Why Authors Should Join Book Clubs

Tracey Madeley looks at the many benefits of physical & online book clubs and reading groups

I have often heard it said that, as authors, we want to spend our time writing, researching and generally being involved in the creative process. We do not want to spend time marketing and promoting our work; even networking takes us away from the laptop and pen. Selflessly we have banned ourselves from looking at social media, lest it become a distraction and a substitute for writing.

Yet, as authors, we should be reading more than most people. I always find it a little suspect when authors on Goodreads have read no, or very few, books. When questioned, the reply is usually that they read, but do not have time to write reviews. My argument would be: it is all writing. Taking time to look at someone else’s work, discover what you did/didn’t like, what worked well and what you should avoid, only sharpens your own analytical skills and makes you a better writer.

When I first started posting reviews to Amazon, my ranking was 25,775. I am now 11,995. This may not translate into any more sales, but it certainly makes my name more visible than it was previously. Don’t forget the American site as well: that is a large English-speaking market. I think one of the reasons for my increase in ranking is that I post regularly and at least twice a month. Belonging to a book club has certainly spread my diversity of reading.

If reading is a good thing (and if it’s good enough for Stephen King, it’s good enough for me), and if reviewing is good writing practice, then what’s wrong with just reading what we feel like? Why bother to join a physical or online book club?

Reading exclusively what you want can put you in a bit of a rut. There is an argument to say you should read widely in your particular genre, whether that is romance or vampire novels. I understand this; I also understand the argument for writing what people want to read, in order to be financially successful. Even in these circumstances, finding a book club which exclusively reads your genre could bring valuable insights, and you may find some new authors you have not read before.

Personally, my preference is for a general book club which will expose me to a wide range of genres. I have only been a member of mine for a couple of months and, with the exception of Margaret Atwood, I had never heard of any of the authors before. We read one book a month, and I therefore get the second half of the month to read something of my choosing. This helps maintain a discipline of reading at least one book per month.

The other significant benefit of belonging to a club is hearing the comments people make on the books. When we read Colm Tóibín’s Brooklyn, one of the complaints was that the heroine was very passive and not a very strong character. I think we need to remember that strong women characters are quite a new thing and, historically, women’s job prospects were limited up until the late ’60s / early ’70s. Since the ’80s we have adopted a more American approach of going out and making things happen, and this is reflected in our literature. However, it is good to have writers who remind us that this was not always the case.

Sabina Durrant’s Lie to Me caused a vibrant conversation for a different reason. The book is written in the first person singular, and no-one liked the male protagonist. We even had comments such as ‘I’ve dated selfish men like that!’ This raises the question: can you like a book if you don’t like the characters? From a literary point of view, I would argue that a book is not just about the characters; there are also themes, plot, language, construction and emotion. But the sole aim of many readers is to be entertained and, if they don’t like or empathise with a character, the book will not be good for them.

Anne Tyler’s A Spool of Blue Thread was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2015 and deals with different generations of one family. Unlike some other books which mainly deal in flashbacks, this book offers a smooth transition between generations. It is not a simple linear transition, but there are character links between timeframes, so everything is grounded in the story. The most common criticism of this book was that nothing happened and it was slow.

In conclusion, I believe all authors should belong to a book club, because it will not only enrich their reading habits, but also give an insight into reader expectations.

Find out more about virtual book clubs and reading groups by visiting Reading Groups for Everyone – Virtual Groups.