How to set up an online book club
The short answer:
If you’re looking to form new friendships with fellow bookworms, or just keen to get everyone you know to read the novel you’ve just inhaled, you might think of joining a book club. In-person book clubs have their benefits but if you have a particularly busy schedule, enjoy specific subgenres, or live in a more remote area, you might prefer the flexibility of an online book club.
There are plenty of online book clubs out there that you could join but if you can’t find one that feels like the right fit for you, why not start your own?
Setting up your own online book club is a brilliant way to bring people from all over the country (or even world) together over a shared love of reading. But where should you begin? Below, we’ve created a guide to how to start, host and run your very own online book club.
Choose a focus for your book club
Before you start inviting members, decide what you want from your book club. Do you want to discuss one book at a time, or share general recommendations? Will you focus on a specific genre, like romance novels, or biographies? How much time do you want to spend chatting versus dissecting the text?
A useful way to decide on the above is to picture what you want to get out of each session. If it’s discovering new reads, a looser format might suit. If you love detailed discussion, a more structured format with one set book per month may work better. A theme can help give your group structure, too – whether that be by genre or simply whatever is trending in the book charts.
Invite the ideal number of people
There’s no limit to how many people you can invite but, for a good discussion, smaller is often better. Aim for 6–10 people in your online book club if you want everyone to read the book and be able to contribute comfortably.
However, larger groups work better for more informal chats if you’re looking for a space where people can dip in and out and share their recommended books, rather than gathering at a specific time to discuss a single tile.
It’s also worth deciding whether your group will be invite-only or open to new members. A close group of friends might feel more relaxed, but welcoming new readers can introduce fresh perspectives – and help you widen your social circle.
Find a platform to run your online book club
Choose a platform that suits your group’s preferences. For face-to-face discussions, Zoom, Google Meet or FaceTime offer a good substitute for in-person meetups. If everyone can’t meet at the same time, or prefers text chat, consider using WhatsApp, Slack or a Facebook group to keep the conversation going. These options would also help those who can’t make the meet-up to stay in the loop.
Some groups use a combination of the above – for example, a video call once a month, with a WhatsApp thread to share thoughts between meetings.
Structure the meeting so everyone can speak
You could start the discussion with a few light questions to ease people in or let each person take turns sharing a thought. We recommend choosing a facilitator (this can rotate each session) who will help keep the conversation on track and give everyone space to speak.
It helps to have some discussion prompts prepared, and you could use our ultimate list of book club questions to guide your chat or search for any existing reading guide material on your chosen book. We suggest you send questions in advance so members have time to reflect and come ready to contribute.
Arrange your first meeting
Use a poll tool to find the best time and date for everyone to "meet"; this will be a useful tool going forward, too. Then, once you’ve sent round the link to the meeting, you could send over a few getting-to-know-you questions in advance, so people can prepare and not feel put on the spot (e.g. “Who is your favourite author?” or “How many books do you want to read this year?”). This is particularly invaluable if you, or members in your group, are a bit shy.
It's best to use the first gathering of your book club to get to know one another and discuss logistics. If you plan to discuss one book per meeting, this is a great time to talk about how you’ll choose books: will everyone get a turn, or will you submit selections and then randomly pick one? You might ask members to vote for their first title or genre in this meeting, too. If you need inspiration, explore our list of great book club reads.
After the first meeting, follow up with an email, text or WhatsApp message, reiterating what you've discussed so everyone is clear, and confirming the date of your next meet-up.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a book club meeting last?
Most online book clubs meet for around 60–90 minutes. That gives enough time for discussion, catch-ups and wrap-up without becoming too long or tiring – especially on video.
How do I join a book club if I don’t want to start one?
Look for existing book clubs on social media, Goodreads, Facebook groups or by enquiring at your local library. There are also publisher-run clubs and author fan groups that host regular online discussions.
How do you make an online book club engaging?
Balance structure with flexibility. Don’t worry if the conversation meanders – that’s part of the fun. To keep things fresh, consider adding themed meetings, inviting guest speakers, or ending on a bookish quiz. Take a look at our list of literary themed quizzes for inspiration.
Keep communication going between meetings with a shared group chat, where you can create a poll to vote on your next read. You can also use the group chat to organise a watch-along of your favourite literary adaptation, whether that's of a Jane Austen book or something else. Pick a film or TV show and agree on a time when you'll all watch it together, either discussing it as you go on WhatsApp, or using video conferencing to recreate a cinema feel. Just remember to have some popcorn to hand.
You could even organise literary-themed events throughout the year, such as visiting authors’ homes or locations from a novel – think the birth of Shakespeare, the setting for Bram Stoker’s Dracula, or even Agatha Christie's favourite writing spot, the Burgh Island Hotel.