Plan It!
By Sharon Lucas
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About this ebook
The African American author is often overworked, overlooked and underrated. That coupled with the closing of many bookstores, which had long been the gathering place for these authors, and the emergence of E-readers, has changed the way in which our writers and readers meet and converse. Though book clubs have long been a cornerstone of the African American community, at no other time in our history has it been more important for readers to support African American authors and to help fill the void left by the closing of our brick and mortar stores. A well organized book club can be invaluable in spreading the news about great books and talented authors and what better way to achieve that than bringing these two groups together in a well-planned and executed literary event.
Plan It! The Complete Resource Guide for Authors, Book Clubs, & Literary Event Planners provides anyone who wants to start a book club with an all-in-one guide to planning book club and literary events. This required companion includes forms, checklists, and tips to start and manage book club meetings, author visits, and planning full-scale literary events. Not just for book clubs, though, this handy guide also provides authors and event planners with the information they need to make any event a resounding success.
Sharon Lucas
Sharon Lucas can’t remember a time when she wasn’t planning an event: a family reunion, birthday or retirement party, a holiday celebration or other gala, during her more than 40 years as a human resource and sales professional and more than 10 years as a book club leader. After her retirement, it seemed natural to her that she would combine those skills with her love of reading and entered the most exciting time of her life as an advocate for and planner of literary events in support of African American authors and book clubs. Sharon lives with her family in Bowie, MD. Visit her blog at www.realdivasread.com.
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Plan It! - Sharon Lucas
Folks!
Part I
Starting a Book Club
I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure: which is, try to please everybody.
Herbert B. Swope
The hardest step to take when embarking on any new venture is to STOP procrastinating! Don’t allow yourself to get caught up wondering who will support you, where you will meet, etc., etc., because the what ifs
are endless and discouraging. Concentrate instead on the many benefits of belonging to a book club, such as broadening your horizons as you read books you might not ordinarily have chosen for yourself; sharpening your communication skills as you participate in book discussions; and expanding your social network as you meet new people from many different walks of life. In other words, keep in mind that if you want to see the sunshine, you must weather the storm.
It is generally thought, usually rightly so, that an organization’s success or failure is often linked to the success or failure of the club’s leadership. It was not until after I had founded and led The Reading Divas for several years that I realized building a book club is much easier than leading and maintaining one. In addition, I learned there is nothing more important when you start a club, than to establish, embrace, and follow the rules of the group.
If the leader does not regularly attend and participate in meetings, read the book of the month (BOM) or stay abreast of, and share new trends in the literary world and industry, the club will fail. Leaders who possess great people skills are more likely to succeed than those who do not.
For many years, I worked as a human resource manager and when I entered the book club world, I believed I possessed great people skills, but it did not occur to me how often I would have to rely on them. Following are a few of the skills that I believe, have allowed me to maintain healthy relationships within my book club world:
1.Listen more than you speak.
2.Express your thoughts and feelings clearly; do not expect others to know what you are thinking.
3.Resolve problems or the same problem will pop up time after time.
4.If you feel tension in the air, others do too, so get to the root of the problem.
5.Accept that you are in a position to influence others, use that influence cautiously.
6.Address conflicts by negotiating with the parties involved without placing blame.
7.Collaborate with your team, do not try to do everything yourself.
8.Know when it is best to walk away. It is okay to acknowledge that you have done everything you can to solve a problem, but if your actions do not seem to be enough—move