Introduction
This is an informal guide that contains all the information one may need to start a book club here on the WaniKani forums, or to run the club for a specific pick from the ABBC, BBC, IBC, or ABC. Running a club can be an immensely rewarding experience and is easier than you might think, so I highly recommend giving it a shot if the opportunity presents itself.
The guide consists of an FAQ along with useful templates for threads and vocabulary lists. It is not a set of rules that every club needs to follow, but rather a description of how clubs typically do operate and a good starting point for anybody who is considering running a club.
Every book club is unique, so if you canât find the answer to your question in this guide then feel free to ask questions in this thread!
FAQ
What are the ABBC, BBC, IBC, and ABC?
These stand for Absolute Beginner Book Club, Beginner Book Club, Intermediate Book Club, and Advanced Book Club. Each is an overarching structure that organizes which books will be read by the club members. Books can be proposed to the club, and whenever one book is about to finish, people vote on which book to read next.
Who can run a book club?
Anyone! The most important thing is to be enthusiastic about the club pick, book clubs, or just reading in general. I would recommend having participated in at least one book club first, but this is not a hard and fast rule and there are plenty of experienced club members around to help guide organizers along.
In the ABBC, BBC, IBC, and ABC, the person who nominated the elected book typically runs its club, but if that person is unavailable or unwilling anybody may volunteer.
Should I start my own book club, or should I nominate my book in the ABBC, BBC, IBC or ABC?
Typically, you will get more participation if you nominate a book and it gets elected. However, there are several reasons why you might consider starting your own club. These include but arenât limited to:
- Your book has a niche topic or genre that is unlikely to have popular appeal
- Your book doesnât fit within the constraints of a club (e.g. you want to read a long book at an intermediate pace, but the IBC has a 350 page limit)
- Your âbookâ isnât really a book (e.g. visual novels, textbooks, news, etc.)
- You have a group that wants to read a book thatâs already been read as part of a club (i.e. repeat club)
- You donât want to read your book on a schedule but you still want a place for people to discuss
What is the time commitment?
Running a club is not time consuming. It can take as little as 5-10 minutes per week to post threads with 1-2 hours at the start to create a schedule and home thread.
What are the responsibilities?
As the club leader you are responsible for creating a schedule, setting up a home thread, and posting weekly discussion threads. Optionally you may choose to organize live readings and/or create a shared vocabulary sheet.
You should also update the Master List of Book Clubs according to the editing guidelines, and ensure that your book has a Natively entry with a link to your club.
Templates and tips for creating a schedule, home thread, weekly thread, and vocabulary sheet are included at the bottom of this guide.
Should my club have live reading sessions?
Whether or not a club includes a live reading session typically comes down to whether or not you or somebody in the club wants to plan one. They can be fun but time consuming. You also have the option to run a poll in your home thread to gauge interest. If thereâs interest in having live reading sessions but you donât have the time or desire to participate, you can delegate the task to another willing club member.
How do I organize live reading sessions?
Feel free to set a weekly time that works for you, or poll to gauge when participation would be highest (When2meet may be more conducive to this than WK polling).
Live readings take place on a dedicated WK Book Club live reading Discord server. Keep in mind that this server is only for live readings, and most substantive book discussion should take place here on the forums. If youâve decided there is enough interest in live readings, post a message in the #general channel requesting everything be set up for the new club.
The format for live readings depends on the wants/needs of the club. There is no set way to conduct them, but typically for manga participants will take on the role of a character while for books members will rotate reading anything from a sentence up to an agreed upon page limit. Members will help each other with readings, pronunciation, and comprehension. Sessions may also include some translation or book discussion depending on the desires of the group.
What is Natively and how do I update it?
Natively is a website that allows users to track their reading as well as review and grade the difficulty of native Japanese books and manga. If a Natively entry corresponds to a WaniKani book club book, it will also have a link to that book clubâs home thread. If you read Japanese books regularly, I highly recommend setting up a Natively account.
If your book is not already in the Natively database, use this form to get it added within a day or two. If your book is already in the database, use the feedback button on that entryâs page to submit a link to the WaniKani book club thread.
Where can club members purchase Japanese books?
All links go to their respective home pages. Amazon works for both digital and physical copies of most books (but may not ship to some locations). When searching on Amazon, use the Japanese title, or you may end up mistakenly pulling up the English edition of the book.
