Didn’t I promise you a new and exciting presentation today?*

 

Oh yeah. I did. Crap! I kid, I kid. I’m actually very excited about this.

 

I’ve had this idea buzzing around my head for several months, but I’ve been waiting for the right time to use it. My fear is that–like many blog features I’ve attempted-it will fail, so let’s not allow it to fail because it won’t be as much fun that way. I say ‘let’s’ because this idea is going to require some participation from you.

 

I call my idea the Super-Duper Blogger Book Exchange

 

Now that my idea officially has a name, there’s no turning back. It is going to happen. But Britt! What is the Super-Duper Blogger Book Exchange?

 

Oh, yes! Allow me to explain…

 

All who would like to participate (myself included) will provide a book for the SDBBE. You will read your book and mark it with a designated color (i.e. add commentary, circle things you like, make it personal). Then you will mail your book to an assigned SDBBE buddy. The buddy will then read the book, mark it with his/her designated color, and pass it on to the next buddy. Meanwhile, you will receive a book from someone else, and you’ll do the same thing then pass it on. In the end, everyone will have read and marked each book, and the original owner will get her book back with commentary from all who participated.

 

There are a few catches, however:

 

 

 

  • Since the entire circle of exchange depends on everyone’s participation, you must agree to follow through until the end. If you’re unable to finish a book, that’s ok. Mark in it where you read to and maybe leave a little note saying why you didn’t finish (just for interest of the other readers who might wonder if you ran out of time or just thought the book sucked – it’s okay, you can be honest), and mail it to the next person. The entire exchange will take a few months.
  • You’ll have to mail books one at a time to another person, so it will cost you a little bit of money.
  • You will need to abide by some kind of deadline so the circle of exchange doesn’t get backed up and so no one has to wait too long for their next book. I’m thinking one month for each book-I’ll probably set a deadline that the books must be mailed by the first of each month. That will give everyone about one month to select a book and personalize it before the first exchange.
  • There’s always a possibility of problems with the mailing system. We’ll hope that nothing goes wrong and that everyone gets their books in fine shape, but to prevent casualties, everyone must take special care in mailing the packages to each other.
  • You’ll need to provide a mailing address. The address will only be known to me and one other person (the person who will pass books on to you). You only need to give your first name, if you prefer.

 

There are also a few guidelines I’ll set up for the circle of exchange to flow better:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • To keep the length of the book exchange short, I will divide the participants up into more than one exchange group if necessary. If ten people participate, that will take ten months for the entire exchange to happen. That’s probably too long, so if the participants are high in numbers, I’ll assign smaller groups, and I will participate in each group.
  • As soon as the circle(s) of exchange is set up, I’ll mail each participant a color key to paste inside the book cover. The key will have each participant’s name and a color. When you mark in the books, you will use a specific color so everyone knows which comments are yours.
  • I will also send you the name and address of the person you will mail the books to.
  • To help keep the reading time simple, the books will need to be somewhat short. I’m thinking 300 pages or less, but up to 400 if you’re really passionate about the book.
  • To prevent duplication, I’ll ask that you tell me which book you are going to use, however, to keep the element of surprise for the participants, I won’t tell you which books everyone else selected unless someone has already chosen the book that you want (first come, first served).
  • The books can be PG-13 at most (so girl, keep your romance novels to yourself).
  • Even though the title of the project is the Super-Duper Blogger Book Exchange, you don’t need to be a blogger to participate, so please invite anyone you feel would like to do this. All are welcome.

 

Participating will be very rewarding:

 

 

 

 

  • You get to read a variety of books.
  • You have something to look forward to when you check your mail (we all love good mail, right?)
  • You make new friends.
  • You end up with a book full of fun commentary to enjoy forever and ever.
  • You get to add a button to your blog. Everyone loves buttons.**

 

So, if you’re with me and want to participate in the SDBBE, leave a comment or send an e-mail to britt@fluentbrittish.com. I will accept participants until September 15 so spread the word. Your book will need to be marked and sent out by October 1. I will e-mail you with further details soon including your color assignment so you can start working on your book immediately. I realize that I sometimes don’t explain things well, especially my ‘big ideas,’ so please ask questions if you have them. I’m looking forward to swapping books with YOU!

 

*Technically, I promised this post would be up on Monday, but it’s really late Sunday night. I was so excited for the SDBBE that I couldn’t wait until Monday, but I held out as long as I could. See the passion? You must participate. You must!

 

**Unfortunately the button was designed by me, and I don’t know anything about buttons.

 

Edited to add: You are more than welcome to participate outside of the United States, but I will ask you (and the buddy who mails to you) to send your book sooner to allow for mailing time.  That means that some participant’s reading time will be cut short, but this will all be discussed with participants as things get set up. Good grief! Why can’t I fix the spacing on this post?