Book clubs require some financial investments from the members to cover basic operating costs. Here is an overview of costs considerations for a new book club.
All new groups require some degree of financial investment, and a book club is no exception. Here is a run down of the basic costs involved in operating a new reading group and other additional expenses that may or may not be necessary for every group. By looking at the big financial picture, a club leader can decide which expenses are most important to meet the needs of their group members.
Basic Book Club Expenses
These are the expenses that are incurred by every book club and are comprised of the necessary operational costs of the group:
- Administrative. There are many administrative duties that go into forming and operating a book club. These include photocopying meeting materials, keeping an accurate list of members, maintaining the group's website or blog (if applicable), keeping meeting minutes (if applicable), handling mailings as necessary and maintaining the groups rules, just to name a few.
- Food and Drink. People are not going to attend a book club meeting without refreshments. This can be as simple or fancy as the group decides. Some groups just do the coffee, tea and pastry route while others like to do a pre-or post meeting brunch or potluck dinner. Decide what works best for the group and then share the responsibilities, whether this means chipping in financially or bringing something to the meeting.
- Books. What would a book club be without books? Since this is a necessary cost, the group should be made aware of reading selections as far in advance as possible (some groups plan and distribute their yearly reading list in January) in order to either shop for the best price or put the book on reserve at their public library so that all members will have the book when needed.
Optional Book Club Expenses
These are additional costs that may be imposed on the group depending upon its specific needs:
- Location. If the group decides to hold its meetings in a public space (that is anywhere other than in members' homes) there are often rental or reservation fees required for using these locations.
- Leader and/or Featured Speaker. If the group decides to hire a professional book club leader or have featured speakers such as authors attend meetings, there is usually a fee associated.
- Babysitting/Childcare. Some groups hold meetings at public places where there is the option of having an on-site babysitter. If the group decides to take advantage of this amenity, there is an additional fee imposed as well.
Deciding Who Pays for What
When it comes to deciding how to break down the operational costs and divvying them up among members, there are two schools of thought:
- Instill a fee-based membership. With this option, all of the necessary financial costs of the group are tallied and then divided evenly among the members. The resulting amount becomes the annual membership dues. This method is fair and acts as an additional incentive for members to attend meetings and participate fully.
- Have each member volunteer to do a necessary task. If money is a concern for the group, consider this method. By clearly dividing up the tasks that need to be carried out on a monthly basis and assigning them to members of the group, each person is responsible for ensuring that their portion of the group is under control. Tasks can include creating any and all paperwork necessary for the meetings, arranging for any guest speakers, reserving public space for each meeting, setting up for the meeting, cleaning up after the meeting and providing refreshments. To further ensure fairness, these tasks can be rotated as often as the group sees fit.
The copyright of the article Financial Considerations of a Book Club in Book Clubs is owned by Lisa Rufle. Permission to republish Financial Considerations of a Book Club in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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