Book clubs are great for people who enjoy reading but find that they don’t have the time. It holds you accountable to get the book read but is also low pressure since you have an entire month to read it.
If you can’t join a book club because none exist in your area, you can create one. You might be surprised by how many people are interested in joining. This is great for you and others who like to read and discuss what they read, but certain rules should to be in place.
Below I’ll go over some book club rules that are helpful keeping your book club conflict free and making sure everyone will have a great time.
Why Your Book Club Needs Rules
Ground rules can help the attendees feel welcome. They want to come back because things are structured. Most of these rules are common-sense items, but it is good to have them all out there and in the open. Everyone will know what to do and what is expected of them, which helps to avoid conflicts.
Whether the book club is a small group of friends or open to the public, you’re protecting everyone’s ability to feel comfortable. Smaller groups who know each other might have no issues, but things can get heated when you’re discussing (or arguing) about more polarizing books.
How To Choose Rules For Your Book Club
When you’re deciding on your book club’s rules, think ahead to the types of conversations you want to have. If you prefer a deep analysis of various characters, you’re going to have different rules than if you want it to be light and fun.
Pay attention to where you have the book club. If it’s a public location, such as a quiet room in the library, you may need to have rules about food and beverages or make sure everyone puts away their chair at the end of the meeting.
I’m going to touch more on the common rules that most book clubs have, regardless of where they are located. That way, you’ve got a start on what to include in your list. In a sense, you’re creating something that works for everyone so that you all can enjoy this time together.
10 Rules Every Book Club Should Have
The following are rules ideas that every book club should have in order to keep your meetings on-topic and going smoothly. If you’re hosting a laid-back book club with a group of friends, you may be able to go lenient on a few of these depending on what the members’ goals are at the meet-up.
The main goal is to have fun and tailor your book club’s rules to the group members. You want everyone to feel comfortable joining in and discussing the book.
1. Read the Book
The point of a book club is to read the literature you’re asked to read. Anyone who doesn’t do this is going to bring the rest of the group down. Have a firm rule that the book must be read by everyone who attends. That way, you can all join in the conversation and no one feels left out.
There could be unavoidable circumstances that make it impossible to finish the book/chapters in the allotted time. You may even have a week where you just can’t complete the entire book. Consider having a dual ‘read the book’ rule. Let others know that they can come and have social interaction, but there could be spoilers. They can choose to tell others they didn’t read it or decide not to go.
2. Respect The Moderator’s Authority
You’re the creator of the book club, so you’ve got the authority. If you feel that people are getting off subject, you can steer them back. Sometimes, points could be too controversial. Read the room and make suggestions on other topics relating to the book. That way, no one gets too upset. This is supposed to be fun!
It’s okay to ask people to leave if they are stirring up trouble. If you’re hosting the club at your home, this is especially true. When having the club in a public place, this gets a little confusing. As the moderator, you’ve got the right to ask people to leave. In a public place, they can choose to leave the group area but stay at the location for other purposes.
Related: Tips for Being A Great Moderator
3. State Your Name When You Speak
If the book club is large, some people may not know anyone else. It’s helpful to put a name to a face, so ask everyone to state their name as they start to speak about the topic.
This is usually only required at the beginning of the meeting. You may choose to have a meet-and-greet session before the book club starts so that everyone learns names.
4. The Meeting Must Start On Time
If you set the meeting time at 6 p.m., start the proceedings at that time. It is everyone’s responsibility to be punctual. You may want to give out your phone number so that late arrivals can text and warn you that they’re going to be late. I know that things happen; there could be an accident on the road you normally take. You could be running late from making dinner.
While you don’t want the group members to be late consistently, issues are going to arise. Let people know to text or call you before the event starts to let you know what’s going on. That way, the group can continue without interruption, and the late attendee can decide if they want to miss the first part of the discussion.
5. Stay On Topic
I’ve been to countless book clubs and it’s so important to stay on the topic at hand. Some clubs don’t require you to read an entire book. You might read three or four chapters. It’s possible to read ahead, but you can’t jump to sections that no one else has had time to read. It’d be unfair to bring up spoilers for everyone else.
This doesn’t mean you can’t introduce new information that’s relevant to the current discussion. For example, you can talk about bio details, the background of the book or setting, historical facts, and related authors.
6. No Spoilers!
The one rule of thumb for a book club is not to spoil it for everyone else. If you choose to read ahead because you had extra time, that’s great for you. Others might not have done this, so if you introduce topics that aren’t relevant to the chapters, you’re giving things away.
Everyone wants to be part of the group and wants to read the book. That’s why you’re there. If you constantly give away the ending or jump farther ahead and want to talk about that before it’s time, you’re being extremely rude to the other members.
