Pagan Book Clubs and Book Exchanges by Mail – A Better Suggestion?

 

I understand.  Books have become outrageously expensive, especially in the current economy.  It’s the high cost of paper that publishers pass along to readers, returned books that are so bruised that they can’t be sold in that condition and thus the cost is passed along to readers, and the 45 to 70% that the middle man gets, which is passed along to readers because otherwise it would cost the publisher just to sell the book.  It’s no wonder many of pagan readers can’t afford $10 to $25 for a book.

Readers would be amazed to know that neither the author nor the publisher are making “grocery money” off most of these books at those prices because they just can’t stomach raising the prices any higher. So I understand when readers talk about book exchanges, even though I as an author will never see a penny of royalty for any reads a book gets after its first sale via a bookstore or publisher website.  You know that happens.  And Gods know, there are plenty of people who want me to send them a free book “to see if I get hooked on your work.”

Sigh.  It’s no wonder so many of my favorite authors have stopped writing when confronted with the choice of feeding their children by working at Wal-Mart or writing the books they love but don’t get paid for. There’s only so much time in a day and most of us have bills to pay.

Several online friends were talking about a book club for pagans, from the readers’ point of view, and it made perfect sense as a reader.  Then one said something that made me wonder.  They mentioned exchanging books by mail, using media rate and how it would probably be less than $3 to send a book.  Let’s say there’s another $.50 for an envelope if you can’t find a small box to recycle or have a free envelope.

Flying By Night novel

So they’re willing to spend $3 to $3.50 for a book…with most of that money going to the US Postal Service and none to the author or publisher.  Hmmmm. So here’s a—perhaps—better suggestion that’s greener because it doesn’t spend additional natural resources on transport or waste trees and if financially more favorable to authors.

If you’re interested in continuing to see your favorite authors writing books about your favorite subjects (rather than spending their writing time waiting tables or sweeping floors) and you’re willing to spend several dollars on a book’s TRANSPORTATION to you but wouldn’t think about it for the book, then please consider spending the same amount as you would on postage by buying one of their less expensive ebooks.

For example, if you’re a Prime member at Amazon, you can go right now and borrow pagan and spiritual ebooks from their lending library to be read on your kindle—and the author will get a small royalty that sends a signal to please keep writing.

Some examples you can read for free:

SHAYNE ON YOU (Maggie Shayne’s book that is so magickal and full of Law of Attraction!)

If you don’t have a kindle, you can download the kindle app for free and read ebooks on your computer, tablet, or smart phone.  

Examples under $5—and yes, some are ones I’ve had a hand in because it’s easier to list quickly what I know about personally. In ascending order of price:

GIFTS FOR THE GODDESS ON A WARM SPRING MORN $3.50

If you are an author with a pagan, New Age, or spiritually eclectic book on Amazon or at another ebook site and it’s price is roughly the same as POSTAGE via media mail, please use the comment section below to list it.  Tell us where we’ll find it and let us and our readers support your work!