# Bookclubs

> Bookclubs is a free web and mobile platform that helps book clubs organize themselves - scheduling meetings, tracking reading history, polling on the next book, sending messages, and discovering what to read next. Founded in 2015 out of one Philadelphia book club's messy email chain, it now serves hundreds of thousands of readers and monetizes through publisher and author partnerships rather than charging its members.

- **Founded:** 2015
- **Headquarters:** Camden, Maine, United States
- **Founders:** Anna Ford (Co-founder & CEO), Ian Campbell (Co-founder & CTO), Nancy Brown (Co-founder / Content & Partnerships)
- **Team size:** ~12 employees
- **Products:** Club Management, Meeting Scheduling & RSVPs, Book Polls & Voting, Reading History & Digital Bookshelves, Messaging & Communication
- **Notable:** Grew to 250,000+ members from a single Philadelphia book club, Raised over $1M in its first equity round in 2022, Rebrand from Bookclubz to Bookclubs tripled/quadrupled organic traffic and multiplied user growth 2-3x

## Products & services

- **Club Management** — Create a club and manage members, invitations, and roles in one place.
- **Meeting Scheduling & RSVPs** — Schedule in-person or virtual meetups, poll for availability, and track who's coming.
- **Book Polls & Voting** — Suggest and vote on the next read so the group decides together.
- **Reading History & Digital Bookshelves** — Track what the club has read and keep a shared record over time.
- **Messaging & Communication** — Send messages and reminders to members without relying on email threads.
- **Discussion Guides** — Access discussion questions and guides to spark better conversations.
- **Book Discovery** — Find recommendations, top picks, indie reads, and giveaways to decide what to read next.
- **Mobile Apps** — iOS and Android apps (built with React Native) plus a full-featured website.

## Achievements

- Grew to 250,000+ members from a single Philadelphia book club
- Raised over $1M in its first equity round in 2022
- Rebrand from Bookclubz to Bookclubs tripled/quadrupled organic traffic and multiplied user growth 2-3x
- Recognized as a Maine Technology Institute innovator spotlight company
- Lighthouse Labs accelerator alum
- Built a proprietary ad sales platform connecting publishers to reading communities

## Latest updates

- **2025-07** — Raised a $1.07M seed tranche (latest funding), with Maine Venture Fund among backers.
- **2023** — Announced plans to expand beyond an ad-only model to premium/enterprise subscriptions and an automatic book delivery system.
- **2022** — Rebranded from Bookclubz.com to Bookclubs.com and closed its first equity round of over $1M.

## Links

- Website: https://bookclubs.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/bookclubs
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/bookclubshq
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookclubshq/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BookclubsHQ

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/bookclubs
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-06