Have you ever seen a Book Club Fiction sign in a bookstore? What, exactly, is that supposed to mean? 

There are just as many types of book clubs as there are readers: Fantasy book clubs. Mystery book clubs. Book clubs that only read classics. Book clubs that always read a new release. There are book clubs for kids, book clubs focused on one series or author, book clubs where everyone tacitly agrees to read enough of the book to chat for twenty minutes before the meeting moves on to gossip and charcuterie. There are some publishers that make book club editions, which usually includes suggested discussion questions at the back of the book. There are also companies, such as Book of the Month, that function as a book club subscription service. 

But none of that says anything about how to write a book club book or tells you if using that as a marketing term would be helpful for you. 

What’s a Book Club Book Anyway? 

If we wanted to put some kind of general parameter on how most book club books generally function, we could say that it needs to be something everyone could reasonably finish in one month. So it can't be a single short story but perhaps not a doorstop either. 

A good book club book should also provoke some good discussions. This is why thrillers and mysteries are often popular choices; members can discuss who they thought the killer was, which clues they picked up on, and what they missed. 

But really, isn’t thought provoking a requirement for any book good enough to be published? Characters make choices, they face challenges, they solve problems, and they do all kinds of things that readers might agree or disagree with. Even if a book is really boring, that’s its own discussion prompt: What would have made it more exciting? Was the lack of action some kind of artistic choice? What did you think would happen before you read it? 

Another parameter might be that standard book club books are often not science fiction or fantasy, assuming the book club isn’t centered around one of those genres. This is perhaps because science fiction that gets deep into science, or epic fantasies that need deep world-building, can be a hard “no” for some readers, and book clubs are usually aiming for something that might appeal to anyone, at least on the surface. 

So How Do I Write One? 

You may have noticed that these points haven't done much to narrow down the definition of what a book club book is. So how are you supposed to write one? 

You aren’t.

Other than knowing epic fantasy and hard science fiction will likely not be a good pick for a general book club, and that extremely long page counts won’t work for the common monthly format, there’s no real way to set out to write a book club bestseller. 

You may have noticed that the books people talk about as book club selections are often just whatever is selling like hotcakes at the moment. And you may think to yourself, well, why don’t I write a book just like one of these bestsellers? But remember: if you notice a publishing trend on the bestseller list now, by the time you write a book and publish it, that trend will likely be over. It’s never a good idea to chase trends, because they change too quickly.

It is a good idea to think about how to make your book provoking and worthy of discussion. (Usually, as mentioned above, this means writing characters who make controversial choices and face challenges!) But as far as writing a book specifically for a book club goes, it’s nearly impossible to game the system from the beginning of the writing process. 

Why Does Anyone Use This Term? 

So if there’s no such thing as a formula for a book club book, and there’s no way to decide how to write one, what’s the point of the term anyway? 

Marketing. It’s just marketing. Savvy book publicists know that many readers are overwhelmed by the sheer number of books out there, and people often just want to grab something that everyone in the group will read without complaining. So they may attach this term to a book that just happens to organically catch the wave of a trend—think of the many domestic thrillers that sold lots of copies because they happened to come out close to Gone Girl—and they might use it to boost sales of a book that’s already started out strong. 

If you’re an independent author and in charge of your own marketing, do what the big publishers do and write out some discussion questions to include at the end. Make it known to your readers that you are happy to visit their book club and talk about the book with them. Do your research about which other books have been big book club hits, even traditionally published ones, and use the ones that are similar to yours in your materials. Think about marketing lines such as the following: If you loved Big Bestselling Book Club Hit, you’ll love My Book because they both feature characters who move back to their hometown.

Write First, Market Later

Whether it’s a book club book, women’s fiction, or upmarket, marketing terms aren’t always helpful to writers. While it is important to know your genre, the marketing terms can come later. 

Just focus on writing the best book that you can; you can figure out what marketing stickers will go on the cover later. 

Chelsea Ennen is a writer living in Brooklyn with her husband and her dog. When not writing or reading, she is a fiber and textile artist who sews, knits, crochets, weaves, and spins.