web stuff 4 writers

What is Bookcrossing.com?

Bookcrossing.com is a book sharing website.  Members register their books on the site, then leave them in the wild (on park benches, in coffee shops, in trees and so on) for others to find, or pass them on to another read through organised bookrings.  Each new reader writes a journal entry about the book, so that previous readers can track its journey.

How writers can use Bookcrossing.com

I’ve been a member of the site for about four years now, and – through finding books in the wild and through bookrings – I’ve been introduced to authors and works that I might have otherwise missed.  Though the Bookcrossing.com monthly meetups, I’ve also met a number of fellow readers, in Melbourne when I lived there, then in Wellington, and recently in London. 

There may be people out there who’ll argue with me, but I believe that reading and talking about what you’re reading is of great benefit to a writer.  And by following the journal entries of the books I’ve read, I’ve been able to see what does and doesn’t appeal to certain readers.

Earlier this year, I also set up two bookrings for my novel Lessons to Learn: one for Bookcrossing members in Europe and North America, the other for members in Australia and New Zealand.  On the day after the launch, I mailed the copies to the first participants.  The feedback has been mixed: some have enthused, some have been indifferent – but it’s feedback either way and it has been interesting to see what each reader has picked up on. 

Does Bookcrossing.com hurt book sales?  No more, I’d argue, than libraries do.  Perhaps less.  After all, I have been know to buy extra copies of my favourite books so I can share them with others through Bookcrossing.com  On the Bookcrossing.com forums, this topic is discussed further in a thread called Authors and Bookcrossing.

Your thoughts

What are your thoughts on book-swapping websites such as Bookcrossing?  Are you a member of any?

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