How do I know if a book subscription is right for me?
That’s a very good question. It’s one that I asked myself a lot of times when I was setting up
The Gently Used Book Club.
I was thinking about all those people who wanted to reduce their carbon footprint by buying their books secondhand, but didn’t have access to a great secondhand bookshop nearby. Sadly, fantastic secondhand bookshops are not easy to find these days – though I will always post on social media when I find one!
Also there are people who just do not have the time to get to a bookshop, because work/family/life gets in the way. Again there are not so many bookshops around as there used to be (though I see this is beginning to change as more independent bookshops are opening.)
Some subscribers want to explore new genres but don’t know where to start. We can guide you through that unfamiliar maze of books. You tell us the kind of things you like to read and we’ll find you books that lead on from there.
We have some subscribers who are housebound or who live in residential care. For them a monthly box of books is a lifeline and a wonderful treat. I really love choosing books for them.
Some of our subscribers come to us because they find browsing for books online too hit or miss. New books can be expensive – and it’s a lot of money to take a chance with if you’re not sure. We hand select every book so that they are just right for you, based on what you’ve told us you like to read, so there’s much less chance involved.
Some people find bookshops to be intimidating places, and the choice to be overwhelming. We act like your own personal bookseller – choosing and recommending titles and authors that you’ll love. If you follow us on social media – we’re on Instagram and Facebook – you’ll quite often find us chipping in with recommends as to what to read next, or letting you know about books you might not be aware of.
Some people don’t find the choice available in their local bookshop is very appealing (Waterstones – I am looking at you with a hard Paddington stare!). Worse still is the selection you might find in the supermarket when you’re doing your weekly shop, if that’s the only time you have. We have books from different genres, different eras, different sub-genres and our stock changes all the time as we get new stock in and it goes back out in your boxes.
And of course people subscribe to a book box just because it’s a special little treat. Imagine. A box of bookish loveliness in your mailbox every month with books that are chosen just for you by our team of experienced booksellers. Our boxes have been described as “Best Gift Ever” and “Like my Birthday every month.”
Lots of are bought as gifts – both subscription boxes and one-off gift boxes. Let’s face it, a box of books is always welcome to anyone who loves to read. And we try to make each selection as personal as possible. You can add a card to any gift subscription. And if you don’t know what kind of books they might like, tell us what they’re like as a person. Do they like travel, or cooking, or nature? Maybe they like horror movies or rom coms. Whatever you can tell us helps us when we choose the books.
By the way, although most of our subscribers are women, we also have a lot of male subscribers, so it’s not at all true that only women buy books! And the age of our subscribers ranges from teenagers right up to octogenarians!
So we like to think that we have a book box for just about everyone – there’s a huge range of genres to choose from, or go for a mixed box. You choose how many books you get every month and how to pay for it. You can pay monthly or upfront for 3, 6 or 12 months. You can pause or cancel your subscription any time you like. You tell us what you love to read and we come up with more books that you’ll like. And don’t forget if we send you a book you’ve already read then we’ll send you a replacement in your next box.
Basically it comes down to the following issues –
If you’ve answered yes to these questions then our book subscription boxes are probably right for you. But if you want to be sure, why not try one of our mini/trial boxes, or a gift box first before committing to a subscription.
Still not sure if a book subscription box is right for you? Contact us through the website or by email at [email protected] with any questions you might have. We’re always happy to help.
So what are you waiting for – sign up now to start receiving lovely, eco-friendly, secondhand book subscription boxes every month.
