Frugal fiction: Read it swap it!
July 24, 2011
This month I’m taking the £8 budget and using it to fund book swaps on the swapping site http://www.readitswapit.com/. Read it swap it is a website which facilitates book swaps in the UK. You register your unwanted books on the site and then search the extensive library for books to swap yours with.
The site is very accessible and easy to use. There is a single page registration form, the usual terms and conditions to agree to, and then you’re good to go. Registering the books you have available to swap is simply a case of inputting the ISBN and ticking a few boxes to indicate the condition of the book. Then the fun begins, searching for books to swap with. You can either browse the library by; most recent, most popular, and genre or use the search box to look for specific authors and titles.
Having identified a title of interest, simply browse the list of owners (registrants are awarded a star rating based on swapping history) and click on swap with this member. This swapper is now given access to your list of books and can decide if they wish to swap with you . Once a swap is agreed you are provided with the postal details of your fellow swapper.
After you have received your book(s) you are given the opportunity to provide feedback on your swap, contributing to your fellow swappers rating.
To make best use of the site, my top tip would be to compile a wish list. Read it swap it will send email notifications should anyone make one of your desired titles available for swapping.
For further information click here.
What I got for the money
The swaps are free but you are responsible for the postage of your book, I usually send my books as a second class package, it is sometimes possible to send slimmer books as a large letter.
I swapped Paranormalcy by Kiersten White for Jana Oliver’s The Demon Trappers Daughter: Forsaken: Postage £2.16
I swapped Alyxandra Harvey’s My Love Lies Bleeding (Drake Chronicles) for Jackson Pearce’s Sisters Red: V. 1: Postage £1.72
I Swapped, Hex Hall: Raising Demons by Rachel Hawkins for The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting: Postage £2.16
And I swapped Emma Donogue’s Room for Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go :Postage £2.16
Ok you’ve got me – four books for £8.20! But what’s 20p between book lovers!
Advantages
Free books – all you pay is the cost of original book and postage
You can re-swap swapped books for even more reading material
It is an easy to use site, minimal effort required.
You are keeping the post office in business!
Read it swap will notify you when “wish list books” are added to site.
Disadvantages
You have to have books people want to swap with.
These are second hand books so you rely on accurate descriptions of condition from other swappers.
It requires internet access including email.
It requires access to the post office.
Accessibility
The website is very easy to use with very clear information pages.
The site lists over 364,000 fiction and non-fiction books from a variety of genres including contemporary and historical fiction, classics, young adult, sci-fi, cookery, health and wellbeing, parenting, short stories and poetry.
Value for money
The cost of postage for the books swapped came to £8.20 to purchase the same books new from a popular online vendor would have cost £17.19 a saving of £8.99.
Post by Caroline
This month I’m taking the £8 budget and using it to fund book swaps on the swapping site http://www.readitswapit.com/. Read it swap it is a website which facilitates book swaps in the UK. You register your unwanted books on the site and then search the extensive library for books to swap yours with.
The site is very accessible and easy to use. There is a single page registration form, the usual terms and conditions to agree to, and then you’re good to go. Registering the books you have available to swap is simply a case of inputting the ISBN and ticking a few boxes to indicate the condition of the book. Then the fun begins, searching for books to swap with. You can either browse the library by; most recent, most popular, and genre or use the search box to look for specific authors and titles.
Having identified a title of interest, simply browse the list of owners (registrants are awarded a star rating based on swapping history) and click on swap with this member. This swapper is now given access to your list of books and can decide if they wish to swap with you . Once a swap is agreed you are provided with the postal details of your fellow swapper.
After you have received your book(s) you are given the opportunity to provide feedback on your swap, contributing to your fellow swappers rating.
To make best use of the site, my top tip would be to compile a wish list. Read it swap it will send email notifications should anyone make one of your desired titles available for swapping.
For further information click here.
What I got for the money
The swaps are free but you are responsible for the postage of your book, I usually send my books as a second class package, it is sometimes possible to send slimmer books as a large letter.
I swapped Paranormalcy by Kiersten White for Jana Oliver’s The Demon Trappers Daughter: Forsaken: Postage £2.16
I swapped Alyxandra Harvey’s My Love Lies Bleeding (Drake Chronicles) for Jackson Pearce’s Sisters Red: V. 1: Postage £1.72
I Swapped, Hex Hall: Raising Demons by Rachel Hawkins for The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting: Postage £2.16
And I swapped Emma Donogue’s Room for Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go :Postage £2.16
Ok you’ve got me – four books for £8.20! But what’s 20p between book lovers!
Advantages
Free books – all you pay is the cost of original book and postage
You can re-swap swapped books for even more reading material
It is an easy to use site, minimal effort required.
You are keeping the post office in business!
Read it swap will notify you when “wish list books” are added to site.
Disadvantages
You have to have books people want to swap with.
These are second hand books so you rely on accurate descriptions of condition from other swappers.
It requires internet access including email.
It requires access to the post office.
Accessibility
The website is very easy to use with very clear information pages.
The site lists over 364,000 fiction and non-fiction books from a variety of genres including contemporary and historical fiction, classics, young adult, sci-fi, cookery, health and wellbeing, parenting, short stories and poetry.
Value for money
The cost of postage for the books swapped came to £8.20 to purchase the same books new from a popular online vendor would have cost £17.19 a saving of £8.99.
Post by Caroline
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3 Comments
BURIED IN BOOKS
We have something very much like that in the U.S. called Paperback Swap though they swap hardbacks and audio books as well. You can list if you won’t take books from a smoking home or a home with animals. The trouble is, most of the books you want have a long list of other people wanting them. Though lately I’ve had a bit of luck with them and gotten 5-6 books in a three week period.
Here’s a hint though, unless you’ve got a lot of spare money, don’t list all your good books at once. Or you’ll spending a lot at the post office.
Heather
Jemz
As a full time Uni student who still finds time to read books, and has a small budget, I think this is a great way to get new books and clear out the book shelf if you are short on space!
I will be looking out for more frugal fiction tips!
Thank you!
BigBookLittleBook
Buried in books: Thank you for the Tip!
Jemz: We are glad you found the post interesting. Our next Frugal Fiction post is scheduled for Sun 28th Aug