Making Long-Distance Book Clubs Work: Tips from Scattered Readers

The Great Scattering

In 2019, four of our eight book club members moved away. New jobs, family needs, restlessness—the reasons varied. Suddenly our cozy local group was spread across three time zones.

Everyone assumed we'd fade out. Instead, we adapted. And honestly? The distance made us more intentional about connection, not less.

The Technology Setup

Video Platform

We use Zoom. Other options work fine—Google Meet, FaceTime for smaller groups, Discord. What matters is reliability and that everyone can use it.

Tips:

• Same link every time (no hunting for it)
• Calendar invites with link included
• Someone as tech troubleshooter for each call

Group Communication

Between meetings, we use a group text thread for:

• "Just started the book!"
• "Halfway through—thoughts..."
• Random life updates
• Scheduling discussions

A Slack channel or Discord server works for larger groups who want more organization.

Book Access

We coordinate formats:

• Check library availability (Libby/Overdrive is a lifesaver)
• Share info on sales or deals
• Make sure physical copies are possible for those who prefer them

Making Virtual Discussions Work

The Awkward Pause Problem

Video chat has natural lag that creates awkward silences and interrupted speech. Solutions:

• Facilitator calls on people rather than waiting for someone to jump in
• Use "hand raise" features to indicate you want to speak
• Chat window for side comments without interrupting
• Go-around format for opening reactions

Shorter Sessions

In-person book clubs can ramble for hours. Virtual fatigue is real. We found 75-90 minutes works best—focused discussion, not marathon sessions.

Start with Connection

We begin with 10-15 minutes of life updates before the book. We're not just discussion partners—we're friends. Acknowledging that matters more when we can't grab coffee outside of meetings.

Record for Absent Members

With different schedules across time zones, sometimes someone misses. We record (with permission) and share. It's not the same as being there, but they stay connected.

The Time Zone Challenge

With members in EST, CST, and PST, finding times was tricky.

What works:

• Rotating who gets the "good" time (not always late for West Coast, not always early for East Coast)
• Weekend mornings tend to be most flexible
• Planning meetings far in advance so everyone can block time
• Being okay with occasional absences—it happens

Hybrid Options

Some of us still live in the original city. For a while, we tried hybrid—a few in person with others on video. Honestly? It's hard to do well.

The in-person group tends to dominate, side conversations happen that exclude the screen, and remote members feel like afterthoughts.

Better approach: If some people can meet in person, do that sometimes AND do virtual meetings. Don't try to combine them.

Keeping It Personal

Distance risks making relationships feel transactional—we show up, discuss the book, and disappear. To counter that:

Virtual Hangouts Beyond Books

Occasionally we do video calls that aren't about a book—holiday "parties," birthday celebrations, just catching up.

Visits When Possible

When someone visits an area where another member lives, we coordinate in-person time. These reunions are precious.

Life Sharing

Our text thread includes non-book life stuff. Promotions, pet photos, relationship updates, health struggles. We're not just people who read together.

The Unexpected Benefits

Going virtual actually improved some things:

More consistent attendance. No commute means fewer cancellations.

Better preparation. With limited time, people come more ready to discuss.

More equal participation. Video format makes it harder for one person to dominate.

Sustained friendships. Without book club, we might have lost touch after moves. Instead, I talk to these friends more regularly than local friends.

When Distance Starts New Clubs

Our situation was an existing group that went remote. But some people start long-distance book clubs intentionally:

• Online friends from other contexts who want to connect
• Family members in different states
• Former classmates or colleagues scattered geographically

These can work great. You already have connection; books give you a shared activity and conversation.

Technology Doesn't Replace Everything

Let me be honest: it's not the same as being in a room together. I miss:

• Spontaneous hugs
• Potluck dinners
• Post-meeting conversations that go late
• The ambient connection of physical presence

Virtual is a substitute, not a replacement. But it's a good substitute. Better than letting meaningful relationships fade.

Five Years Later

We've now been virtual longer than we were in person. Members have had babies (we've "met" them on screen), changed careers, gone through hard things.

We've read books that helped us understand each other's experiences. The friend who went through divorce chose our book about starting over. The one with anxiety picked a book about mental health. Books became ways of processing life together, across distance.

That's the thing about long-distance book clubs: they work because we want them to. The logistics are manageable. The motivation is what matters.

If your book club is scattering, or you're looking to connect with readers across geography, Readfeed makes virtual book clubs easy to organize and sustain. Distance doesn't have to mean disconnection.