Bookcrossers discussion

I just released my first books about two weeks ago and I have a few more ready to go. How many books do you release in a week, month, year? How do you decide how often? How do you choose books and locations?

Wow, I used to release about 1 a week. Now I hardly wild-release 1 a month. I'm active at www.bookobsessed.com where we do swaps, exchanges, relay, and other trading for books. Everyone over there is a bookcrosser. And I do some bookrings/rays from the forums, although I've slowed down some.

As for where to release, there are some definite do's and don'ts. There are all sorts of discussions in the forums, if you search in the newbies section or other sections. I don't release near bookstores or libraries (I know these are places booklovers are, but they are too confusing for the owners and a person unfamiliar with BC). Don't ever leave a book in an airport, too many bomb-scare issues. So, post offices and food places are pretty popular. Outside, its recommended you place the book in a plastic zip-type bag to protect against the elements. The supply store has some pre-printed, or you can use a sharpie. Look up OBCZs in your area (Official BookCrossing Zones), physical locations where there is a bookshelf for you to take and leave books.

I hope this helps get you started! Have fun, leave books wherever you want. Just don't get discouraged if it takes a long time to get a catch. The average is 10% of the books released are actually caught.

ETA- I'm mellonhead, welcome to the craziness.

Thanks for the advice. I actually find the BC forums to be too hard to navigate...or rather, I'm too lazy to get familiar with the format. :P

So far I've left all my books in restaurants. Glad to know about the airport. I printed out some label thingies from the BC website, but I haven't bought anything yet. I work on a campus and I keep getting emails that books are being released here, but I don't know who's doing it. I'd go look for them, but I'm trying to get rid of books, not swap them for more. Eek! I have too many! ha ha

I can go months without wild releasing books. But our local group, Rubber City Book Posse, does at least one mass release every year. (In February we released over 600 books at a local reading festival.) And I usually take a dozen or so books with me to release when I travel, which happens a couple times in a year.

As for those emails about someone releasing books in your area, if you want to know who it is you can click on the link in the email to go to the journal entry for the book. Then you can always send that bookcrosser a message if you care to start a local group or discuss some good release spots. Just a thought.

Have fun!

The forums can be really helpful once you learn to use them, especially the Newbies forum.

Let me know if you need any help or have any questions.

I'm JenKazoo on Bookcrossing.

I just started cookcrossing and in a couple of days, I managed to release a book and catch another. Lots of fun! I released Don't Block the Blessings by Patti LaBelle at a friend's beauty salon in Klamath Falls, OR and then picked up Crossover by Judith Eubank at Denio Junction, Nev. in the cafe/motel/bar there. I was so excited to find the book! There is another book trading website called www.paperbackswap.com you may want to try. Glad to find others like me using goodreads!

I love releasing at the library. I have gotten lots of catches there. I do lots of releases at the park too.

hi im new to bookcrossing what am i suppose to do?

Have you registered over at BookCrossing.com? If not, you need to do that first. Once you're registered you can use the FAQ to help you know what to do.
Here's what it says about how to BookCross:

1. Pick one of your books-one you have read or one you haven't read.
2. Click on "register book" under the "My Shelf" tab. [If you can't see the "My Shelf" tab at the top of the page, you may need to log in to the site.:] Follow the prompts to register the book and generate a BCID (BookCrossing ID).
3. Write the BCID in ink inside the cover. Add a label or write the BookCrossing info. you can add some additional markings, stickers, notes, etc to make the book noticeable, if you wish.
4. Release the Book.
There is much more to BC than just this, but these are the basic "bones" of the activity.

Hope this helps you

thanks.so i dont have to get the stickers?

No... you can download some from the site and print them on your computer if you prefer. There is a lot of info about that on the site.

Your profile is private so I can't see where you live. I live in Italy and hang out in the BC.com site and also the Italian forum, so maybe you can find a forum or group near whre you live. It's a lot of fun going to monthly meet ups, for example, and there are always a lot of activities and fairs, etc.

ohh i see.by the way, i live in portugal.C=

Aqui fica o link para o forum português...
São todos muito simpáticos, vale apena passar por lá :)

http://www.bookcrossing.com/forum/19

obrigada, hei-de passar por lá C=

I release bunches of books, probably 5 or more a week. Locals are probably sick of my release alerts. I love to try and make themed releases (like Fahrenheit 451 at the site of Nazi book burning in Berlin, 1933 - picture here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bookczuk...)

As to labels and language, the site is updating very soon and you soon can create labels in your own language and get the site in your own language. (Per Bruce at the Amsterdam Convention.)

I was at Amsterdam, watching the show. Some awesome features coming on line!

Goodreads for good books. I don't have time nor space for bad books - I want to hear about the good ones!

You're in the right place!

I released at a park and at a temporal OBCZ that took place at the University on April; the forums as some have pointed out are great for swaping and bookringing with other bookcrossers. Controlled realeases are fun but not as fun as having a wild realease caught I suppose.

The themed releases sound like something I might try.

Hi to all the newbies! I release about 20 - 30 books per month. Many of them are released into some book baskets I started at my office and at a local coffee/donut shop, but some are more wild releases. My favorite wild release spot is the park bench in a shopping center near my house -- it is out of sun and rain, and in front of a hair salon and a pet shop, so lots of foot traffic. I get about 10% journal entries, not great but not awful. I participate in a few of the Release Challenges each year, which you can find out about in the Forum under Release Challenges. I also get involved in a few book rays/rings each year and some book boxes, which are fun. I also like the Summer and Winter Gift Giving, which I think are under RABCK in the Forum. They are fun events that often involve more than just books. You spend a little money, but don't have to spend a fortune. Anyway, enjoy!!!

I release at:

Coffeehouses
Buses and Subways (but closer to the beginning of the line since janitorial staff sometimes pick up at the end of the line)
OBCZ at hostel
Live bc meetings

I release about 4 times a week, half controlled (i.e. give to friends) and half wild.

Best!

I used to release a lot of books in the wild but now I mostly do controlled releases to other BCer's. When I travel I try to release several into the wild.

Where I live its not safe to leave wild releases anywhere. So I do controlled releases and when I travel I do wild if I can.

Not safe? How odd -- what makes it unsafe? I've been many, many places and done tons of releases and have yet to find an entire town classified as "not safe". A few places are unwise to release in or where books may not be welcomed, but usually there's someplace nearby that a book can start it's journey.

It always fascinates me when people say there are no other BookCrossers, or that BookCrossing is unknown there. What better way to find likeminded folks than to leave books about! That's how BookCrossing has grown here in Charleston -- we just keep releasing! It's like the old saying: If you build it they will come.

I live. In lawrence, mass. We are one of the top 5 lowest income and highest crime cities in the US. Every book I have released in the wild has gone into the trash. I searched for my city on BC and I am the only active BCer.

I am quite familiar with Lawrence, having friends and family in nearby towns. Have you tried coffee shops like Cafe Verde? (I left a book there that got caught once). I've even had good luck at Dunkin' Donuts around the country, and I think you have a couple there. Or when your Farmer's Market reopens in the spring, try that.

If you leave a book at a business, it's often helpful to let them know you're leaving it for someone to find and enjoy. Tell them about BookCrossing. You might even find some place that wants an OBCZ! (that's why one of my OBCZs is in Georgia, 5 hours from my home. They liked the concept so much, they became an OBCZ, even though there are no BookCrossers in town.) Be brave!