Do You Swap Books?

Swapping books is an awesome thing. Recently I've been updating my Goodreads page and I discovered that Goodreads offers a swapping option. How cool is that? The only downside about Bookswap is what if you don't have a credit card?
My Experience with Swapping
I've swapped books with a few book bloggers and even though I think that nobody would be interested in my books–it seems somebody always is. Sometimes it is hard to part with a book you don't necessarily want to exchange; I often ask myself... would I really read this again? If the answer is no, then I look for swapping buddies or give them away.  Trading reads is a great opportunity to let other book bloggers read and review more books without having to purchase or request them from publishers.
Trading Etiquette
Just because you might have an old or "unpopular" book it doesn't mean that nobody is interested it trading with you–post it anyway. The best way to swap is to make a list of books you're willing to trade and post it on your blog. Some people post their wish-lists as well but this tends to discourage me from contacting the person to see if they're willing to swap books anyway. If you're unsure about the blogger's reliability have them send a picture via email of them holding the book; this way you can be confidante that you can trust the blogger to send your book to you. How you mail your swapped book is very important as well. If your mail system is run by a bunch of thieves like mine, come to some sort of deal about sending the book priority instead of media mail. Remember! Media mail can be opened at anytime and stolen! If you don't or can't spend the extra money on priority, send it media mail and purchase a tracking number. From experience, this seems to help discourage any thievery.
What If I'm Not a Blogger?
No problem! Just follow the same steps and send your tradable book list via email. Be sure to send a picture of you holding the requested book(s).


Swapping books can be a lot of fun and a great way to enjoy more reading! Be sure to check out ➡my swap list or leave a comment with a link to YOUR swap list!