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How to start an online book club
Eight to twelve readers who will talk and a place where last month's discussion is still easy to find are enough to start an online book club.
Decide who the club is for
A club built around one kind of reader gives members a reason to come back, because the books match what they already like to read. Pick one focus, such as a genre, a faith, a profession, a city, or a stage of life.
Write one sentence that names the readers and the kind of books. If the sentence only says that you like reading, it is still an idea, and the club does not have a reason to meet yet.
Pick a size and a pace
- Eight to twelve people who will actually talk is enough to keep a conversation going. Invite more if you want to, and expect some people to stay quiet.
- One book a month is a common pace. A book every six to eight weeks suits busy readers and long books.
Choose where the club meets
Members need a place to post between meetings and a way to find an older thread or the date of the next meeting.
- A group chat is quick to open. Finding last month's discussion means scrolling back through every message posted since.
- On a social network, you can start a group quickly, and the network owns the member list.
- A community platform takes a few more minutes to set up. You control the member list, and older threads and meeting dates stay easy to find.
What a Locker includes for a club
Lockers Free includes unlimited members and unlimited courses, with no card. You get a feed sorted into categories, pinned posts, polls with two to six options, a member directory, an events calendar, and direct messages. Each book can have its own category, so finished books stay findable. Private group chats hold up to 50 people from the same Locker.
Set up the first week
- Pin a post that says how the club works.
- Add a category for introductions, one for general chat, and one for the current book.
- Put the first meeting on the calendar.
- Invite five to ten people by name.
Pick the first book together
Post a poll with two to six options and let members vote. Choosing the book together gives people a reason to show up for it.
Plan the meetings
- Hold one live meeting per book, by video call or in person. Paste the call link into the event.
- People who register can leave email reminders on. The reminder goes out the day before, and again 15 minutes before the start.
- An hour is long enough for a club meeting. Start with one question everyone answers, then follow the conversation.
- Add each meeting to the calendar as its own event.
Keep the talk going between meetings
- Post two or three questions when a book starts.
- Ask members to share a line from the book they remember.
- Reply to the first few comments quickly, so early members can tell someone is there.
- Ask a member to lead the discussion for one book.
Decide whether the club stays free
A paid membership fits a guided club that includes a leader's notes and lessons, as long as you can keep delivering them.
Selling is available after the Locker owner connects a Stripe account and completes payment setup. On course sales, the platform fee is 5% on Free and 1% on Pro. Paid membership requires Pro, includes every course, and the platform fee is 1% on each payment. Payment processing costs extra. We calculate the platform fee after discounts and before tax. When a payment is refunded, we return the proportional platform fee; payment-provider fees follow the provider’s rules.
Looking for a club to join
Ask the people who run the club for their invite link. Lockers does not publish a directory of book clubs. If the club uses a Locker, the host's link opens a free Lockers account, and that same account works in every community you join.
Build the smallest useful version of your community.
Start with a feed, classroom, calendar, messages, and member list. No card required.
Start a community