SHOULD YOU JOIN A BOOK CLUB IF YOU ARE A WRITER?

For me, the verdict is still out on this topic. Though I recently registered for an all-genre book club, I have yet to attend my first meeting. That said, I did purchase the assigned novel, Passing by Nella Larsen. The book was published in 1929, but I read it when the Netflix film of the same name was released in 2021. Our society has changed so much in the past four years. I am eager to see if my perspective has changed as well. But I digress. The question posed was…should writers participate in book clubs?

For two reasons, I held back and didn’t join a book club until recently. First, I wanted to focus on my writing, and second, I thought I might be swayed by reading other novels. Looking back, I realize this was silly. Book club writing inspires and teaches. I also worried that I’d come across a story that was similar plot-wise to mine.  Again, silly. Though there are a finite number of plots and premises. It’s the writer’s voice and her unique perspective that separates even novels that follow stereotypical templates.

So why did I finally register for the book club?

1. I attended a writers’ conference, and the agents and editors encouraged the attendees to do so. They said writers should read to understand the current publishing market.
2. I also joined because I often critique books that aren’t in my genre, and I wanted to be a competent critic. How could I critique sci-fi or romance if I never read these genres?
3. Third, I wanted to get a REAL reader’s perspective on what makes an entertaining, thought-provoking novel. Most of the feedback I receive on my work is from fellow writers. Their comments tend to be technical. Showing vs telling. Should I go with a prologue? What POV choice might be most effective? But I want to know what draws REAL readers into a story and keeps them engrossed in a novel or turns them off. Non-writers will give a more general/practical scoop.
4. I joined because I hoped reading great books in other genres would motivate me to leave my comfort zone and write a novel that wasn’t my usual mystery/thriller.
5. I signed up to learn what makes a good book club book. Like most writers, I’d love it if one of the novels was selected by Reese, Oprah, or even a local book club. But to get there, I need to know what the people selecting the book club books are looking for.
6. I registered because book club books tend to be high-quality, thoroughly and professionally edited novels. Though the novels I read in my critique groups are wonderful, most are first or second drafts. Reading more polished books will help me recognize when my work in progress has reached a professional level.
7. I joined because I LOVE reading! My love of reading led me to pick up a pen and try my hand at writing decades ago. I hope reading in my club will bring me back to my newbie writing roots and keep my passion for writing alive.
8. I’m participating because I want to connect with fellow readers who might be interested in reading and buying my books. This reason is far down on my list, but it’s there.  Most people who know me would say I’m not a pushy salesperson, but I do want my books to get out into the world. My goal is to make readers think differently about people and the world.

Those are my reasons for joining a book club. I will revisit this topic in a couple of months once I get a better feel for my book club’s impact on my writing.

Below are the top three Book Club Books of all time, as was stated in book clubs.com/books.

1. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
2. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
3. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Thanks for reading. Always keep writing!

Are you a writer who participates in a book club? Do you recommend that other writers join one, too? If you could choose a book for a book club, what would that book be?