Book Blogging for Broke Brats
I have said this before and have no problem admitting it again – I am broke. I owe the government close to $100,000 for my student loans, I am out of work (although I do volunteer about 25 hours a week for two different organizations), and I live with my parents while I apply for jobs constantly and write. My life is kind of sad. On top of that, I live in an area with a dearth of author signings or talks, and although I know a blogger who used to live in the same TINY town as me, the key word there is used to live.
So… Let’s summarize. My name is Megan, and I am a broke blogger.
I know many bloggers are in the same boat as me, or at least a similar situation. We are young professionals, college kids, high school students, stay at home moms, and general broke people. But we have a love of reading and supporting authors. It causes a bit of a conundrum – do I buy this new release, or do I buy food? Do I get this amazing limited edition box set or pay my rent?
I think the answer is obvious. Buy the books Pay for living expenses.
But as bloggers, we have to somehow find books to review, and it’s not always that easy considering that books are pricey. And if you are like me, your county library system is woeful, understaffed, and definitely understocked. Oh, the woes of being from a rural area with a low population and low percentage of people who actually read. The country is great for rest, relaxation, and small town gossip, but for reading? The nearest bookstore is 20 miles away, and the nearest bookstore I can actually afford? Does the Goodwill count?
Along with the darling River, I have come up with some simple ideas on how to make it as a broke book blogger. Feel free to (actually, please) submit your own ideas for how to be a blogger on a budget!
1.) Download illegally. This is illegal obviously, and we at Book Brats do NOT condone this. Seeing as how this was River’s contribution, I will take it as a joke while side eyeing her.
*River’s Note: I was 100% joking. I didn’t realize it was going on any kind of list. Side eye returned to you Megan for even adding it :p.
2.) Trade with other bloggers. I often get books that I don’t want, don’t have room for, or loathed. So I go onto Twitter or ARC Swap on Goodreads and post it for trade. I’ve gotten some amazing stuff this way – other ARCs, finished copies, even signed stuff!
3.) Contests! My favorite contest win EVER was on Twitter from Del Rey where I got a signed copy of China Miéville’s EMBASSYTOWN. My obsession with that man knows no bounds (you can ask River). But one of the hallmarks of blogging is giveaways – on blogs, Goodreads, LibraryThing, Booktrib, publisher websites, twitter, Facebook, etc. If you try, you will win.
4.) The library. As I said, my library sucks, but 98% of libraries are better than mine. Just one county over, they have hundreds of copies of some of the most popular books, and you can check them out for 3 weeks. Want to read a new release? Library!
5.) Kindle Deals. Publishers often times will discount a book that has been out a few months on Kindle or Nook. If you can afford the initial investment, this is well worth it, especially because you can then also check out free books from the library or download Kindle freebies. This is how I’ve read bunches of free crappy erotica.
6.) Second hand shops. While not supporting the author directly through money, you support the author by promoting their book while getting a great deal. Used book stores, thrift shops, consignment stores – just look around.
7.) Invest in a few good books. If you know there is something you must have, save up for it and splurge. I do this every once in awhile and don’t regret it for a second.
But the ways are not limited to this. Of course, one way to get free books is to cement your name as a blogger and have publishers WANT you to read their books. Or you can try Netgalley and Edelweiss and try your luck. Another program? Amazon Vine, but trust me, I know from experience that Vine is a bitch to get into.
Blogging while broke is NOT impossible. In fact, it’s really easy if you use effective budgeting, careful planning, and some luck!
Share your own Broke Book Blogging ideas in the comments! I would love to know your tips for being broke!
Great post!! I totally get where you are coming from. I am at home with my daughter and looking for a job, but hubs is the only one bringing in money right now. He tries to make sure to give me some spending money, but it’s not much. I hoard it all and save up for books I NEED to buy. I also use the library a lot now. Having an ereader, I just go online to my state digital library and they have a huge selection of newer books that I have been wanting to get to. I also love the digital audio library. I enter a lot of giveaways too, and am always up for trading ARCs, though I don’t get many physical ones, so I don’t have much to trade.
I just wanted to add that you don’t even need the big investment of purchasing a Kindle; you can buy ebooks off of Amazon.com and read them in your browser (which was also very convenient, among other things, when I was in college and needed a particular book as a source for a paper due in a couple of hours).
Excellent post! I get a ton a books from my local library; what they don’t have, they;ll get from another library in the region. My state has a very good library system and I make full use of it. I also use http://www.paperbackswap.com, which is all books, not just paper backs. You list books you’re willing to part with; someone requests it, you mail it and get a credit which you can then use to purchase a book. I’m also lucky enough to have a used bookstore nearby. I take advantage of Kindle freebies; spending money on an e-reader was definitely worth the investment.
I can’t afford to purchase a lot of books, so I’m always looking for cheap or free books. Another good place is church fairs and library used book sales; books can be as cheap as 50 cents each and at the end of the day, sometimes you can fill a bag for a dollar or two.
Great post! I usually only have enough extra money to buy one book every once in a while. But lately, I haven’t been having a lot of time to read so I’m getting in more books than I can physically read. A blessing in disguise? Also, Amazon Vine needs to just approve me already. What are they waiting for? Lol.
I’ve tried every trick imaginable to get into Vine with no luck. And it’s not like I’m in last place in the rankings.
I am fortunate in that I do have a book budget right now, but I know how it feels not to. I would add this advice — don’t worry so much about reviewing the latest, most up to date releases. Yes, there is a lot of buzz going on and it’s fun to participate, but you also will have less “competition” for your post if you just review whatever is appealing to you at the moment, from the library or the used book store or the latest friend swap. I can also recommend http://www.paperbackswap.com/index.php if you have lots of books to trade.
Yes, reviews don’t have to be of the newest or hottest books. Start with what you already own or get from the library. While I like reading about what’s out now, its also good to see less talked about books or older books; it’s a great way to add to the TBR pile.
Great minds think alike, Bea – I see you already rec’d Paperback Swap!
My library isn’t the greatest, but they do team up with other libraries, so the books are pretty much more than DOUBLED what’s available at the local library. It’s great. They get a lot of new releases. My problem is that I’ll go to the store and see a new release and just buy it without even seeing if the library has it. There are releases that I NEED to own, and there are those that I could probably just rent.
Too bad mailing books isn’t cheaper in Canada … it costs around $13 to just send a book in the mail!
This is a great post! Thanks for sharing.