This is just me taking the opportunity to let ya'll know about these two
websites, if I haven't already. I use them a lot and wanted to let you know
about them.

Basically, you sign up (links are below), and list your old books that you want
to get rid of in your inventory. Bookmooch takes 10, Paperback swap prefers 10,
but I think functions on less. Other people on the website mooch the books off
of you. You send them the book via media mail (Or first class on a small book).
You get a point. Then you build a wishlist of books that YOU want, and use your
points to mooch those books off of other folks.

The main differences between the 2 websites are as follows:

Paperbackswap puts your "wish" books in a queue, so the first person to wish is
the first person who gets offered the book. They then have 48 hours to accept
the offer. Bookmooch notifies everyone who has the book on their list, and it
is first come first serve. Its great if you are fast.

Bookmooch gives you your first point free, and another free point for every 10
books you list thereafter, and for every 10 feedbacks you give when you receive
books. Paperbackswap gives free points for referrals.

Paperbackswap finances their site partially through their postage interface,
which is excellent. You can get instant points by getting delivery confirmation
printed on your mailing label, and the site gives you the $.18 internet postage
rate on it, for a charge of $.27, which is still cheaper than the $.65 the USPS
charges, and helps to fund the site. Bookmooch relies on donations.

Bookmooch has an unlimited wishlist. Paperbackswap limits you to 200 books.
(My bookmooch wishtlist is over 600 books, so this is a big deal to me.)

Hope this helps. I have had huge success with these two websites and am very
happy with both of them. I kind of wish they would use each other's systems in
some points, but they are good. Bookmooch could really use the postage
interface, but the guy who runs it does it out of his own pocket and does the
website himself, so it is tough for him to keep up with tweaks. The cool thing
is, he actually answers email you send to him himself. Very personal. I wish
you could download your bookmooch wishlist as a comma-delineated spreadsheet. It
is a warmer and easier website to use. Paperbackswap could really use an
unlimited wishlist. That is a vexing thing to me. It could also be a more
easily surfable website. For instance, finding the invite page took a bit of
digging around...I would figure it should be a very prominent and easy to find
feature.

Links:

Paperbackswap (It gives me a free point if you join with the link)

http://www.paperbackswap.com/index.php?n=7&r_by=Jehannette

Bookmooch

www.bookmooch.com If you want to friend me, my username is Jehannette de Lille


Hope this helps,
Julie