Top 10: Online Book Club platforms

2022. TikTok launches a new Book Club



In recent years, the TikTok hashtag #BookTok has captured the attention of young individuals worldwide and has fostered a reading culture. Building upon this phenomenon, the TikTok Book Club will be established, providing an organized structure for readers. Each month, a new book will be announced, inviting community members to participate in collective reading experiences and share their thoughts. TikTok will create a dedicated hub within the app exclusively for the Book Club, where the monthly book selection will be unveiled. Serving as a virtual gathering space, the TikTok Book Club enables the TikTok community to engage in discussions about the chosen titles. The best part is that everyone is welcome to join, regardless of their reading preferences or interests. So, whether you are an avid reader or in search of your next vacation read, TikTok has got you covered!


2021. BookClub brings author-led book clubs to readers



The new platform BookClub provides authors with an opportunity to participate in book groups, share exclusive video-based interviews, and engage with readers' questions. The startup is currently exploring two services to facilitate author-led discussions for readers. One service enables users to select a book and access corresponding videos as they progress through it. During BookClub's interview with Emily Chang, the author of "Brotopia," they generated eight to 12 hours of content, including Q&A sessions, readings, and insights into the book's creation. The other service resembles Oprah's Book Club, a long-standing discussion series where Oprah interviews a different author each month. BookClub's version involves selecting an author to discuss their book, along with a series of books sharing similar themes, in an interview-style format.

2021. Literati - online book club platform driven by celebrities



Literati introduces a fresh book club platform that empowers celebrities to establish their own exclusive book clubs. Notable personalities like Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, NBA star Stephen Curry, and entrepreneur/philanthropist Sir Richard Branson have curated their own clubs. Here's how it works: By subscribing to Literati for $20 per month, you gain access to multiple book clubs. Each Luminary is responsible for handpicking books for their respective clubs and igniting discussions around them. You have the flexibility to switch between book clubs as you desire. Every month, a new printed book accompanied by a personal note from your chosen Luminary is delivered to your doorstep. Through the connected app, you can engage in conversations and watch exclusive videos related to the book club.


2015. Book club platform Entitle is discontinued



Book-club startup Entitle Books has recently announced its closure, as posted on its website. Originally launched in 2013 under the name eReatah, Entitle operated as a retailer offering a subscription service akin to a book-of-the-month club. Subscribers would pay a monthly fee to receive 2-4 credits, which could then be used to purchase ebooks. These ebooks could be read within the Entitle apps for Android or iOS, or downloaded and transferred to devices compatible with Adobe DE DRM. The demise of Entitle, along with the recent shutdown of Librify, serves as a testament to the challenges faced by book-of-the-month club models without achieving a significant scale. In contrast, Bookspan operates numerous paper book-of-the-month clubs in diverse genres and categories, encompassing both fiction and non-fiction selections.


2015. Scribd acquired social reading app Librify



Ebook subscription startup Scribd has recently announced its acquisition of Librify, a social reading app. The companies highlighted Librify's emphasis on the social reading experience as a compelling factor behind the deal. This news comes at a time of intense competition in the publishing industry, with Amazon, Oyster, and others vying to establish themselves as the leading "Netflix for books," offering similar products. Scribd intends to leverage Librify's social features to enhance its own platform, aiming to create a more comprehensive and engaging social e-reading experience. Scribd's co-founder and CEO, Trip Adler, expressed appreciation for Librify's focus on the social reading experience and their significant contributions to reading communities. The acquisition aligns with Scribd's existing product and reflects their commitment to further explore and develop this aspect of their platform, in response to the desires of both the company and its readers.


2014. Bookspan to relaunch Book-of-the-Month club



Bookspan, the largest family of book clubs in the United States, recently made changes to their "flagship" club, Book of the Month Club (BOMC), by integrating it into The Literary Guild. However, insiders have revealed that Bookspan has plans to re-launch Book of the Month Club as a subscription service with a renewed approach. The redesigned club aims to provide members with a focused and high-quality platform for discovering new books and authors. To achieve this, Bookspan intends to enlist well-known and trusted judges who will curate and highlight 3 to 5 new titles each month. This reinvention of the model reflects their desire to regain the previous impact BOMC had in drawing attention to noteworthy releases and assisting readers in their decision-making process for their next read.