A BOOK LOVER'S FIX (readitswapit.co.uk)

Member Name: Skyedame

Product:	readitswapit.co.uk
Date:	02/04/07 (142 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Recycle your books and read new authors

Disadvantages: None that I'm aware of

Bought a book and finished it? Don’t know what to do with it? If you’ve read it swap it!

So goes the first few catch-lines of this fast-growing website for avid readers.

I generally pop my used books onto Amazon but find that only the most up-to-the-minute titles are sold quickly. Generally speaking, most of the books I upload are not ‘hot off the press’ and some can probably be bought from some cut-price bin in a supermarket. Even at 1p, my books can be listed for months without any interest shown. Eventually, I don’t bother re-listing them.

I do, of course, make use of the Marketplace to buy books and if there is a book I really do want, I generally don’t mind paying the hefty p&p charges imposed by Amazon providing the book itself is only a few pence.

Then along came Readitswapit.

Readitswapit works in a similar way to both Amazon and eBay, where members upload the books they have to offer. The difference is that you are not selling your books, you are offering them in exchange. When you get a request for a swap from another member, you will go to their list to see if there is something you would like to read. If there is, you will agree to swap the book they have requested from you. If there isn’t, you will decline the request.

The concept is simple and the outlay is cheap. When you have agreed to a swap, your only expense will be the cost of the book you are sending out.

REGISTERING:

The three easy steps to join this free site are:

Register
Click on the link in your welcome email
Complete your profile details

You are now ready to start uploading your books.

Then you’re ready to upload. You can upload as many books as you want but you are restricted to the number of books you can swap until you become an established member. Becoming ‘established’ simply means the more books you are able to successfully swap, the quicker your feedback will build.

The Help pages on the site are clear and easy to understand and you will find all the detailed information you will need on how to upload your own books and swap with other members.

UPLOADING:

The upload page is simplicity itself. You type in the ISBN number of your book, click on a button marked “Get Title and Author” and the rest of the work is done for you. Like Amazon, you have to indicate the condition of the book you have for swapping.

It is unnecessary to include details of the synopsis of a book because the site provides a link to Amazon where you can read all the extra information you need.

Although, I must say that this isn’t always helpful because often there is no synopsis provided for the book at all on Amazon. In that case, I just type in the book title and author into my Google search box to see if I can find out about the book.

LOOKING FOR A BOOK?

When you are looking for a book, you will go to the ‘Library’ area and type in your search. If you are just ‘browsing’ you can use the handy category links which are on the left underneath the search box.

If the book you want is being offered by other members, and so far I have not come up with an empty search, then you are given a list of members to choose from who have the book you want. You will, of course, be able to see if they are ‘reliable’ members, because they will have star ratings by their names. Personally, I’m always willing to give a new member a chance, particularly if it’s a book I really want because I think perhaps that member might be eager to make their first swap just to see if it works!

WHEN YOU RECEIVE YOUR SWAP:

Once you receive your book, you confirm receipt as well as providing feedback on the whole transaction using the star rating system (which is much like the new feedback system now in operation on ebay). The swap is complete once both parties have confirmed receipt of their books and left feedback.

HELP AND SUPPORT:

There is a lively forum on the site and you will find people willing to assist if you do run into difficulties. On my first swap, I discovered for some reason that there was no link for me to confirm that I had sent my book. You must do that so that the relevant link is ready for your ‘swappie’ to leave you feedback. I receive a quick response from two members and we sorted the problem out.

TIPS:

If you are wanting a particular book and are disappointed when the person you request the swap from declines your request to swap: the reason your request is declined will probably be because none of the books you have in your swap list appeal to them. It’s not personal.

The answer to this problem, I think, is if you get more than one member offering the book you want, first check out the books they are offering for swap. That way, you may find someone who has much the same taste in reading as you do. If you request a swap from them they are more likely to be interested in your list of swaps (unless, of course, they’ve read your books already!)

Be honest when describing the books you have to swap: this way the person who moans that the book is not new can be politely reminded that (a) this is a site where you swap books you have read and (b) you did say there was creasing in the spine (or gravy on page 3).

I think coming across people like that is rare, but I have read tales about them on the site’s forum!

Keep your receipt of postage: this way you can at least prove you sent it and try and find out from the post office what happened to your book. In the meantime, perhaps, offer your potential swappee another book from your list. Like ebay, you would want to do everything to keep your ‘customer’ happy in order that your feedback rating is good. You should get, at the very least, a book of stamps from the Post Office in recompense for the lost book and that way, if your swappee does not see another book they would like from your list, then you can at least send them stamps to cover the cost of the book they kindly sent out to you.

Join the forum: here you will find lots of advice and some useful links.

RECOMMENDATION:

I have only been a member of readitswapit.co.uk for a couple of weeks but I have to say I am impressed so far. I have had three swaps and am just about to send out my fourth. The worst that can happen is that someone won’t send me a book when they promised to but they still get mine but as it only costs about £1.20 to send a book, then it’s no big deal and I’d just leave the appropriate feedback. That kind of person would not last long on the site and as it isn’t a money-making site, then I can’t see why they’d bother being awkward.

The site is easy to use with a simple front page uncluttered by lurid banners. It's a great way to test the works of authors unknown to you and, of course, recycling good reading matter. In short, I have no hesitation in recommending this site to you.


©Louise Saunders 2007

Summary: Opportunity to