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What It Is
BookCrossing is an online book club/reading group with well over 180,000
members. It has grown phenomenally since it was founed, and, indeed,
since I joined in early October 2003.
The basic idea is that you generate a unique ID code for each book that
you want to enter into the system. You can then pass the book forward
in a number of ways. You can release it into the wild - surreptitiously
slipping it somewhere where you think another person will find it. You
can trade at the meetings, send the book to a friend, trade books
online, take part in book rays (the book is passed from person to
person) or book rings (the book is passed from person to person and
eventually ends up with the originator)... and any of a bazillion
different variants.
The forums are lively, the atmosphere kindly - surprisingly so for such
a huge site - and it's been a great experience.
Book Crossing and Me
I was invited to join BookCrossing when my friend posted something about
it at Ravensmeet.
I went there, grinned, and signed up at once. I loved it from the minute
I set "foot" there. There was just something so wyrd about the whole concept - about letting go of
your possessions and spreading random acts of literature. It felt
perfect and I have been an increasingly active member since then. It was
one of those "click" moments, and I haven't regretted it at all.
I have taken part in a number of projects. Perhaps the most touching was
my 33rd birthday. It was not a great birthday as they go, and I thought
it would go uncelebrated. I mentioned that I would release 14 books to
mark the event (14th of March) and I did just that. But what I didn't
expect was that the people on the forum would immediately take up the
challenge and release books to make it up to 33 for me. That was a great
birthday present in and of itself!
Not just that, but the people at the site seem to be generous to a
fault. I have been sent or offered books, sweets, some exquisite maple
butter, and have done some sending myself. I have received friendly
messages and encouragement, and am seldom bored; there is always
something going on in the forums. And I can't help but admire the
founder for the remarkable success of the site and for a wonderful, wyrd
concept.
Raven, Author
Some authors have complained about BookCrossing, how books traded in
this way depreciate sales. I think that's silly, to be frank. The reader
is king; at BX you find readers galore. BXers, if moved by a book
they find, often buy another copy - or several - to share. I can't
be doing with the kind of short-sightedness that denies there is
such a thing as a second-hand market. Selfishly criticise BookCrossing?
Lose thousands of readers. Duh.
There is little rank commercialism
amongst the authors who do laud the site, and in general everything is
done subtly and carefully; there are a few exceptions, but not many. For
my part, I have no illusions about ever writing a fiction bestseller.
Rhaeva, my novel, is
actually pretty good (yes, I do blow my own trumpet once in a while ;-),
and the people who have read it range from enjoyment to raving about it.
But through BX I've already found ways to improve it.
But at the end of the day, I had no intention of ever letting a
commercial publisher get its paws on my writing, as I know for a fact
that I can't write according to others' demands. So, it helps to have a
place where I can be an author as well as me, and to get some feedback,
and to do my bit for the BX movement. There is still a copy of
Rhaeva in the BX office somewhere, waiting to be auctioned off.
Other Adventures
I took part in a mass release with my co-conspirator AmberLee17, someone
I'd never have met without BX. In the pouring rain, we celebrated
BookCrossing's birthday by making themed releases, where the book
matches the location. Her sister and mom later released a bunch of books
for her birthday.
I've become active in the maintenance of our local Official Book
Crossing Zone, a bookshelf at a local Starbucks where books are
exchanged easily. I started a list for our local BXers to keep in touch
between meetings (second Tuesday in any given month). I actively
look forward to meeting with my friends each month, and get together
with some of them more often.
Book Crossing encourages me to walk, to ride, and to read. I love it.
It's just great.
My Stats
You can see my stats (number of books released, etc) by looking me up at
my
bookshelf on BookCrossing.
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This page created 06 Nov 2003
Last update 06 Nov 2003
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