"When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes" – Erasmus
As nice as that sounds, it is immensely impractical. Many of us have families that would object to being hungry and naked while we curled up with a copy of Silver Borne (on a side note: please write faster Patricia). So, what’s the solution when money is tight and your favorite author releases a new book that you can’t afford? Here are a few tips that might help feed your need to read.
1. Swap sites.
Swap sites are great for finding new authors. Have an old book you don’t want? Swap it for a book you do want, for free. My favorite swap sites are Paperbackswap.com (over 4 million books available) and Bookmooch.com LibraryThing.com offers a comprehensive list of swap sites on the left corner of every book page that says ‘Swap this book.’ Clicking that link will take you to a list of 15 sites that could potentially swap the book you want.
2. Giveaway programs
- LibraryThing has two free programs:
LibraryThing Early Reviewers. Every month, publishers give LT advance copies of books, and they give them to us for free. Simply request a title you’re interested in and hope you win.
Member Giveaways are an informal way for authors or members to giveaway books in exchange for reviews.
- Amazon has a program called Amazon Vine
Amazon Vine™ is a program that enables a select group of Amazon customers to post opinions about new and pre-release items to help their fellow customers make educated purchase decisions. Customers are invited to become Amazon Vine™ Voices based on the trust they have earned in the Amazon community for writing accurate and insightful reviews. Amazon provides Amazon Vine™ members with free copies of products that have been submitted to the program by vendors. Amazon does not influence the opinions of Amazon Vine™ members, nor do we modify or edit their reviews. I can’t personally attest to this one as I have yet to be invited.
- Goodreads as a giveaway program called First Reads.
Win free copies of pre-release books. Publishers can list their upcoming books, and you can apply to receive one. Winners are picked randomly at the end of the giveaway.
3. Start a blog
This one involves a bit more work, but the rewards are far richer. Blogger.com or Wordpress.com offer free blog hosting and are easy to set up. Start posting your own book reviews and other related content and before long, authors and publishers will come to you with review requests (I’m amazed at this myself, but it’s true). If you have any questions, I’d be glad to offer my meager advice.
4. Enter blog contests & giveaways
Not everyone has the time to devote to starting and maintaining a good blog/site with fresh and interesting content. And that’s okay because bloggers are a generous group. I keep a running list of contests and giveaways on my site (updated daily) and I’m even hosting my very first giveaway myself right now: On The Prowl anthology by Patricia Briggs, Eileen Wilks, and Sunny.
5. Sometimes you have to buy
It’s true. You won’t always get picked for a giveaway program, or win a blog contest, or even be able to wait for a new release to become available for swap. Or you might have a favorite author who you love to support by buying new (Patricia Briggs, in my case). But with these tips, you should be able to feed and cloth your family at the same time.
I've found the library is a great way to support my reading habit. You can't be free, and there's always a huge selection to choose from.
ReplyDeleteI meant you can't beat free, not you can't be free. That changes the meaning a lot. :D
ReplyDeleteWhat Brenda said. I don't know about the US but in NZ the libraries are owned by the district or city councils and there will be several library buildings in each district. Each council has an online library system so that you can browse all books in your area (not just what is on the shelf at your local library when you visit) and reserve books online. Some libraries will reserve books for free and others will only charge $1. I do my library browsing at work!
ReplyDeleteGreat list! I could of used this list many eons ago. I'm using paperbackswap.com but I haven't do anything with book mooch yet.
ReplyDelete