I'll be starting a Book Club for Gamebooks in September. There's a poll for the first book up at Reddit. This post is looking at options for running it.
An Online Gaming Book Club?
It's a way of reading and discussing a gamebook at the same time as other people. Or just reading it for many people. For some it will give the reason (or excuse) to read the gamebook. For others a reason to reread it and for more a way to discover new gamebooks.
Here I'm mulling over ways to run the gamebook club (mostly for my own benefit if being forced to think about it)
Methods of Choosing the Monthly Book
Gamebooks need a book, and doing it monthly let's people dip in and out. Usually I'd play to have the book for the next month sorted by halfway through month before. (so one for Oct would be chosen by Mid-Sept). Polls could use Reddit, a dedicated poll platform, Patreon, Facebook, Discord or somewhere else
- I could choose a book
- Randomise a book!
- Have a poll from a list of 3-5 books
- Have two or more polls to choose and narrow down to one book
- Choose a book that came close for a previous poll (like a tie or 1-5% in it)
- Vary it
- Have polls to choose a theme / series / genre and go from there
Books to Choose
As well as a method of choosing a book. They'll need to be some way of choosing between them. Matching Warlock of Deathtrap Dungeon against nearly any non-Fighting Fantasy book will likely result in Deathtrap Dungeon 99% of the time. Also, it helps if they're a book I (as organiser) have some enthusiasm around.
The books should be easy(-ish) to get hold of at a reasonable price (using UK as the as I'm usually based here). OR have another option such as an online version, digital copy or free version (such as project Aon).
- Have themed months (such as Horror, Sci-Fi or Pirates)
- Have a choice from among a series (such as 4 Fighting Fantasy Books)
- Have a choice among similar series (Lone Wolf or Way of the Tiger or different Open-World Gamebooks)
- Have a choice among similar gamebooks (such as huge gamebooks, classics, new gamebooks, diceless gamebooks, visual gamebooks, online gamebooks)
- Choose a book and an alternative book if you've already read it.
Places to Have Discussions
Book Clubs need discussions. Which can be hit and miss on the internet. But that's the format we're using as face to face is harder.
One or more of...
- Reddit forum or dedicated subreddit
- Discord (not perfect for discussion, and someone has to look after it)
- Audio (possibility for a limited number of people!)
- Facebook (or other social media) group.
- A dedicated site
Other Options
Other options I'm thinking about for the gamebook club include...
- Ask Me Anything with the author
- Expand to also have a (parallel) monthly Solo RPG Club (such as Starforged, Notorious, Thousand Year Old Vampire, Colostle, Apothecaria)
- Book discounts (no idea how that would work)
- Fallow months (a month off now and again!)
Finishing Up
It's bank holiday here in the UK so time to go and do some mulling!
