10 Reasons Why Every Writer Should Be in a Book Club

There aren’t many things that can pull me out of the house after supper, but book club is one of them. Believe it or not, I’ve barely missed a meeting in the several years it has been in existence. I have loved every meeting and dearly love my bookworm buddies. After the last couple of book clubs I’ve been thinking, you know… every writer should be a book club member. Here are a few reasons why I think book clubs can benefits writers of all shapes and varieties.

10 reasons Why I Think Every Writer Should Join a Book Club:

1. Genres

If it is a non-genre based book club, you  get a chance to read everything and anything. You will learn tricks from genres you might not normally read. If it is a genre-based book club and your genre, you will learn an incredible amount about your genre from these readers–your audience! You will also learn what other writers are doing with the genre and how it is received by your shared audience. Gold, gold, gold!

2. Variety of Input

You get to hear what readers of all ages and stages and interests think of a book, a style, a sentence, a plot, a cover, an author, everything! Priceless.

3. Interpretations.

We had a big discussion about interpretations last Tuesday while debriefing after having an author visit us. If we saw the book differently after talking to the author is that good, or is that bad? Getting in the minds of other readers and finding out how they interpret things is intel, baby. Intel.

4. What Works. What Doesn’t.

We’ve got some amazing readers in our book club. We’re talking huge stacks of books devoured by our readers on a weekly basis. They’ve been around the book block a time or two and if they all say something didn’t work for them–pay attention. These ladies (yeah, we keep scaring all the men off) are expert readers. If you mess them up, oh boy! On the flip side, you can also see what really speaks to them and works. (We are surprisingly often on the same page (or at least the same chapter) in terms of what works and what doesn’t.)

5. Sounding Board.

You can throw ideas at them and see what they think. And no, they don’t know that I write, but sometimes I like to bring up ideas that fit with a book we’ve read to see what they think as readers. You know, a “What if the author did X instead of Y? Do you think that would make blah blah blah fit more?”

6. Genius. Bloody Genius.

You get to sound like a genius when you say things like, “It sounds like you sympathized with the protagonist but never really got the emotional attachment that would have made you empathetic. Do you think the author did that intentionally so you wouldn’t get overwhelmed by the subject matter?” Yeah, I got to pop that one out on Tuesday. I got a nice look of awe. (Felt guilty a bit. But just a bit.)

7. Non-Hermit Status.

It gets you out of the house you writerly hermit, you!

8. Word of Mouth & Advance Readers.

If you ever publish you have some lovely book people who love you and might help you get the world out as well as be beta readers (if you have the guts and think it would not put them in a ‘bad’ spot). Maybe. (Never, ever abuse your book club for your own promotional needs!)

9. Bookworms Rule.

It is a TON of fun to talk to bookworms about books. Heaven. Bliss. Love it. Nothing better.

10. German Chocolate Cake.

Yep, snacks. Love the books, bookworms, and camaraderie. But come for the cake.

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How about you? Do you belong to a book club? Why or why not?

Favourite Week: Book Clubs

Book clubs. Glorious book clubs. I love book clubs. I belong to two (technically three if you count the one on Goodreads, but I am sooooo delinquent with that one you can pretend I never said nuttin’ ’bout that one) and I love every minute of it. Even those scrambled minutes the night before when I am trying to finish a book in time. Or, you know, the five minutes before book club begins. I’ve never done that though. At least not more than once.Book clubs. Why do I love book clubs? As a reader, I love finding and reading books to read that I might not cross paths with otherwise. Plus, I love discussing books with others. And I love to talk about books too. (Shut up, Jean. There are others in the book club who want to talk too. Note: I have gotten better about ‘sharing the floor’,  just so you know. It’s simply that I have lots of things I want to talk about and ask others. That’s all. No, really. It isn’t all about me. It’s all about the book. Well, mostly. I mean, the majority of the time… Okay, I’m going to shut up now.)

As a writer, I love to find out what others thought of a book. Did they like it? Hate it? How did this part make them feel? The author broke the rules over here, what was your reaction as a reader? What we the slow parts for you? Where did you get totally engrossed? Etc. Etc. I learn soooo much in book club about readers and their fickle tastes. It’s wonderful!

Do you belong to a book club? What’s your favourite part?

Are You a Book Slut?

Last night, a bunch of us writers got together and filled the AgentQuery open chatroom with Margaritas, our brilliant minds, and of course, our equally fantastic personalities.  Feeling secure in a group of like-minded friends, I came out of the closet. Okay, okay. I didn’t. I was outed by someone who recognized the signs. Today, with the support of my AQ friends, I have the courage to do this publicly.

I, Jean Oram, am a book slut.

Yes, I know. *bows head* A bit of a shocker, isn’t it? Throwing the ‘S’ word around like that. I know I’m not the only one out there. Therefore, I say we should unite and reclaim the ‘S’ word. Say it loud and proud, “I am a book slut.”

In my desire to help others, I  have created a quiz with some of the common symptoms of book slut behaviour. If you have one or more of these symptoms, you too, may be a book slut.

Does this sound like you…

1. You read more than one book at a time, sometimes even more than one in a day.

2. You can’t pass a table of discounted books without feeling that you might be missing out on something really good.

3. You belong to at least one book club.

4. As you are nearing the end of one book, you are already thinking of the next one.

5. It stresses you out that there are more delicious books in the world than you can possibly read.

6. You will read anything. If it is a book, you’ll read it. And probably even enjoy it.

7. Book workers, i.e. booksellers and librarians, know you by name.

8. For you, reading isn’t just an in-bed-before-you-fall-asleep activity, you will also read in public if the opportunity arises.

9. You carry books with you–just in case you find an opportunity for a quickie.

10. You try to hook others by gifting books or by promoting your favourites by saying things like, “Everyone is reading this and they love it. Just try it.”

11. You will take a free book even if you aren’t interested in it.

12. There aren’t enough bookshelves in your house to hold all your books.

13. Friends describe you as an ‘avid reader.’

If you replied ‘that sounds like me’ to 1-2 of the above, you have begun exhibiting signs of being a book slut. There is no immediate cause for concern.

If you replied ‘that sounds like me’ to 3-5 of the above, you are in significant danger of developing into a book slut. If symptoms worsen, seek support. You do not need to go through this alone.

If you replied ‘that sounds like me’ to 6-9 of the above, you are a book slut. Seek support immediately.

If you replied ‘that’s sounds like me’ to 10-13 of the above, you are a book slut of the highest order. There is no hope for you. Embrace your book slutishness and repeat with me (loud and proud), “I am a book slut!”