Book Blogger Shares New (And Cheap) Ways for Enjoying Reading

Gayle Weiswasser is the writer behind the award-winning Everyday I Write the Book, a blog about literary fiction.  Gayle heads up digital communications strategy at Discovery Communications in Silver Spring, MD – home to networks like The Discovery Channel, TLC, and Animal Planet.  She is a mother of twins and also blogs about parenting at DC Metro Moms.

I interviewed her about low-cost ways to enjoy books and to socialize around books.

Of course you get review copies from publishers, but do you have any tips for the rest of us for saving money on books?

Gayle: Absolutely! I almost never pay full price for books. I do get a lot of review copies, but I also go to a lot of used book sales, used bookstores — even Goodwill! There are so many ways to find inexpensive books.

Schools have used book sales as fundraisers, particularly in the spring, so keep an eye out for those. You can get great deals there. Used bookstores are also fantastic for book addicts on a budget. There are also some good book swapping websites which I haven’t tried out yet like BookMooch and PaperBackSwap.  And, of course, there is always the library.

Book clubs are a thoughtful, low-cost way to socialize.  Are there new ways book clubs are being organized these days?

Gayle: You can find book clubs online, through blogs (like mine!), and also through bookstores, churches, even neighborhood listservs. If you want to join a book club, ask around in your neighborhood or visit your local independent bookstore. You will most likely find one that is open to new members.

How does an online book club work?

The online book club at my blog works like this: I pick a book I’d like to discuss, and then contact the publisher to ask if it will make a certain number of copies available to my readers. Once they’ve agreed, I announce the book club on my blog. People who are interested in participating send me their name and address, and the publisher mails the books out to them. Then, on an agreed-upon date, I post a review, and the discussion of the book continues in the comments. We’ve also gotten several authors of book club picks to answer reader questions or write guest posts.

I am sure that there are other online book clubs that operate differently, such as where the participants get the books on their own. I’ve been lucky to find publishers who are willing to send out a number of review copies.

Do you have any tips for someone who wants to start their own book club?

The most important — and challenging — part of starting a book club is finding people who share the same expectations for the club. Questions you need to ask of potential members:

• How often will we meet?
• How will books be chosen — by popular vote, or by rotating among members?
• Can someone veto a book suggestion?
• Will there be themes, or just random picks?
• Are non-fiction books allowed?
• How much time will be devoted to talking about the book — the whole session, or just part?
• What are the ramifications, if any, if someone doesn’t read the book?
• How will the group decide about admitting new members?

If these questions are resolved in advance, there is less chance that people will be disappointed or frustrated by the book club.

How do you encourage a love of reading in your children?

Gayle: Simple — read to them!  Let them see that reading opens up whole worlds for them. Take them to the library and let them explore and bring home whatever interests them. And as they get older, read the books that they are reading so that you can help them have a greater understanding of what they’ve read and what they might have missed.

There is a new book out called Book by Book: The Complete Guide to Creating Mother-Daughter Book Clubs. What do you think about book clubs for kids?

I think they are great! I can’t wait until my daughters are old enough to be in a book club with me. I’ve seen some buzz around that book, and I know that these clubs are very popular. What better way to get your kid fired up about reading? Check out this post on Booking Mama about that book, including a guest post from the author.

Have you every participated in a book swap?

Gayle: No, for one simple reason: I don’t like to part with my books. Once I’ve read a book, it becomes like a friend to me, and I enjoy putting it on the bookshelf and seeing it there on a regular basis. I do love swaps and have participated in several — cookie swaps, clothing swaps — and while a book swap would make a lot of sense for me, I wouldn’t actually contribute anything worth reading. I’ve been tempted to organize one, but I just think it will be too anxiety-producing for me. I do give away books that I don’t want to read, or that I have more than one copy of, via my blog.

There are so many mommy blogs out there.  Can you tell us a few of your favorites?

Gayle: Sure! There are so many to choose from. I enjoy reading The Mummy Chronicles, Rude Cactus (he’s actually a dad), and Shallow Gal (among many others). Those three are all local (DC area) and I’ve gotten to know the authors personally too, which is fun. But there’s a whole world of blogs out there — you just have to find the ones you click with, which you look forward to reading every day.

Read more about Gayle and her picks for literary fiction at Every Day I Write the Book.  You can sign up for email updates and every two months or so she announces a new book club — where participants get free review copies.

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