This is when the moderator can step in and remind everyone not to spoil the book for the rest of the group. Some moderators are strict and don’t allow people to read ahead. It’s impossible to know fully if that happens, but if you have someone who constantly spoils the next few chapters (or the end), it’s likely they did so.
7. Don’t Use Inappropriate Language Or Behavior
Most people know that they should be respectful of other people but this rule is important to have in writing. That way, there’s no confusion later. Your definition of inappropriate behavior and language could be different from someone else. Since this is your group, it’s best to make sure others know where you stand.
Inappropriate book club behavior can include things like:
- Getting in other people’s faces
- Shouting at others
- Hitting or punching people
- Not respecting other people’s personal space (sitting too close, touching people you don’t know)
- Showing up intoxicated
- Bringing children or other guests without permission
- Breaking or damaging things that don’t belong to you
- Stealing from the host or other members
- Spinning the tires as you arrive or leave
Inappropriate book club language can include:
- Using curse words
- Calling people names
- Making bad jokes
- Using sensitive words to insult (fool, idiot, etc.)
- Using stereotypical, racial, or culturally insensitive words
- Using variations of curse words
You have the power to define what inappropriate behavior and language is, so use it to your advantage. This ensures that the whole group has a good time and doesn’t get their feelings hurt.
I know that some people don’t mind cursing, but others do. It’s important that people like the time they spend talking about the book. If they don’t, they’re not going to return, and your club suffers because of it.
8. Disagreements Are Welcome
Yes, this sounds a bit odd after talking about inappropriate language, but disagreements are going to happen. Someone is going to find fault with a character that you like. It’s important to get various viewpoints when discussing a book you’ve all read. This adds more depth to the conversation and can help you try to change someone else’s view.
Things must be kept on a friendly level. Everyone should be respectful of people’s views and preferences. You can disagree on things AND do so with respect.
9. Food And Beverages
Most people enjoy eating and drinking while discussing books. This is okay, as long as the location permits it. For example, libraries often have strict rules about bringing in food or drink. Consider hosting the book club at someone’s home to avoid issues.
It might be best to rotate who brings what. One person can get the snacks while someone else buys the beverages. That way, it’s not always up to the host to supply (and purchase) these items.
Make sure everyone knows who is to bring what and ensure that they do. There’s nothing worse than one or two people always ‘forgetting’ to supply the concessions. The rest of the group feels slighted because they remember when it’s their turn. Plus, the people who forget all the time never have the expense to deal with like the rest of the members.
10. Clean Up
Whether you’re hosting the book club at a public location or in your home, it’s important that everyone pitch in and clean up. You can choose to have designated cleaners as you do for the food/drink providers.
Ask that everyone throw away their trash and put cups and plates in the sink. That way, you’re not left with a big mess at the end of the night.
How To Present Your Book Club’s Rules To Members
Once you’ve got your list written out, now what? Many book clubs I’ve been to have a printout for each member. Everyone reads through the rules and agrees.
You can have a notebook available so that everyone can sign their name. This shows that they have read everything and agree to abide by the rules. If they don’t, the moderator can kick them out of the group for a period of time or indefinitely.
I agree it sounds a little strict, but you want everyone to enjoy themselves at the book club meetings. If people are being rude or not following the rules, it can adversely affect everyone’s mood.
You want to talk about the literature and imagine yourself having lengthy, meaty discussions about favorite books. This just can’t happen if people don’t know what is appropriate; rules help with this.
Let Everyone Vote
Even though you’re the moderator, you should let others have a say. If you’re hosting the book club at your house, you have more power than they do.
Consider letting everyone vote on the rules to make sure no one has issues with them. They can even give you more ideas about various options that should be included.
What About Rule Infractions?
People are going to break the rules. I wish I could say differently, but there comes a time where everyone does, and I’ve seen it happen in many book clubs. Make sure you’ve gone over with everyone what happens when this occurs.
For example, you can issue warnings, and if the behavior doesn’t stop, they are expelled completely or for a short period of time. The course of action should be based on the severity of the infraction.
If a member calls someone a rude name, you may ask them to leave that meeting. That same person does it again, and they are banned from future gatherings for a month. This infraction is a little worse than forgetting the soda or being late. Keep these things in mind as you create rules and punishments.
Rule infraction punishments may be a little harsh if your club is you and a few close friends. You could probably work things out as a small group. Infractions are more useful with public book clubs or ones that are much larger.
Conclusion
It’s not hard to come up with rules for a book club, but it does take time. You can’t think of everything, so as new ones become necessary, add them to the list.
Ensure that everyone agrees so that you can all enjoy the book you’ve read and discuss it at length. That way, people want to come back repeatedly because they know they’re respected and can talk about the books they’ve read.