A book as Christmas gift? Here’s a smarter idea
By Marjorie Kehe | 11.19.08
They’re calling it “Netflix for books” and the most surprising thing about it is that no one has tried it before.
BookSwim is an online book rental and delivery service. If you don’t have time to run to the library and feel guilty about cluttering up your house with more books, this is an intriguing alternative that delivers books-for-rent right to your doorstep.
And if you’re looking for a gift that keeps on giving, BookSwim offers gift subscriptions that would allow your giftee to enjoy several books for the price of what it would have cost you to buy and wrap one. (A three-book trial membership costs $19.98.)
Here’s how it works: Readers order books online and receive them through the mail. They can choose among plans that would allow them to receive from three to 11 books at a time. These books can be kept for as long as the reader likes with no late fees.
When finished with at least two books, the reader sends them back to BookSwim in a pre-paid return bag that comes with every shipment.
Readers who fall in love with their books have the option to buy them. (About a third of the books shipped out are brand new – the others are “pre-read.”)
There are four different membership levels, ranging from $19.98 per month for their “light reader” three-at-a-time plan to $39.94 per month for the “voracious reader” 11-at-a-time plan.
Of course, it’s not for everyone. Online comments range from, “This is the best idea I ever heard” to “How lazy can people be not to be able to go to the library?” But the library, others note, often has a waiting list for the most popular books. With Bookswim, this is less likely to be a problem.
BookSwim’s inventory is good but – naturally – not as good as Amazon’s. But then again, BookSwim won’t clutter up your bookshelf. And there’s also the satisfaction that comes with cutting your consumption and making use of a shared resource. In addition, BookSwim plants trees for every gift card sold.
Of course, technology promises other options for the voracious reader. As one online customer wrote: “I am waiting for E-ink flexible readers.” But in the meantime, she added, “This is a nice option for girls on the run.”
Comments
2. VoraciousReader | 11.20.08
But does Bookswim pay the author for every book ‘rented’ in the same way Netflix pays for their DVDs? Libraries are non-profit, don’t forget, and paid for by tax money. Bookswim (and Netflix) are not. Considering the state of the publishing industry (in the red), when the average advance is under $5000 and the vast majority of published authors can’t make a living from their books, what is the author’s compensation for all sales lost while Mr. Burke and his company slowly move up tax brackets?
3. Endless Writer | 11.20.08
Yes, VoraciousReader, I agree –
BUT this problem is not new to BookSwim. What about used bookstores? Used books in general? Books that are shared among friends? On one hand, the writer doesn’t generate additonal royalties, on the other, the writer may gain enormous numbers of readers. In the long run, I suspect a struggling writer will earn more from having a wider audience than they will lose from selling a few more books.
Remember, the publisher doesn’t get any more money either once the book is sold. As I’m sure you know, the economics of publishing is such that the publisher’s profit margin is usually about the same as the writer’s royalty. At least, that’s the way I understand it.
4. VoraciousReader | 11.20.08
You’re talking about the sale of first doctrine, which is different than what bookswim is doing. I suggest you educate yourself on the agreements between movie studios and DVD rental companies like Netflix. They don’t purchase a DVD for a retail price and then rent it out a million times. There are special contracts with specific prices and royalty rates.
The two simply aren’t comparable. Please do your homework.
5. Heather | 11.20.08
This is not new. Booksfree (http://www.booksfree.com/) has been doing it for years. I was a happy member until I got my ebook reader and stopped reading paper books.
6. Anthony James Barnett - author | 11.21.08
If it means that my work is read by more people, then I’m all for it. We authors should realise that getting our ‘name’ out there, is the biggest hurdle, not selling a particular book.
Readers will always beg or borrow books, I’ve been guilty myself. If someone borrows my book and enjoys it , hopoefully they’ll mention it to someone - or purchase my next book.
Word of mouth is a fantastic promtional tool. All businesses offer freebies from time to time. Look upon it as a PR tool.
Anthony
7. VoraciousReader | 11.21.08
Marketing is paramount, and I have no problem giving away things for free when NO ONE is making money on the free material. However, if BookSwim or BookFree are earning a profit from a creative work and the author is not (which they clearly are), then it’s tantamount to stealing. ‘Renting’ a book repeatedly is not only not permissible by current copyright law, Netflix and the movie and television industry will tell you it’s completely COUNTER to current law.
