How To Get Books When You’re Poor
Transcript:
Okay, so reading is awesome. It's super cool and it makes you super smart. And if you read enough you'll learn that you shouldn't say super more than once in a sentence. Clearly I am not reading enough!
That's partially because books are really expensive.
Hardcovers are typically around $15 to $20 and even paperbacks are about $10. I bought about $100 worth of books at Leviosa and I didn't really want to... but I met a lot of wonderful people, wonderful authors, at the convention and I wanted them to know I supported their books.
Luckily, I had already read a lot of their books already, so I didn't have to buy their entire backlist to show them that. And I still couldn't afford to get a copy of everyone's book. I'm really glad for the ones I was able to get. I made a budget, I saved up, and I stuck to it. That's the only reason I was able to get so many books.
Because I am like super, super poor. Like scary poor. This camera is probably the nicest thing I have ever owned. I tend to be really conservative on spending money on anything. As a book lover, that can really be frustrating. Normally, I typically buy ebooks, because they're cheaper and I can read them on my phone, or walking down the street, or in class, or pretty much anywhere where it's not safe to read.
I could have had my author friends sign my phone or my kindle, but I felt that could have got a little crowded. I mentioned in the Diversity panel a little bit about my money struggles. Especially right now, I can't afford to spend too much on books.
But I love to read! And I know that there a lot of people without a lot of cash, who also love to read. Today I thought we'd talk about great ways to find books if you're poor. Or even if you're just broke, *whispering* because you bought too many books.
Go to the library!
*singing* Having fun isn't hard when you've got a library card. Libraries are great and authors get paid when you check out their books! I love the library because they have such a wide selection and even if they don't have the book you want they can borrow it from another library, or order it in! It's a poor reader's dream, pretty much. You'd be amazed at what your library offers. They offer audiobooks, they offer software, they offer free classes... They even offer ebooks, too!
Even if you can't afford to drive to your local library just getting a card gives you access to a lot of resources you can use at home!
My second tip would be to really consider ebooks.
They are usually at least $5 cheaper than a hardback. And they go on sale really often. I follow only authors on Twitter, so I see a lot of sale notifications. One thing writers love to do is support other writers.
Another thing writers love to do is get you to buy their book. So when book or their book is on sale... they want you to know!
Following other authors is a great way to find out that a book has gone down from $10 to $2 or even $1. Sometimes books even go on sale for free. Which isn't even on sale anymore, it's just a giveaway. And they want you to read their book! Go get it, go get it, go get it! But only get a free book if the author is advertising it.
I don't condone piracy.
Trust me, I know it's really, really tempting. However, authors put a lot of hard work into their books and they are not the only ones. It takes a lot of people to get a book from a word document to your hands. It takes a ton of people: agents, editors, designers, publishers, marketers, even reviewers! There's so many subsets of jobs that bring a book to you.
It's really important to put your money where your mouth is if you want more good books. If an author can't afford to write, they can't bring you anymore books. The best way I found to save money for books when I was really little was to ask my mother or neighbors if I could do chores or mow the lawn or something to earn money for books.
Here's a sneaky little tip: If you're young, sometimes just telling adults why you want the money will help you.
My mother and neighbors were much more likely to have me help them with whatever I was offering to do, even if I wasn't the best person for the job, when they knew that any money they would give me would go towards a book, to better my education. Adults really love helping kids learn. It makes them feel better about themselves.
As an adult, anything that makes you feel better about yourself is pretty much your prime goal. Because there are lots of things that bring you down once you're a grown up. Now that I am an adult, I have a budget set aside for books. I try to read as much as I can through the library, but if I need a book for a longer period, or I want it in my permanent collection, then I use money that I've set aside to get that book.
I don't have a regular source of income. I have financial aid, but I don't go out to eat and I only go to the movies like two or three times a year and that's honestly pushing it. I've gone years without going to the movies. Books are my priority. Books and Netflix are pretty much my only expense. I make those a priority and sacrifice elsewhere.
I still don't always have enough money to get all the books I'd like, but I also tend to feel guilty about spending money on myself when I spend too much. So I'm not really, really bothered.
Now here's a tip that doesn't cost any money and is very exciting... Giveaways!
When I was a teenager I was a giveaway queen. I entered contests all the time and I won lots of books, including the first novel of a writer who is now my favorite author.
Goodreads has lots of book giveaways, but their algorithm is slightly skewed. If you review a lot, you're much more likely to win than someone who just signed up or doesn't review that often. That makes sense for a review site, but if you can't afford to read a lot of books and populate your GoodReads field that sort of leaves you out of the loop, doesn't it?
So here's how I did it when I was younger: I followed lots of writers.
Nowadays, sharing something socially counts as an entry for a giveaway, so if you follow enough people who talk about books... Sometimes not even authors, sometimes just reviewers and stuff... You'll find a LOT of giveaway posts.
You're going to have to enter a lot to win just a few. But there are a lot out there. And you're going to find lots of really cool authors that you might not have known about if you hadn't been searching for giveaways.
Another way to find giveaways is through an author's newsletter. (Here’s a link to mine!)
Newsletters are really important for speaking directly to readers, so authors will try to make their newsletters a very valuable resource. I subscribe to several different newsletters. Some giveaway things two or three times a year while others have a giveaway every single month! And that's not the only thing newsletters are good for!
They also have news on book releases. Which you're obviously interested in if you like this author. They have tips on writing and stories about their personal life. It's really fun! My favorite newsletters are from: Susan Dennard, Alexandra Bracken, Beth Revis, and Erin Bowman.
A final tip, a tried and true one: Ask your friends what they're reading, what they're into... If they really love a book they'll probably loan it to you, because they trust you.
You can do the same for them. And then you have somebody to talk to about books, too! It's a win-win scenario!
What are your best tips on finding books when you're on a limited budget? Let me know in the comments, because I'm sure these aren't the only tips out there.
I'll see you guys really soon. Bye.
