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Creating Book Clubs & Challenges

Premium subscribers can create their own book clubs and reading challenges, building communities around their reading interests.

Premium Feature

Creating book clubs and reading challenges requires a Premium subscription. Learn more about Premium.

All users can join clubs and challenges for free - you only need Premium to create them.

Creating a Book Club​

Getting Started​

  1. Tap the Read tab
  2. Ensure you're on the "Clubs" view
  3. Tap the + (plus) button in the bottom-right
  4. If you don't have Premium, you'll see an upgrade prompt

Club Creation Form​

Fill out the required information:

Club Name (required)

  • Give your club a clear, descriptive name
  • Minimum 3 characters
  • Examples: "Sci-Fi Saturdays", "Literary Fiction Deep Cuts", "YA Romance Readers"

Description (optional but recommended)

  • Explain what your club is about
  • Set expectations for reading pace
  • Describe the types of books you'll read
  • State any rules or guidelines

Privacy Setting

  • Public: Anyone can find and join your club
  • Private: Members can only join by invitation

After Creating​

Once you tap "Create":

  • Your club is immediately live
  • You're automatically the club owner
  • You can start adding books
  • You can invite members (for private clubs)
  • The club appears in the Clubs browser (if public)

Setting Up Your Club​

Adding Books​

  1. Navigate to your club's page
  2. Go to the Books tab
  3. Tap "Add Book"
  4. Search for books
  5. Select books to add to the club's reading list

Book Organization:

  • Add current reads
  • Add upcoming books
  • Set featured/spotlight books (optional)

Writing Your Description​

A great club description includes:

  • Purpose: What's the club's focus?
  • Reading pace: One book per month? Two weeks per book?
  • Book selection: How are books chosen? Member votes? Owner curated?
  • Discussion style: Deep analysis? Casual chat?
  • Expectations: Required participation? Spoiler policies?

Example:

Monthly literary fiction club. We read one critically-acclaimed
novel per month and discuss themes, writing style, and personal
reactions. All are welcome - from casual readers to serious
students of literature. Spoilers allowed after the month's end.
New book selection happens via member vote.

Managing Your Club​

Member Management​

As club owner, you can:

  • View all members in the Members tab
  • Assign moderator roles to trusted members
  • Remove disruptive members (if necessary)
  • Invite specific users (for private clubs)

Inviting Members (Private Clubs)​

  1. Find users you want to invite
  2. Share your club's invite link
  3. Or invite directly from their profile

Moderation Tools​

Content moderation:

  • Remove inappropriate discussion posts
  • Set discussion guidelines
  • Ban users who violate rules

Club settings:

  • Toggle between public/private
  • Edit description and name
  • Archive the club if needed

Moderator Roles​

Assign trusted members as moderators to help:

  • Monitor discussions
  • Remove inappropriate content
  • Welcome new members
  • Enforce club guidelines
  • Help select books

To assign moderators:

  1. Go to Members tab
  2. Tap the member's name
  3. Select "Make Moderator"

Creating a Reading Challenge​

Challenge Creation​

  1. Tap the Read tab
  2. Switch to "Challenges" view
  3. Tap the + (plus) button
  4. If prompted, confirm your Premium subscription

Challenge Creation Form​

Challenge Name (required)

  • Clear, motivating title
  • Examples: "Summer Reading Sprint", "Diverse Authors 2024", "Classic Literature Challenge"

Description (optional but recommended)

  • Explain the challenge goal
  • State how many books or what criteria
  • Provide motivation or context

Start Date

  • When does the challenge begin?
  • Can be today or a future date
  • Participants can join anytime before end date

End Date

  • Challenge deadline
  • Typically 1-12 months from start
  • Choose a realistic timeframe

After Creating​

Your challenge goes live immediately:

  • Appears in the Challenges browser
  • Users can start joining
  • You can add books to the reading list
  • Discussion begins

Setting Up Your Challenge​

Defining the Goal​

Be specific about what participants should accomplish:

Quantity goals: "Read 12 books in 12 months"

Genre goals: "Read 5 different genres"

Diversity goals: "Read 10 authors from 5 different countries"

Specific list: "Read all these 8 books"

Adding Books​

For challenges with specific book requirements:

  1. Go to the Books tab
  2. Add all required books
  3. Mark spotlight books (featured recommendations)

For criteria-based challenges:

  • Add suggested/example books
  • Let participants choose their own books that fit

Setting Expectations​

In your description, clarify:

  • Exact requirements: What counts as completing the challenge?
  • Timeline: Pace suggestions (e.g., 1 book per month)
  • Flexibility: Can participants read ahead? Fall behind?
  • Tracking: How should participants track progress?