Again - libraries are NON-PROFIT, and supported by tax dollars. Bookfree and bookswim are not. Giving a book to a friend, or even SELLING a used copy is protected by the doctrine of first sale. Bookfree and Bookswim are for-profit businesses, and what they are doing is not included in the sale of first doctrine.
TV and movie writers earn royalties from DVD rentals and sales. in fact, the latest writers’ strike was to earn royalties on online streaming and downloading of their shows. Why shouldn’t authors earn those same royalties? Are they some special breed of artist that enjoys being popular but broke?
In fact, I’d really like to George Burke’s thoughts on this. Does his company have licensing agreements with the publishers, or does he think it’s perfectly acceptable to steal from them while he lines his pocket? If so, I’d like to hear his justifcation on the matter.
8. AxelDC | 11.23.08
How about just getting a library card? If you are willing to spend that kind of money to borrow books, why not just donate to your local library and help out the entire community?
Librarians are eager for suggestions, so if you library doesn’t have a particular book or serial you want, just ask for it.
The 3-at-a-time plan comes to about $6/book. For that price, you can almost buy a new paperback. You can find cheaper books at Half.com.
It really offends me as a librarian to see good money thrown away on a service that libraries offer for free, especially since for $20 a month you could really help improve your local library and make it better for everyone.
9. Joe America | 11.23.08
The pricing is loopy. For about the same money you could just BUY used books from sites like Alibris or Abebooks.
11. Doubtful Doug | 11.23.08
Or if you are not looking for the newest release, you could sign up at paperbackswap.com and trade your old books for free.
12. bookgrrl | 11.23.08
First amazon does a number on bricks and mortar bookstores and local economies (not collecting taxes in the majority of states) and now this. Yes, great idea! Let’s kill off libraries now!
Too busy to get to the library? Donate $20 every month to your community’s library and maybe they’d have more copies of popular new books and longer hours.
13. bookgrrl | 11.23.08
If the person who is too busy to get to their library would donate twenty bucks a month, then perhaps their library would have the resources to have longer hours and more copies of popular new books.
14. CLH | 11.23.08
I love my library, but, honestly, every time I go I find about 3 out of the 10 books I’m looking for. If communities value their libraries, they’ll rally to their aid. Maybe this will finally light the fire . .
The publishing biz is a wreck, and didn’t pay enough attention to the music & film biz models as they started to stutter. It’s been years wasted in denial, followed by this decline. They stayed crazy with volume and margins, instead of pursuing delivery and format. I’m glad the rental option is available . . .
15. The Truth | 11.23.08
Voracious Reader-
You simply do not know what you are talking about.
Renting books, DVD’s and CD’s is perfectly legal.
Once the item is purchased, the original producer is no longer due any additional royalty on the rental (and the authors and talent involved do not receive any royalties).
Profit vs. non-profit status has nothing to do with it. It is legal for a third part to rent for profit (just as they can sell for profit).
Whatever deal companies like Netflix and Blockbuster is their own and does not obligate anyone else to follow that model.
16. S | 11.24.08
“…no one has tried it before.”
Except for libraries that share their collections through inter-library loan.
17. everycritic | 11.24.08
(the spell-checked version oops! Sorry)
Regarding “How about just getting a library card?”:
That’s great provided you a) live in an area that has a good library nearby and, b)are physically capable of traveling there. How about all those people who DON’T have access to a wide selection and/or are physically limited? Don’t you think a service like this will be invaluable?
Meanwhile, my local library system (Mpls/St Paul, Minnesota) has been rated among the most heavily-trafficked in the country. Based on my unscientific observations, checking out books seems to be one of the least popular activities at the library. The people who go regularly are using the computers, getting librarians to assist them in research, using the community rooms for talks and workshops, allowing their children to participate in story time, meeting friends in the attached coffee shop, checking out DVDS and studying.
I can see libraries becoming more community gathering places and service entities and less purveyors of paper books. Like it or not, the Internet has made books, music and movies available everywhere, from anyone and in mutiple formats. You can’t compete with that but you CAN offer up customized local services that speak to your immediate community the way that Amazon and Netflix and BookSwim can’t.
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3. Netflix for books » The Sly Oyster | culture & entertainment on the sly » Blog Archive | 11.24.08
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1. George Burke | 11.19.08
Hi, George here — founder of BookSwim.
Thanks so much for finding us and understanding that the reading revolution is upon us. BookSwim is one of the key players to help push reading in a new and affordable direction.
-George Burke