For physical copies:
For digital copies:
Note that despite looking like a single page, Amazon has two separate links for physical and digital editions of books. Make sure you link to the correct one! Youâll know which version you are currently looking at because the one which is currently selected will be an orange box:
Digital edition selected
Do you have any other tips for running a book club?
Yes! Follow this advice to improve the book club experience for everyone.
Be available
The time commitment is not significant, but itâs very important that itâs consistent. Be timely in putting up threads, and be available to interact with the community. If you know there is a time when you wonât be available, plan ahead (e.g. put up a thread early or designate another club member to create posts). Note that historically it is not required that the person posting threads actually participate in club reading, but it is highly recommended.
Generate interest
The clubs only work because people join them. With more members comes more discussion, a greater knowledge-base, and the capacity to support more offshoot clubs. Every step of the way itâs important to be a club ambassador. This includes both recruiting new members and keeping current members engaged. You may also consider reaching out to external communities of Japanese learners to make them aware of the great resource we have here in the book clubs.
Run the club by consensus
When a decision has to be made, typically it is the club organizerâs responsibility to run a majority-rules poll, and the group consensus wins. If the poll does not offer a clear solution it often falls upon the organizer to make a decision or to reframe the question. Stay open to suggestions, solicit feedback, and run the club by consensus wherever possible.
Be sure to familiarize yourself with Discourse polling tools. Some often overlooked points regarding polls:
- Ensure that âshow who votedâ is enabled (unless thereâs a specific reason not to)
- Multi-selection vs single selection (decide which is appropriate for the situation)
- Show results after voting (or always visible, depending on the situation)
- Polls cannot be modified or deleted after 5 minutes (so they will live in your post forever)
- Discourse limits poll options to 20.
Can I volunteer to run the ABBC, BBC, IBC or ABC? What would be my responsibilities?
If the person currently running any of these threads chooses to step down, you are welcome to volunteer.
Responsibilities include adding nominations to the OP, setting up polls, updating the master book club thread, and occasionally reminding people to nominate things and vote. This is generally pretty easy since it only requires a higher amount of work (around polling season) once every few months (depending on the length of the book currently being read), and even then it isnât much. Since you need to change the title of the thread to mention when nominations or voting is happening and what books are selected/coming up, youâll have to ask a Regular to make the change if youâre not a Regular yourself. Theyâll almost always be around to help out!
More detailed information about these responsibilities is listed below.
Gathering Nominations
Nominating books in the four main book clubs is an ongoing process, and anybody may do so at any time. Specific guidelines for nominations are detailed in each clubâs home page. It is up to the community and especially the club organizer to ensure nominations follow the correct basic format.
For the week or so leading up to the vote for a new book, solicit nominations. Make a post in the club thread and change the thread title to include something along the lines of âLooking for nominations!â (Note that only Regulars can change Wiki titles, so if you are not a Regular you may need to enlist help.)
Ensure that the OP is up to date with all nominations. Every nomination should be listed, linked, and cleanly formatted. In general, the club organizer is ultimately responsible for ensuring that posts stay clean and up to date.
Typically there is a maximum of 20 nominations (because this is the maximum number of poll options that Discourse allows).
Try to catch nominations that break nomination guidelines (e.g. too long, objectionable content) early, or this could cause headaches come vote-time.
Note that nominators are typically expected to participate if their nomination wins, and ideally would also run the club (although this is not a requirement).
Running the Vote
Votes typically take the form of a multi-selection poll. The exact format is specific to the club. The vote should occur approximately 6 weeks out from when the next book would start (which is typically one week after the current selection ends). This allows time for inexpensive shipping as well as for more potential members to decide to join and manage their schedules.
Calculate the difficulty for each selection and display it next to the title in the poll. This is as simple as assigning numeric values 1-5 to the nominationâs difficulty poll and taking the average.
Look back through the threads for older polls to use as either a template or guideline for your own post. If you do use a template, ensure that all information is up to date before posting.
Advertise! Change the title thread accordingly (e.g. to include something like âNow Voting!â). Post across all potentially interested clubs and offshoots.
Selection polls are typically scheduled to close after a week at a maximum, but the organizer may choose to close the poll early once voting has dried up. Most clubs choose to also select the second place winner as the follow-on book club pick if the first place pick is âshortâ. Short generally means that reading the first place pick would necessitate an immediate poll for the next club (i.e. it would take less than ~6 weeks to read). Book length and expected club pace should be taken into account when deeming a book âshortâ.
