Book Klub Guidelines

[Betsy the Quilter]

Book Club Guidelines
   
Requests for Book Clubs will be posted in the Book Corner and will be started based on member interest and approval of the moderator.  This is to help ensure a consistent Book Club experience for our members and to ensure that each Club has a leader, a plan and a set of questions to work from. General fan threads for books and authors are welcome at any time, of course, and do not need to go through the Moderator.

Book Club announcements will include the name of the book, the meeting day, and a spoiler warning.

Links for purchasing the books will be posted in the Book Club announcement to aid members in finding and buying the right books.  These links will include the Kindleboards affiliate codes so that Kindleboards will get a small percentage to help offset the cost of running the board.

Pre-Kindlers (members whose Kindles have not yet arrived) are welcome to take part in the Book Clubs using paper books.

Each Book Club will have a volunteer leader.  The leader of the book club will be the “moderator” for that thread with the assistance of the Kindleboards Moderators.  This will involve developing the questions to be asked and keeping the discussion on topic.  The Kindleboards Moderators will assist in calming dustups that may occur.  See Book Club Decorum for more information about dustups…. 
   
The leader will supply a list of questions to be discussed.  If the leader needs assistance with the questions, the moderator and the other Book Club members will help!  A set of generic questions will be available to all Book Club leaders.
   
Book Clubs will typically last 6-8 weeks so the book will be divided into reading portions to cover that period.  For example, a book with 40 chapters will be read 5 chapters a week. The Book Club leader may change the schedule if needed.  Some book schedules may be based on locations.

Each Book Club will have a set day of the week that chapters/locations must be read by and for discussion to begin. This day will be posted on the calendar.

Chapters (or locations) will be assigned each week to be discussed the following week.  Discussion of that portion of the book will last a week.
      
Members may join a Book Club already in progress and catch up with the reading.  We request that they only post regarding material covered after they join so as to not derail the discussion going on.  The same for members who fall behind:  catch up with the reading and then rejoin the discussions. 

Discussion of the book in the thread may certainly continue after the book club ends; this may be the time to post those questions that you didn’t get the chance to ask earlier without derailing the discussion!
   
Book Club Decorum

Book Club leaders may not be killed with a stick.  (Also known as the Robin Rule.)

People will undoubtedly have strong feelings both for and against the book being read and on thoughts being expressed.  Respond to posts as if you were in the room with the person, but also realize that they cannot read your expression.  Use your words, people, and your emoticons too.   In rare occasions, posts that do not comply may be edited or removed at the leader & moderator’s discretion.

Personal attacks will not be allowed—they are against Forum Decorum.  Name calling falls into that category.  Real world examples of what is NOT appropriate:
•   You are being melodramatic.
•   You are intolerant.
•   This post of yours is rubbish.
•   That is elitist nonsense
•   That is extremely silly
Try to address the issues, not the individual.  Use “I don’t agree with [what you said]” not “you are [adjective]”.  People automatically get defensive and respond in kind, often raising the ante.  We want this to be a positive experience for EVERYONE involved.

Enough rules and regulations, let's have fun!

Betsy