures club members that the books are “good.” Self-published authors generally need to work harder to gain similar recognition and acceptance.

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Ready to pursue book clubs? Learn how in Module 4 of our popular and affordable online course, Book Marketing 101 for Fiction: How to Build Book Buzz.

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Do you participate in book club meetings? What advice can you offer authors reaching out to them? 

(Editor’s note: This is an updated and expanded version of an earlier article.)