Updating Book Club Home Thread
Update the club thread title to reflect the upcoming pick (e.g. Coming soon: ~). Ensure that the next book (ideally with a picture of the cover) is indicated below the current pick, as well as any follow-on book if one was selected.
You will also be responsible for tracking which books score low across multiple polls, and removing nominations with consistent low interest. Each club may have its own rules for which books get removed.
Templates
To use templates, click on the âEditâ button at the bottom of this post. Scroll to the template you want to use and copy everything between the two thick lines into your own post. Delete or edit all highlighted text, and remove any sections that are not applicable.
For every template, please add, change, omit or rearrange based on your clubâs needs or your personal preferences.
Home Thread
---------------------------------------------- Start Home Thread Template ---------------------------------------------
Thread title should include the name of the book, the words "book club", a relevant emoji (if desired), and up-to-date information about the club's status.Example: ć°çæäșș 
Book Club ă» Starting June 12!
Start with a link back the the parent club if required, and a link to Natively if desired.
Join the Intermediate Book Club Here!
View this book on Natively!
Welcome to the [ć°çæäșș] Book Club!
Consider writing a brief introduction if your book does not have a parent club.
Example: ăłăłăăäșșé is a book about a middle-aged woman who has spent her entire adult life working at a ăłăłăă. It is a fascinating critique of Japanese social norms and provides a great look into Japanese culture. It was originally read in 2019 by the Intermediate Book Club. This club will follow the old Intermediate Book Club discussions and will target those who are starting to transition from beginner to intermediate level.View the nomination post here!
Upload a picture of the book cover.
Where to purchase
Try to include at least one digital and one physical option
Digital: [Amazon · Bookwalker · Kobo]
Physical: [Amazon · CDJapan]
Schedule
See the Schedule template
Vocabulary
Include link to the vocabulary sheet here. See the Vocabulary Sheet Template for more information.
Please read the guidelines on the first page before adding any words.
Trigger Warnings
Only include if desired, and ensure they are hidden behind a spoiler tag.Example:
Hansel and Gretel Trigger warnings
- Violence
- Child abuse
- Cannibalism
Live Readings
The next weekly live reading session will be [use the discourse âInsert date / timeâ feature to create a recurring time that adjusts to the userâs timezone] Join the Japanese Book Club Discord to either read or listen!
Discussion Guidelines
Spoiler Courtesy
Please follow these rules to avoid inadvertent ăăżăăŹ. If youâre unsure whether something should have a spoiler tag, err on the side of using one.
- Any potential spoiler for the current weekâs reading need only be covered by a spoiler tag. Predictions and conjecture made by somebody who has not read ahead still falls into this category.
- Any potential spoilers for external sources need to be covered by a spoiler tag and include a label (outside of the spoiler tag) of what might be spoiled. These include but are not limited to: other book club picks, other books, games, movies, anime, etc. I recommend also tagging the severity of the spoiler (for example, I may still look at minor spoilers for something that I donât intend to read soon).
- Any information from later in the book than the current weekâs reading (including trigger warnings that havenât yet manifested) needs to be hidden by spoiler tags and labeled as coming from later sections.
Instructions for Spoiler Tags
Click the cog above the text box and use either the âHide Detailsâ or âBlur Spoilerâ options. The text which says âThis text will be hiddenâ should be replaced with what you are wishing to write. In the case of âHide Detailsâ, the section in the brackets that is labelled âSummaryâ can be replaced with whatever you like also (i.e, [details=âChapter 1, Pg. 1â]).
Hide Details results in the dropdown box like below:
Example
This is an example of the âHide Detailsâ option.
The âBlur Spoilerâ option will simply blur the text it surrounds.
This is an example of the âBlur Spoilerâ option.
Posting Advice
-
When asking for help, please mention the page number, and check before posting that your question hasnât already been asked. As the threads get longer, it becomes more convenient to use the Search function, which is located in the upper right corner of the forum. It is the magnifying glass which is near your profile picture! The best way to search is usually to type part of the sentence you are confused about, and select âin this topicâ. This will show you all posts within the current thread which has that string of text.
-
Be sure to join the conversation! Itâs fun, and itâs what keeps these book clubs lively! Thereâs no such thing as a stupid question! We are all learning here, and if the question has crossed your mind, thereâs a very good chance it has crossed somebody elseâs also! Asking and answering questions is a great learning opportunity for everyone involved, so never hesitate to do so!
Example
For the Kindle version of this manga, the page numbers and the location number are always 3 apart. If you subtract 3 from the location, this will give you the accurate page number!
