For What It's Worth


Sunday, December 2, 2012

Book Blogger Confessions: Book Budgets

 

Book Blogger Confessions is a meme that posts the 1st and 3rd Monday of every month, where book bloggers "confess" and vent about blogging/bookish topics. Feel free to share, vent and offer solutions.

Just keep it respectful - no bashing authors or other bloggers! If you want to participate just grab our button and include it in your post with a link to either Midnyte Reader or For What It's Worth. We will be providing a linky at the end of our posts so people can "hop" to see all the participants answers.

Question: Do you have a monthly book budget? How has it changed since you started blogging? Do you get more free books now that you have access to publishers/authors/other bloggers or is your book buying budget even higher than when you started?

I think this question is so funny because the prevailing opinion is that book bloggers are swimming in a sea of freebies, never spending money on books….greedy things that we are.

That could not be further from the truth. At least for me and my blogger friends. I spend MORE money on books now that I’m blogging. I do get ARC’s, mostly at BEA rather than through publishers, but the majority of my books are still purchases.

Sometimes an ARC ends up costing me even more money.

I’ll just take one book as an example. I received an ARC of Enclave by Ann Aguirre from the publisher for review two years ago. I became obsessed with this book and bought a finished copy for myself and had several giveaways. I probably ended up purchasing a total of 10 copies and I do that all the time when I love something.

I loaned my Enclave ARC to a handful of other bloggers, who in turn bought the book (dispelling the myth that ARC’s ruin sales) and several of them also had giveaways buying even more copies. So there you have it. One ARC resulted in close to 20 book sales.

Yes, there are some ARC’s where I don’t enjoy the book and pass it along but for every book that I do like, I buy a finished copy.

I went a little off track there but you get the idea. (because I get mad when people keep implying that all book bloggers are out for free books – the majority of us are out to help share our love of books and let people know about awesome authors. End rant.)

Sooooo back to the actual question!

I don’t have a specific budget and I’ve been trying to reign it in some. Mostly because I have more books than I could possibly read right now rather than trying to save money. Some months I spend nothing – while another month may be closer to $60-$70+. I guess an average would be somewhere between $20-$40.

Before I started blogging I think I bought one or two books every few months. I wasn’t even much of a reader – one year I only read 6 books total - so I’m not even sure how I stumbled into book reviewing!

I have an incredible group of blogger friends that share their books with me. Lena Addicted 2 Novels, Julie – My 5 Monkey’s, Pam – Midnyte Reader. Fictitious Delicious. I apologize if I’m forgetting anyone but basically book bloggers are AWESOME with the sharing!!

How about you? Do you have a book budget? Any tips for saving money?

Question for December 17th: Dear Santa! What would you put on your blogging/bookish wish list if the sky was the limit? A new blog design? A house filled with new bookshelves? Even MORE books?

**** 2013 Book Blogger Confession topics are up

22 comments:

  1. Sure, there are SOME bloggers who try to get into book blogging just for the free books but the majority of us simply love books and love to spread that love. Love.

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    1. I think the majority of us do this because we're fans and readers. We're not trying to get anything out of it. The free stuff is nice and a bonus but not the reason.

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  2. I love to share my books too, and you are too kind. its true we end up buying books when we are swimming in it. I bought raven boys and I read the arc

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    1. I know - you're like me. We need the finished copy when we love something lol

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  3. Such a great idea for a few bloggers to share books. I get most of mine from the library, and only buy books that are not available there and I really want to read, so I would say - maybe it averages out to $10 every 3 months.

    Tanya Patrice
    Girlxoxo.com

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    1. I find it interesting when bloggers are trying to get contacts with publishers. That's great but your best resource to getting great books is through other bloggers.

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  4. Just like you, I spend way more on books now than I ever did before I started blogging. Every time I read a gushing review, I stop right there and buy the book! Also like you, I'm trying to rein it in. I have enough books on my bookshelf to keep me busy for several years.

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    1. I'm getting better about that and try to think before I buy but it has nothing to do with $$. I just don't have any room anymore lol

      As soon as I make room by reading a few I always end up caving and buying something though.

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  5. Didn't even think of ARCs and how I'll sometimes buy the finished copy if I really love it! And the shipping costs involved whenever I have a giveaway. Still don't have a budget though....maybe I should? *L*

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    1. I think I spend more on books for giveaways than for myself. I had to cut back some this past year but I just love sharing a book that I love.

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  6. That is such a good point! And, I will remember this example next time I hear a comment about book bloggers and free books. When I first started blogging, I didn't realize there was this whole thing where you could get free books...so I never got into it for that. Like you, I love to talk about books and share books and gush over books. And thank *you* for the books you've shared too. It's like we're compelled to pass books along! My only tip for saving money is to go to the library. I get all my audiobooks there.

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    1. I had never heard of an ARC when I started and I certainly didn't think I deserved or would ever get one. I still feel awkward requesting. i rarely do.

      This sounds awful but I hate used books lol I can't bring myself to go to the library. there's a longer story behind that - I'll have to telly you sometime :-))

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  7. Interesting topic. On a self imposed book ban for a while now though I don't count books I buy at charity shops and ex-library stock the proceeds of which go to buying more books in that I'm not actually BUYING the books so much as making a donation in which I'm giving a book in exchange - a win win situation don't you think?

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  8. Whoops! That should of course have read book buying ban. To ban books altogether would be too awful.

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    1. I've spent quite a bit of money on book auctions. Way more than I would have spent if I just went and got the book from the store but I feel like it's for a good cause.

      I donate quite a few of my books to the library and Goodwill so I hope it helps them while helping someone else find a good deal.

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  9. I'm a stay at home mama so my budget is like close to zero. Thank heavens for the library.

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    1. PS That being said, if something is on super sale (less than $2 for an eBook or $5 for an audio) I usually splurge.

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  10. I spend a lot on books every month. I don't even want to say. I always bought a lot of books, even before I started blogging. Somehow, it works out within my budget.
    And every time I save money -- by not going into Starbucks for instance -- I think "That's some book money right there..."

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  11. Just ... yes. My answer was quite similar. I think I spend more money now that I've been blogging because I've been exposed to so many more titles! Great answer!

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  12. I spend as little money as I can. Most of the books I get for xmas and my bday. This year I did buy a lot of books..like 5 all year

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  13. Next year I will have a strict book budget and it is going to suck! I am living in denial LOL

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  14. Oh gosh, I agree! Sometimes when I love a book, I'm gifting it left & right and telling everyone else to read it too. I actually don't buy too many books full priced as I generally go to my library since I go through books pretty quickly!

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