• There are as many as half a million reading group members in the United States. Most groups number ten or more members.

• Approximately eighty percent of reading group members are females.

• Most reading groups read at least one book each month.

• The majority of reading groups prefer to read paperbacks due to cost. Many report that the availability of a reading group guide is an important consideration for their group when choosing a book.

• When asked what additional information they would like to supplement their discussions, most members expressed an interest in book reviews and biographical information about the author.

• Reading groups read books on a wide variety of subjects--literary fiction and memoir are among the most popular.

  
  

• "Thanks to book clubs, our sales increased over 40% last year, and we've already seen a 30% increase this year. Book clubs are taking our store to the next level." --Dave Simpson, Owner, Lafayette Book Store, Lafayette, CA

• "Reading group members are a particularly loyal customer base. Readers now see us as a resource. . . . Some of our groups have been together for 30 years and include mothers and daughters. Many people who come to our in-store groups have often grown to groups outside the store." --Janet Koehne, Bookseller, Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Cincinnati, OH

• "Our weekly 'book review' meetings and our 'Writers Respond to Readers' seminar result in the most sales. . . . [At 'Writers Respond to Readers'] we have space for 125 people and we sell out in two days! It's become an enormously popular event. . . . An author can appear at 'Writers Respond to Readers', and two years later, local book clubs are still reading that author's books." --Virginia Valentine, Book Club Coordinator, Tattered Cover Bookstore, Denver, CO

  
  

1. Have sign-up and registration sheets at the front desk for interested customers to join new or preexisting groups looking for new members, and to keep track of the groups in your community.

2. Register groups with your store and offer incentives such as discounting, preordering books for groups, in-store meeting space, and free or discounted coffee from your café for meetings.

3. Post a list of your store's most popular reading group selections for other groups to use as a reference, or use our Best Books for Reading Groups list, compiled by actual reading group members and leaders.

4. Build a reading group section in your store (endcap, table, etc.) that features current group picks, Reading Group Guides, newsletters, staff recommendations, and "new and noteworthy" titles available in paperback that would be of interest to groups. Display books with Reading Group Guides tucked inside to show that guides are available.

5. Start a Reading Group Recommendations Lending Library with desk copies available to lend to group leaders and a file of reviews on popular reading group authors to lend to groups for meetings. Most groups greatly appreciate this kind of background information.

6. Create bookmarks featuring recent book club selections from your store's groups, list them in your newsletter, or create "staff recommends" shelf-talkers to use in sections around your store.

7. Arrange mini-groups which focus on themed selections and require a shorter commitment (such as 3 books in 3 months) to foster more interest among nonmembers. Mini-groups can also work well for non-traditional themes, such as business, family issues, education, politics, etc.

8. Organize a "drop-in" group for customers who want to discuss specific titles but do not want to make an extended time commitment.

9. Designate a staff member to be the Reading Group Coordinator and let your customers know that you have one. The staff member's responsibilities can be as minimal as keeping track of reading groups and making sure they receive regular discounts and information, or as far-reaching as having a presentation of upcoming titles for local groups or their leaders.

10. Arrange for reading groups to read books by touring authors in advance of their readings to increase attendance at events and offer value to group members.

11. Invite a local author to visit with a group or arrange a special event with a non-touring backlist author to meet with a group.

12. Organize and coordinate a media book club with a local paper. Get the paper to do a monthly book club section and promote the title in your store.

13. Coordinate with libraries, local religious organizations and community centers to organize reading groups either on their sites or on yours. Find out if these organizations have their own reading groups and get the information to your customers who might be interested.

14. Host a Reading Group Appreciation Night in your store.
    • Promote the event in your store with flyers and posters, and invite leaders and members of reading groups, as well as people who are interested in joining one.

    • Ask a local "expert" (a teacher, a librarian, or an experienced reading group leader) to give a brief introduction to reading groups--how to start or join one, what topics work best for discussion, common questions, etc. Your local Random House sales representative might also be available.

    • Invite group leaders, staff members, and other book lovers to talk about their favorite books for discussion. Compile a list of reading group titles that best reflect the tastes of your customers and community.

    • Announce any special events, programs, and discounts your store has available to group members (see below for suggestions).

    • Display popular reading group titles with supplementary materials available to reading groups from publishers--Reading Group Guides, Support Kits, Author Profiles, etc.

    • Have a sign-up sheet available for new members.

    • Host similar events for new members where interested customers can meet other customers and form groups.

    
    

The ultimate result of the Writers on Reading Seminar® is a creative and successful event that translates into happy repeat customers and increased sales.

Our goal is to organize six events a year--and when you are ready, signficant publisher support is available from Vintage and Anchor Books. For more information on how you can host a Writers on Reading® seminar, contact your local Random House sales representative.

• "[One] thing we do that reading group members love is offer them meeting space in our store café. Offering space if you can do it is a great way to get people into the store. And often they buy something!"
  
