We're announcing tomorrow at the Book Group Expo our new book club template. When starting a Qlubb, users can select the book group template when selecting their Qlubb type. It just helps you get started a little faster. For existing book clubs, no worries. You've probably already customized your Qlubb to include the fields that we have preselected for our users.
Did you know it was National Book Reading Group Month? The Book Group Expo is also taking place in San Jose, CA this weekend. I believe it's their third year and give a great venue for book lovers to connect with authors and each other. We had a chance to interview Ann Kent, the founder of the Book Group Expo who provides some valuable tips on starting a book club and making it successful!
Q: Hello Ann. It's great to meet you. Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you got interested in book clubs?
Ann: When I emerged as a self-proclaimed refugee of corporate America about 5 years ago, I finally had some time to call my own. I was no longer traveling 4-5 days a week. A 50-hour work week felt like a part-time job! I started reading a few more books for pleasure instead of for team building, leadership strategies, growth initiatives and such.
A friend asked me if I had ever thought about joining a book club. I recall very clearly saying, "No, Trace—I haven’t." I expected that would be the end of the conversation. (smiles) It wasn’t. Trace had friends and acquaintances in book clubs and reading groups and wanted to start one. It seemed easier to start one than to find one to join. And so we did. It is really my personal book group experience that was the impetus for book group expo. So whose fault is it? Hmm . . . (smile)
Q: How did you start the "book group expo" and what kind of response have you received?
Ann: I was intrigued by my own relationship with my book group. I would NEVER miss a gathering! I scheduled my business travel around when the group was meeting. On one hand, I thought it was crazy, but on the other, I simply found it interesting. Part of my “make-up” is really being an active observer—a bit of a social scientist in terms of why people do what they do. It is an attribute that has served me well in my business life, and here, it was creeping into my personal interactions as well. If I felt this way about my book group, did others feel similarly? I wanted to find out. So I did. There’s a whole narrative that could be crafted on those 100+ conversations as well!
But where it all led was that I wanted to bring the book group experience—and the key elements of those experiences—out into a more public space. And that is exactly what book group expo does.
And the response? Overwhelmingly positive --- I really had no idea this would resonate so strongly with so many!
Q: A lot of people love reading books but may not be a part of a book club. Why do people participate in book clubs?
Ann: My experience is that book clubs and reading groups are a great catalyst for conversation. Reading is, by nature, a fairly solitary experience. Coming together to talk about a book . . . what was exciting, irritating (smile), mind-expanding . . . really enhances the experience of the book itself. I think people participate in book groups because it allows to connect differently. I also think that one of the reasons the number of book clubs and reading groups is growing across the country is because, overall, we are such a virtual and tele-commuting society. Maybe book clubs are the sewing circles of 100 years ago . . . we can come together and connect in conversation and in community. It feels good. It IS good!
Q: People are really busy these days. What tips do you have for our readers on how to start a book club?
Ann: My own book group was a pretty spontaneous start --- and a very busy group of people. It started with one person just asking, “ Have you ever thought of being in a book group?” Now, my response was, “No,” but the next action was, “ Let’s start one.” It doesn’t need to be too complicated. We started by identifying 8-9 people who would be interested and just said, “ Let’s do it.” An easy way to get started is to choose a first book that most of you have already read . . . and that gets the ball rolling. Every group does it just a little bit differently. Some meet the exact same time every month ( the first Monday or something) and others meet “every 4 -6 weeks.” The commitment people need to make is that this is about THE BOOK. So you need to discuss THE BOOK. Now, that doesn’t mean you cannot enjoy other conversation, maybe a glass of wine or other tastes . . . but people are coming together to have a conversation. Work to honor that commitment. And if you are in doubt about what to do next, you can certainly reach out to book group expo, but you should also feel comfortable contacting your local independent book seller or library to ask for good counsel. They are GREAT RESOURCES!
Q: The "book group expo" is coming this weekend? What kind of lineup do you have for attendees and how can our readers learn more?
Ann: As always, a stellar bevy of authors! We have over 75 confirmed for this week-end ---- some very well known and some that will be new discoveries for people. Book clubs LOVE to tap into a “new find” so we work hard to identify those new and emerging authors and introduce them to our community. When we first booked Elizabeth Gilbert (eat, pray, love) and Sara Gruen ( Water for Elephants), very few readers were familiar with them. That is certainly not the case now! Some of our authors include Ann, Packer, Julia Glass, Terry McMillan, Andre Dubus III, James D. Houston, Erika Mailman, Gail Tsukiyama, Marisa de Los Santos, Diane Hammond, Julie Klam --- the list goes on! To learn more, just log onto www.bookgroupexpo.com and click on the AUTHORS page or the LITERARY SALONS page. Better yet, just come to the San Jose Convention Center on Saturday . . . doors open at 9A and the first salon kicks off at 10A! Andre Dubus III! You can buy tickets on site . . . $65 for both Saturday and Sunday and $42 for one day. 75+ authors . . . wine tasting . . chocolate . . . other tastings . . . art, jewelry . . . books . . .more books! It will be a great week-end. Join us!
Q: Thanks Ann so much for your time this week. Organizing this big event must be keeping you very busy so we appreciate your time talking with us!