OR
Please use the chapter page numbers, instead of the volume page numbers. These are located in between the panels!
Proper Nouns
Feel free to add to this as new characters / places get introduced throughout the book.
Example:
| Name | Reading | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ç«ç« | ăŸăăŸă | Main character |
| çè | ăźă§ăŻăšăŠ | One of the four (main) wives (title: èČŽćŠ) |
| æąšè± | ăȘă㥠| One of the four (main) wives (title: èłąćŠ) |
Resources
Use this section to link to any pre-made vocab lists, youtube videos, dialect guides, or anything else you have come across that you think might be a helpful resource for people reading this book.Membership
- Yes
- Yes, but I might start late
- Maybe
- No
0 voters
- eBook
- Paperback
- Hardcover
0 voters
Donât forget to set this thread to Watching in order to be notified when weekly threads get posted!
---------------------------------------------- End Home Thread Template ----------------------------------------------
Weekly Thread
---------------------------------------------- Start Weekly Thread Template --------------------------------------------
Thread title should include the name of the book, the week number, and a relevant emoji (if desired).Example: ć°ć„łç”æ«æ
èĄ | Week 3 
| Week 3 | 22 January 2022 |
|---|---|
| End page | 60 |
| End % | 37 |
| End phrase | ă”ă”ăăăăăă ăȘă |
| Pages | 17 |
| Last Week | Week 2 |
| Next week | Week 4 |
| Home Thread | ć°ć„łç”æ«æ èĄ |
Vocabulary
Include link to the vocabulary sheet here. See the Vocabulary Sheet Template for more information.
Please read the guidelines on the first page before adding any words.
Discussion Guidelines
Everybody should feel free to post and ask questionsâitâs what makes book clubs fun! But please do not post until you are familiar with Spoiler Courtesy!
Spoiler Courtesy
Please follow these rules to avoid inadvertent ăăżăăŹ. If youâre unsure whether something should have a spoiler tag, err on the side of using one.
- Any potential spoiler for the current weekâs reading need only be covered by a spoiler tag. Predictions and conjecture made by somebody who has not read ahead still falls into this category.
- Any potential spoilers for external sources need to be covered by a spoiler tag and include a label (outside of the spoiler tag) of what might be spoiled. These include but are not limited to: other book club picks, other books, games, movies, anime, etc. I recommend also tagging the severity of the spoiler (for example, I may still look at minor spoilers for something that I donât intend to read soon).
- Any information from later in the book than the current weekâs reading (including trigger warnings that havenât yet manifested) needs to be hidden by spoiler tags and labeled as coming from later sections.
Instructions for Spoiler Tags
Click the cog above the text box and use either the âHide Detailsâ or âBlur Spoilerâ options. The text which says âThis text will be hiddenâ should be replaced with what you are wishing to write. In the case of âHide Detailsâ, the section in the brackets that is labelled âSummaryâ can be replaced with whatever you like also (i.e, [details=âChapter 1, Pg. 1â]).
Hide Details results in the dropdown box like below:
Example
This is an example of the âHide Detailsâ option.
The âBlur Spoilerâ option will simply blur the text it surrounds.
This is an example of the âBlur Spoilerâ option.
Posting Advice
-
When asking for help, please mention the page number, and check before posting that your question hasnât already been asked. As the threads get longer, it becomes more convenient to use the Search function, which is located in the upper right corner of the forum. It is the magnifying glass which is near your profile picture! The best way to search is usually to type part of the sentence you are confused about, and select âin this topicâ. This will show you all posts within the current thread which has that string of text.
-
Be sure to join the conversation! Itâs fun, and itâs what keeps these book clubs lively! Thereâs no such thing as a stupid question! We are all learning here, and if the question has crossed your mind, thereâs a very good chance it has crossed somebody elseâs also! Asking and answering questions is a great learning opportunity for everyone involved, so never hesitate to do so!
Example
For the Kindle version of this manga, the page numbers and the location number are always 3 apart. If you subtract 3 from the location, this will give you the accurate page number!
OR
Please use the chapter page numbers, instead of the volume page numbers. These are located in between the panels!
Trigger Warnings
Only include if desired, and ensure they are hidden behind a spoiler tag.Example:
Hansel and Gretel Trigger warnings
-
Violence
-
Child Abuse
-
Cannibalism
Live Readings
The next weekly live reading session will be [use the discourse âInsert date / timeâ feature to create a recurring time that adjusts to the userâs timezone] Join the Japanese Book Club Discord to either read or listen!
