Devon Book Club discussion

As we approach our first birthday on 21st October I thought it timely to reflect on our year together and think about what you'd like to see in 2016.

Our membership now stands at 184 on Goodreads and 328 on Facebook. Whilst some are on both we have around 450 members. That is fantastic. My target had been 200 on Goodreads and 350 on FB - so there's still time for a late flurry if you can all encourage your friends to join us!. We've memebrs from all over Devon, thought I am disappoiunted that we have not made much headway in Plymouth yet. By our second year I would love to hit 1000 and I am sure that is achievable.

Reading challenges, dozens of discussion topics, taking our books for a walk - we've taken all sorts of directions during the year thanks to your creativity and interest.

3 hugely enjoyable events in bookshops (with our fourth imminent), connections with 5 or 6 literary festivals, all sorts of relationships developing. We are fast becoming the go - to place to "Join the literary dots in Devon". We are filling a big gap and I am sure our role will grow further in the next year.

A crucial partnership has been built with the library service, who now recognise us as the primary online forum for the county. As the new community - owned mutual comes into effect in April 2016 I am sure we will forge an even stronger relationship and I look forward to that. We are already in converstion about the potential to hook up with a number of publishers and to make a much bigger noise on World Book Night in April.

Devon based authors are a rich resource for the county and we are increasingly connecting with them
and introducing new readers to their work. How can we build on that in 2015 and support them further?

A forum like our needs to keep growing, developing and innovating - so my question to you is "What do you want us to do in 2016?"

Do we keep on running our bookshop and cake crawl events - or are there other ways of meeting together that would work?

Should we have a stronger profile at Literary Festivals and if so how?

Do you want to try some new things - e.g.
- a few of you have suggested reading and discussing a shared book from time to time - might you want to trial an online book discussion once a quarter i.e. to read a book and discuss online on a given night/week?
- Should we approach publishers to review books in advance of publication?
- Competitions of some kind? If so, what?
- Different ways of meeting? If so, how?
- Interviews and Q/A online with our Devon authors - if so, how would we do that?
- new reading challenges - if so, ideas?

I'd certainly like to promote even more participation among members - how might we do that?

I woudl really welcome your thoughts about how we move forward in our second year. It has been a lot of fun so far, and I feel privileged to haev made so many new friends but this is just the beginning.

Where next folks?

A suggestion from Rosyln, which I think has legs, is to have a series of "webinars" - need to find out how to host them but the basic ideas is for a web based discussion/authors interview/whatever that people can join, via a weblink. Rosyln and I will look into that and come back.

Jennie in Budleigh is keen for us to have a presence at next years Lit Fest so I think a calendar of Literary Festivals and partnership with them all will be another line of enquiry.

Keep the ideas coming folks

First of all, Ian, we owe you our thanks and congratulations for the time and effort you have invested in order to revive a moribund Devon group and create a movement that appears to have a future. (pause for applause).
There's a potential problem where a group has a presence both here on Goodreads and on Facebook. Facebook is so popular that users may tend to keep in touch with the group in their frequent Facebook visits, with the result that the group activity on Goodreads fades away. Perhaps we need an area of activity that only takes place here with Facebook users being directed here to take part.
One such would be regular competitions. For example, we could have a monthly drabble competition - a drabble being a short story of exactly 100 words (not including the title). It takes very little time to write one. Members vote and the winning author gets to choose the theme for the next competition.
To get members popping in here on a more regular basis, how about a thread called 'What are you up to today?', or some such, where members can exchange greetings and say a few words about their plans?

B J wrote: "First of all, Ian, we owe you our thanks and congratulations for the time and effort you have invested in order to revive a moribund Devon group and create a movement that appears to have a future...."

Thanks BJ - much appreciated. It's been a lot of fun.

Your wider point is really helpful and important to address. What FB is good for (and Goodreads isn't) is quick visuals - it doesn't lend itself to the thematic discussions, book reviews, challenges etc that the Goodreads page does - I do keep referring people here for that reason.

Having said that, I love your idea for a Drabble. Rather like Roslyn's idea of a webinar (see above) those could be exclusive to Goodreads and people pointed here. Is a Drabble and the associated poll something that you might be willing to co-ordinate?

Also, by all means start a new thread as you suggest. I'm all for member-led activity rather than it all coming through me

Thanks for the suggestions.

Can I have your advice please? I am looking at a number of new activities this year but i'd like your views on one in particular:-

If I were to organise a Devon Book Hour, where you could join a live online "conversation" about what you are reading, book news, events, social chat etc would you join in?

Sounds fun, probably would join in if possible

Ley wrote: "Sounds fun, probably would join in if possible"

Thanks - I'm getting good feedback over on Twitter and Facebook too so think I am going to go for it. Just a case of picking an evening. That won't be easy as everyone's busy and availability will vary so I am thinking a monthly session on Goodreads and a monthly session over on Twitter/Facebook i.e. two weeks apart to test on the different platforms

Lisa wrote: "I think it sounds good and would be interested in joining in if I am free."

Thanks. Im going to trial on Twitter on 18/1 8-9 PM using #devonbookhour

Then Im thinking maybe a 9-10 one evening on Goodreads - perhaps a wednesday - or is that too late do you think? My problem is that i m really busy til 9, Tuesday- Thursday til March

Lisa wrote: "Times sound good to me."

Thank you. Ill give it a go and then wecan adapt based on experience. I will post later with proposals for 2016 more generally

Now I've just got to remember.

Ley wrote: "Now I've just got to remember."

First one is tomorrow evening 8-9PM use the #devonbookhour hashtag when you join in. Hope to see you there

I remembered and then someone rang me at just the wrong time, hope it went well.

Ley wrote: "I remembered and then someone rang me at just the wrong time, hope it went well."

It did - we had around 30 people - including a lot of our friends on Goodreads. Was a lot of fun. Looking to make a weekly event 8-9 every Monday. I'd also love some others to help me host it. Liz Shakespeare has kindly volunteered but be good to share it around. It is very easy to manage so if anyone feels like giving it a go, let me know