Seek Out and Pitch to Book Clubs

Book clubs rarely pay top dollar, but they buy books (at a deep discount), pay you quickly, and don’t return them. There are general interest, lifestyle, special interest, and professional clubs.

Savvy authors seek out book clubs. Your local bookstores often are suppliers of books for them–do the ask. Libraries are excellent resources to identify them as are Meetup groups.

Let the Internet do the walking for you. In the search box, start with “online book clubs  _________then add your city, or state, or you could add fiction or nonfiction. You could add children’s books or a genre. The key is to search … let your eyes and fingers do the walking for you. Here are a few you should explore:

• OnlineBookClub.com
• BookSpan.com

Don’t forget companies. Don’t be surprised to discover that departments within companies may have their own book clubs.

If you are doing any consulting or speaking, just ask your contact. A few years ago, I visited a friend at a Denver hospital. In just chatting with one of the nurses, I discovered that not only did the leadership team get together monthly to discuss a book … but guess what? My book, Stabotage! How to Deal with the Pit Bulls, Skunks, Snakes, Scorpions and Slugs in the Health Care Workplace, was featured the previous month, meaning that 43 copies were bought for participants! Where did they buy them? On Amazon. The manager had no idea I was a local author!

Many bookstores work with local book clubs. Identify who the contact person is at your local bookstore to determine if there are any clubs that might be a fit for your book and then reach out.

When at events, ask book buyers if they belong to any clubs. If yes, ask them to suggest you and your book as a monthly offering. Or, for the contact person that you could call. Let them know that you are available in-person and online to meet with the group.

HUGE TIP: Include a Book Club Discussion page at the end of your book and on your website. Include questions, dilemmas and situations to generate conversation. Invite the club members to set up a Zoom or Skype call with you. Make sure you include your contact information on the website Contact page as well as on your Speaking tab.

Dr. Judith Briles is a book publishing expert and coach. Often, she must roll up her writing sleeves and become a Book Doctor, juicing up storylines and author words. She empowers authors and works directly with authors who want to be seriously successful and has been writing about and conducting workshops on publishing since the ’80s. Judith is the author of 37 books including Author YOU: Creating and Building Your Author and Book Platforms, Snappy Sassy Salty: Wise Words for Authors and Writers, and How to Create a $1,000,000 Speech. Her personal memoir When God Says NO-Revealing the YES When Adversity and Loss Are Present is a #1 bestseller on Amazon. Collectively, her books have earned over 45 book awards. Judith speaks throughout the year at publishing conferences. 

Throughout the year, she holds Judith Briles Book Unplugged in-person and online experiences: Publishing, Speaking, Marketing, and Social Media. All are two-day intensives limited to a small group of authors who want to be seriously successful. Join Judith live for the “AuthorU-Your Guide to Book Publishing” podcast on the Toginet Radio Network HERE. 

Follow @AuthorUYOUBooks and @MyBookShepherd on Twitter and do a “Like” at AuthorYOU, and join the Facebook group Book Publishing with The Book Shepherd. If you want to create a book that has no regrets, contact her.

©2022 Judith Briles – The Book Shepherd™ All Rights Reserved.