  

• "Besides our 20% discount, we try to anticipate the needs of the book clubs and then offer services that answer those needs, including special book club events at the store. A bookseller can also go out to the book club, if necessary. The staff meets with the members and presents fifteen titles to them over wine and cheese, making it a festive occasion. This generates a lot of 'buzz' sales and is almost as effective as having the author come to the store."
  
  
• "We have a special Book Club Registry on our website, and each of the book clubs has its own page there that we host for them."
  
  
• "If possible, it helps to have a staff member facilitate a new book club in order to ensure that all the members are on the same page."
  
  

• "One of the things we do for book club members is the 'book review.' Through the years, various staff members who have really enjoyed selling and chatting about books have scheduled talks both in store and in people's homes."
  
  
• "If [readers] don't want to join an in-store group, I have a list of local church, library, or community center book clubs that are always interested in new members."
  
  

Merchandising and Display

From Dave Simpson, Owner, Lafayette Book Store, Lafayette, CA:

• "One-on-one handselling is how we serve book clubs best. We also have a shelf in the store dedicated to book club recommendations with its own display, but the Staff Picks section has also enjoyed the greatest success."
  
  

• "We have a permanent in-store display for book clubs."
  
  

Book Club Events

From Janet Koehne, Bookseller, Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Cincinnati, OH:

• "We have a Reading Group Open House, which attracts about 70-150 people. The purpose of the Open House is to distribute information about reading groups. I facilitate the meeting, refreshments are served, and we discuss the mechanics of reading groups. . . . An important part of the evening is getting new reading group members on our store mailing list--that way we can let them known about all of our author events and services appropriate to reading groups."
  
  

• "We will be hosting more "Book Club Forums", which are events for local book club members to meet each other and exchange ideas, favorites, etc. We believe that book clubs are social as well as literary institutions, but the social purpose is front and center. . . . We have also held "Book Club Breakfasts" in this vein with guest authors."
  
  
• "This summer we will be hosting an Author Interview Series together with seven other bookstores in the area."
  

• "'Writers Respond to Readers' began four years ago, and its aim is to bring authors, readers, and publishers together to talk about books and reading. We've had some tip-top authors over the years, like Pam Houston, Jane Hamilton, Andre Dubus III, Elinor Lipman, and Gail Tsukiyama, to name just a few."
  
  

Outreach to Local Book Clubs

From Janet Koehne, Bookseller, Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Cincinnati, OH:

• "We find that word-of-mouth is very important with spreading the word about our bookstore and reading groups. People come to us as a resource and for recommendations."
  
  

• "We offer a 20% discount to book clubs for their clubs' selections, and in exchange we ask for the names of the club members and their e-mail addresses. Currently there are 112 book clubs in the area, of which only two are sponsored by our store. To keep our customers informed, I send out a brief e-mail newsletter every 2 to 3 weeks about what's going on at the store."
  
  

• "Our website, our newsletter which we give out at the store, and the Book Club Hotline are all conduits for book clubs to reach staff who can help them with their queries."
  
  

Recommending Titles to Book Clubs

From Janet Koehne, Bookseller, Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Cincinnati, OH:

• "At the Open House, we have a display of titles I recommend as being great for discussion. . . . I have about 50 "can't-miss" recommendations. But I never give out a printed list because I have the actual book on the shelf in front of me and I find that is a much better selling tool."
  
  

• "In general, we like to use publisher-produced reading group guides."
  
  

• Print our Reading Group Registration Form to help you register groups with your store to qualify for bulk discounts, pre-ordering of selected titles, use of meeting space, etc.

• Print our Reading Group Sign-Up Sheet to help you match up interested customers with groups or other individuals who share their reading interests.

• Print our Reading Group Recommendation Form to start a review file of books recommended by the groups in your store.

  
  

• Reading Group Guides: Each of our more than 140 guides includes a plot summary, discussion topics and questions, an author biography, and supplemental reading lists. Many also include an interview with the author. See the Reading Group Guides page of this site for a complete list, sorted by title, author, and category.

• Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Reading Groups, but Didn't Know Who to Ask pamphlet: Our consumer pamphlet contains detailed information on reading groups, including how to join an existing one and how to start one, as well as a list of resources for readers. Order some for your store in packs of 10 (0-676-58129-3) or print the information from the Tips and Cheat Sheet sections right here on our site.

• Reading Group Recommendations Newsletter: Our seasonal newsletters highlight the latest reading group selections and include helpful information such as author interviews, sample questions, readig group tips, and ideas for discussion. To subscribe, send your name and store address via e-mail to vintageanchor@randomhouse.com, or contact your local sales representative.

• Vintage/Anchor Reads e-Newsletter: Sign up to receive free monthly updates on new books and ideas for reading groups via e-mail. Click here to subscribe.

• Author Audios: Our author audios feature interviews and readings by our most popular reading group authors. To receive a free copy for your store, send your name and store address via e-mail to vintageanchor@randomhouse.com, or contact your local sales representative.