April 8, 2006
FROM THE ARCHIVES: WORKS FOR ME:
Do you have any used paperback books laying around? I did, and I finally found a great way to share them with other people.It seems that a few guys were sitting around one night talking about all the paperback books that they purchased over the years when they traveled on business. Each of them had a stack of books that they had read. So they decided to set up a web site http://www.PaperBackSwap.com/ that allows all of us to swap paperback books with each other.
Let me tell you how it works because it is so easy. I listed a bunch of books on the site (you have to list at least 9 books to get in the club) and I got 3 free book credits to get me started. So you can order 3 books right away - free of charge and have them mailed directly to you. No strings attached. No gimmicks. No spam mail. Nothing! You just have to love reading books.
Then when another member selects one of my books that I have listed, I mail it to them. Yes, I pay for the postage. But then I get a book credit and I can select a book that I want. So another Club Member returns the favor and mails me one of their books free of charge. For every book I mail out, I get another book in return - a true shared system!
And when someone requests one of your books, all you have to do is print a single piece of regular paper from your printer which includes the mailing address and the amount of postage. Then drop it in the outbound mail. Hey, you don't even need to go to the post office!
Right now the annual club membership is FREE! Eventually the founders will ask everyone to help contribute to pay for the upkeep of the web site, but for now the annual club membership is free. The annual dues will probably be between $10 and $20 based on the number of people in the club. But again, right now you don't even have to pay any dues for one year if you become a Charter Member.
You really need to check this out! And if you do sign up, please list my email in the referral section because then I get another free book. This is a great club http://www.PaperBackSwap.com/
Best Regards,
Orrin
The thing I like is--for instance--today the novels of Jack Vance were recommended in the comments and there were several available at PaperBackSwap.com, so I can basically check one out for about $2 (shipping cost is about $1.59 on the books you send out and I use padded mailers, but you can just use the shipping label they print out for you)
If you join, my profile is here--http://oj.paperbackswap.com/profile/--I'll be glad to add folks to my Buddy List and at that point I think I can direct books to you--I've tons of good ones lying around....
Posted by Orrin Judd at April 8, 2006 5:59 AMHad a serendipitous experience this afternoon: went prowling around local thrift stores looking for books and happened to pick up James Patterson's The Jester, whereupon I read them thanking none other than H. D. Miller "for his scholarly, yet always anecdotal, reading of the manuscript."
http://www.travellingshoes.blogspot.com/
Posted by: oj at February 25, 2006 4:24 PMYou don't even have to wait for the mail. Here are eight books">http://www.classicreader.com/author.php/aut.236/">books by Louis Vance: Alias The Lone Wolf; The Black Bag; The Brass Bowl; The Bronze Bell; The False Faces; The Fortune Hunter; The Lone Wolf; and Red Masquerade.
XP's Reading Format isn't too bad although I've been hinting broadly that I'd to try the new Sony reader coming out in a couple of months.
Posted by: erp at February 25, 2006 5:42 PMOops. It's Jack, not Louis Vance.
Posted by: erp at February 25, 2006 5:50 PMOops. It's Jack, not Louis Vance.
Posted by: erp at February 25, 2006 5:50 PMNo way I would join now, and risk having The Wife see my name and address on a book containing package arriving at your house.
Posted by: Annoying Old Guy at February 25, 2006 9:42 PMHere's a link to my nearly defunct blog where I spoke, three years ago, of helping James Patterson and Andy Gross with this book.
We know where you all live....
Posted by: oj at February 26, 2006 8:00 AMoj,
I'm assuming once you send a book out you never get it back (unless it ends up on another list and you ask for it). So if you send a book out do you have to add another book to keep the minimum books listed at 9?
Posted by: Bartman at February 26, 2006 9:11 AMI don't think they make you maintain a minimum.
Posted by: oj at February 26, 2006 9:35 AMI've taken mine to the NH VA hospital.
Posted by: Genecis at April 8, 2006 12:44 PMI joined the last time OJ mentioned this, and have been enjoying the it very much. Thumbs up.
And yes, you can spend your credits down to zero, and don't expect to find your books back. The way I see it, I can get rid of books I didn't really care for and try something else with a low opportunity cost.
Posted by: Mike Beversluis at April 8, 2006 11:09 PMQuestion: Do you get your books back after some specified period of time?
Posted by: Matt Murphy at April 9, 2006 2:24 AM