How to Find and Invite Members to Your Book Club on Bookclubs

Congratulations on creating your book club! Now comes the exciting part: bringing together a group of passionate readers who can't wait to dive into great books alongside you. Finding the right members and inviting them to join can seem challenging, but with the right methods, you'll have a thriving book club in no time.

Finding Book Club Members

1. Tap into Your Personal Network

Start with the people you already know. Reach out to:

• Friends and family who enjoy reading
• Colleagues who share your literary interests
• Neighbors or community members you know are avid readers

2. Post on Social Media and in Local Groups

Social media is a great way to reach potential members, especially in local groups, where everyone lives near you. Try posting:

• On your own Facebook or Instagram account
• In your city or neighborhood subreddit (search Reddit for your city's name)
• In local Facebook groups for your town or neighborhood
• On Nextdoor
• In online groups you're already part of that bring together like-minded people, like moms' groups, gardening groups, or foodie communities

Check each group's rules before you post. Some only allow club or event posts on certain days or in a weekly thread.

Keep your post short, and always include your club's invite link.

3. Local Community Connections

Expand your search beyond digital platforms by sharing with real-life communities you are a part of:

• Ask fellow parents at your kid's PTA
• Talk to the regulars at your gym or rec center
• Post a flyer at your local coffee shop

4. Use the Bookclubs Public Directory

One of the easiest ways to attract members is by listing your club on Bookclubs' Join a Book Club page, which is visited by thousands of people each month looking for a book club to join.

It's easy to list your club by opening the Bookclubs app or website, navigating to your club's settings and clicking on "Open my club to the public" (or just click here). You'll be asked to fill out the information to help readers find your club and decide if it's right for them! You'll also get to specify if you want a fully open club or if you want to screen prospective members.

 

Inviting Members to Your Bookclubs Book Club

Bookclubs offers you multiple ways to share an invite to your club.

1. Email Invitations

The best way to invite prospective members is to share their email addresses with us and let Bookclubs do the work for you!

We'll send them an email that includes all the information they need:

• Who invited them to the book club
• The link to click to join the club
• Information about your club, if you've added a description for your book club
• A little bit about Bookclubs so they know why your club is organized on the Bookclubs platform

If they don't join right away, we'll send them reminder emails 2 days, 7 days, and 30 days after your original invite.

How to invite by email:

• On the app: Tap "My Clubs" on the bottom navigation bar, select your club, and then tap "About" on the upper club navigation bar. Tap "Invite new members," then tap the "Email" tile. Enter the email addresses, separated by commas if there's more than one, and tap "Send."
• On the website: Click on "My Clubs" in the upper right corner and select your club. Find the "Add a book club member" box and click "Invite." Enter the email addresses, separated by commas if there's more than one, and click "Send invite."
• Uploading a .csv file: Invite a larger number of people at once by uploading a .csv file on the website. In the same "Add a book club member" window, click "Upload a CSV file here," just below where you enter individual emails.

When you invite someone by adding their email, we'll start sending them your club notifications. They'll get your meeting notices and reminders, poll announcements, and more. They'll still need to create a Bookclubs account to RSVP or vote in a poll, but until then they'll get updated about everything happening in your club.

You can check to see who has accepted your invite by visiting the "Members" tab of your club. Invitees who have joined the club will be listed under "Members." Those who have not yet responded will be listed under "Pending Invitations," where you can delete their invite or click on the envelope icon to send them a personal reminder.

2. Shareable Invitation Link

Your club has a unique invite link. If you want to invite people your way, copy the link and share it via:

• Text message
• Email
• Social media posts and local community groups
• Messaging apps
• Your personal website or blog

You can find your club's invite link in the following places:

• The initial email Bookclubs sent you after you created your club
• On the app: Tap "My Clubs" on the bottom navigation bar, select your club, and then tap "About" on the upper club navigation bar. Tap "Invite new members." From there you can tap "Send a text message," or tap "Copy Link," "WhatsApp," or "More" to share it another way.
• On the website: Click on "My Clubs" in the upper right corner, select your club, and click "Invite" in the "Add a book club member" box. Your link is under "Invite link." Click "Copy" to copy it.

 

3. Share a QR Code

Your club can have its own QR code. Use it to share your club with anyone you're in the same room with: just have them scan the code and join your club! You can also download the QR code to add to flyers or other printed material.

Here's how to get your club's QR code:

• On the app: Tap "My Clubs" on the bottom navigation bar and select your club. Tap "About" on the upper club navigation bar, then "Invite new members," then the "QR Code" tile. If your club doesn't have a QR code yet, tap "Create QR Code." Then let people scan it from your phone, or tap "Share this QR code" to save it or send it by text or email.
• On the website: Click "Invite" in the "Add a book club member" box on your club page. Your code is under "Invite QR code." Click "Download to share this QR code" to save it.

Final Thoughts

Building a book club takes time and effort, but the reward is a community of readers to share books and banter with. Be patient, be welcoming, and most importantly, have fun!

Ready to start inviting members? Open your Bookclubs app and let the reading adventures begin!