Managing Challenges​

Monitoring Participation​

View challenge statistics:

  • Total participants
  • Completion rate
  • Active vs. inactive members
  • Discussion engagement

Encouraging Participants​

As challenge creator:

  • Post regular motivation
  • Share milestone celebrations
  • Respond to participant updates
  • Feature member achievements

Moderating Discussions​

  • Keep conversations on-topic
  • Remove spam or inappropriate content
  • Foster supportive atmosphere
  • Answer participant questions

Updating the Challenge​

You can edit:

  • Description and details
  • Book list (add or remove books)
  • Spotlight selections

You cannot change:

  • Start and end dates (once set)
  • Challenge name (after creation)

Best Practices for Creators​

Starting a Successful Club​

Be clear: Set explicit expectations in your description.

Start small: Focus on quality membership over huge numbers.

Lead actively: Post regularly and engage with members.

Choose books thoughtfully: Match your stated club purpose.

Welcome newcomers: Make new members feel included immediately.

Stay organized: Keep the book list updated and current.

Be consistent: Stick to your stated reading pace and schedule.

Running a Great Challenge​

Set realistic goals: Don't make it too hard or too easy.

Choose smart timelines: Match difficulty to time available.

Provide variety: Include different types of books if possible.

Stay encouraging: Motivate participants who fall behind.

Celebrate milestones: Acknowledge achievements (halfway, completed, etc.).

Keep it fun: Challenges should motivate, not stress participants.

Be flexible: Life happens - allow grace for participants who struggle.

Growing Your Community​

Promoting Your Club​

  • Share on your profile
  • Post about it in the main feed
  • Invite friends directly
  • Cross-promote with related clubs
  • Engage actively to attract others

Promoting Your Challenge​

  • Announce in the Share feed
  • Share in relevant book clubs
  • Time it well (New Year, summer, etc.)
  • Make the description compelling
  • Highlight the benefits of joining

Troubleshooting​

Low Engagement​

  • Post more frequently to stimulate discussion
  • Ask direct questions to members
  • Feature specific books or topics
  • Invite more engaged readers
  • Re-evaluate your club/challenge focus

Moderation Issues​

  • Set clear rules in the description
  • Enforce rules consistently
  • Use moderator help for larger groups
  • Remove persistent troublemakers
  • Consider making a private club if public is too chaotic

Wrong Book Pace​

  • Poll members about pace preferences
  • Adjust future book selections
  • Split into "fast" and "slow" discussions
  • Be explicit about pace expectations

Archiving or Closing​

Archiving a Club​

If your club runs its course:

  1. Post a final message to members
  2. Mark it as archived in settings
  3. Discussions remain visible but new posts disabled

Ending a Challenge​

Challenges automatically close after the end date:

  • New joins are disabled
  • Discussion continues
  • Results are finalized
  • Participants can view completion status

Compensation and Benefits​

Club and challenge creators don't receive:

  • Monetary compensation
  • Premium credits
  • Special badges (currently)

The rewards are:

  • Building community around books you love
  • Leading discussions on topics you care about
  • Connecting with like-minded readers
  • Sharing your reading passion
  • Organizing group reading experiences

Getting Help​

If you need assistance as a creator:

Start Small, Grow Organically

Your first club or challenge doesn't need to be huge. Start with 5-10 committed members or participants. Focus on creating a great experience for them, and word will spread naturally. Quality always beats quantity.

Ideas for Clubs and Challenges​

Club Ideas​

  • Genre-specific: Romance, Mystery, Fantasy, Literary Fiction
  • Format-based: Audiobook listeners, Graphic novel readers
  • Author-focused: Read everything by one author
  • Award followers: Booker Prize, Pulitzer, Hugo Award winners
  • Local: Neighborhood or city-based clubs
  • Professional: Industry-specific book clubs
  • Parent/family: Books for parents, family reading
  • Academic: Deep literary analysis

Challenge Ideas​

  • Seasonal: Summer reading, Fall cozies, Winter classics
  • Quantity: 12 books in 12 months, 52 books in 52 weeks
  • Alphabet: Read books from A-Z by title or author
  • Color: Books with colors in the title
  • Diversity: Authors from different countries, diverse voices
  • Page count: All books over/under certain length
  • Debut authors: Only first-time authors
  • Genre exploration: Try 6 new genres
  • Classics: 10 classic novels
  • Awards: Read all Pulitzer winners from the last decade

Get creative - the best clubs and challenges reflect your unique reading interests!