Proper Nouns
Feel free to add to this as new characters / places get introduced throughout the book.
Example:
| Name | Reading | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ç«ç« | ăŸăăŸă | Main character |
| çè | ăźă§ăŻăšăŠ | One of the four (main) wives (title: èČŽćŠ) |
| æąšè± | ăȘă㥠| One of the four (main) wives (title: èłąćŠ) |
Discussion Questions
These are entirely optional, but can be very helpful for getting people engaged, and can lead to some interesting conversations. They're especially useful if you or somebody in the club has read the material before and can ask questions specific to that week. Be sure to include spoiler tags!Example Generic Questions (feel free to use these!)
- What sentence/passage gave you the most difficulty? Feel free to request some help, or if you figured it out on your own break it down for the rest of us!
- What was your favorite new vocab word from this weekâs reading?
- Was there any passage that you found particularly intriguing? Did it resonate with you (either positively or negatively)? Was it surprising? Offer any insight or new perspective? Was it just beautifully written?
Example Specific Questions
- What are your initial impressions of Keiko? How do you think her childhood affected her current behavior and personality? How does she compare to other Murata protagonists?
- How does Murataâs language paint the Obon scene? Do you have any childhood memories or traditions that you remember so vividly?
Additional Sections
Some optional ideas to provide more helpful info and further customize your threads!Examples
- Dialect Guide/Guide to tricky speech patterns
- Story Recap
- Links to external resources
- What anime episodes certain manga chapters correspond to
- Whatever else you come up with!
Participation
Will you be reading along with us this week?
- Iâm reading along
- I have finished this part
- Iâm still reading the book but I havenât reached this part yet
- Iâm reading this book after the club has finished
- Iâm no longer reading the book
0 voters
If youâve already read this book but are still going to join the discussion, please select âI have finished this part.â
Donât forget to set this thread to Watching in order to stay abreast of discussion!
---------------------------------------------- End Weekly Thread Template ---------------------------------------------
Schedule
I recommend following these tips in order to create the most effective schedule for your club.
-
The schedule does not need to be fully-determined at the time of the home thread post. Consider soliciting feedback and running polls before finalizing the schedule.
-
Schedules can be fluid. If club members are finding the pace too fast or slow, consider altering the schedule accordingly.
-
Add columns to the schedule for alternate version page numbers. This can include e-book percentages and/or kindle locations. For versions of the book you donât own, feel free to ask other club members to help you find corresponding breakpoint pages.
-
Keep the pace generally consistent week-to-week, but strive to end weekly sections at logical breakpoints (e.g. chapters, major paragraph breaks).
-
If your schedule does not stop at obvious chapter breaks, add a column for end phrases (i.e. the last few words of a weekâs section). This can be especially helpful for e-book readers.
-
Consider starting at a slower pace to give people the chance to adjust to a new style or difficulty level. This can help people manage their time and build confidence, and may help prevent early drop-offs in participation.
-
As you create each weekly post, add a link to that post in the schedule on the home thread.
------------------------------------------------- Start Schedule Template ------------------------------------------------
| Week | Start Date | Chapter | Page Numbers | Page Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 (add link after each week gets posted) | Date goes here | Chapter 1 - | ## - ## | # of pages to be read |
| Week 2 | Chapter 2 - | ## - ## | # | |
| Week 3 | Chapter 3 - | ## - ## | # | |
| Week 4 | Chapter 4 - | ## - ## | # | |
| Week 5 | Chapter 5 - | ## - ## | # | |
| Week 6 | Chapter 6 - | ## - ## | # | |
| Week 7 | Chapter 7 - | ## - ## | # | |
| Week 8 | Chapter 8 - | ## - ## | # | |
| Week 9 | Chapter 9 - | ## - ## | # |
------------------------------------------------- End Schedule Template ------------------------------------------------
Vocabulary Sheet
Book Club Vocabulary Sheet Template - Google Sheets
Please first save a copy of this template to your own Google Drive, then edit it to match your club by titling the document properly and making copies of the chapter sheet up to the appropriate number. Click âShareâ and set âGeneral Accessâ to âAnyone with the linkâ, and select âEditorâ from the dropdown list.
especially since it sounds like, most people that have done them in the past say it isnât hard⊠2) call out the actual time commitment per week thatâs generally required⊠is this really only 1 hour to setup and 10 min per week (even if you donât read along), or is it a 3 hour setup with a 1 hour week commitment etcâŠ
