I have just joined the Book Depository Affiliate Program. This means that I get a small commission if viewers click on the Book Depository logo in the RHS menu and subsequently buy a book from them. As it happens, I was recommended to them by one of our ANZLitLovers members, and quite a few of our book group use them regularly because their prices are very competitive with other online booksellers.
I am supporting this venture because the Book Depository offers reprints of the classic books I am interested in, because they stock international titles that are hard to get in Australia, and they deliver worldwide for free. I support them in the same way that I support the other booksellers listed in my Recommended links, because they give good, prompt and reliable service. In the case of Readings (located here in Melbourne but with an online presence as well) they also sponsor literary festivals that I attend regularly, so I buy from them in preference to any other local bookshops, though I’m also a regular at Benns Books in Centre Rd, Bentleigh.
The small Book Depository commission, if it ever amounts to anything, may help to pay for my bookbuying habit!
I’ve only recently discovered book depository, and quickly became a devoted customer! Again, I battle with my conscience in buying online vs supporting local booksellers. I’m in sydney and shop mainly at Berkelouw Books and Gleebooks, which have much more competitive prices than the large chains, and offer a better selection of literature, I find. The pleasure derived from wandering through a bookstore and handling the books cannot be compared to online shopping, so I tend to spread my purchases between the two, quite equally.
By: a sisyphean task on December 30, 2009
at 1:08 pm
Yes, I agree. I should have mentioned Benns Books in my post, (though it doesn’t have a proper website) because it’s probably the shop where I buy more of my books than any other – for exactly the reason you give. It’s conveniently located right near my dentist and my hairdresser, so I’m there every 6 weeks (hair) and always in June and December (dental checkup) LOL, and I love wandering through, browsing, breathing in the atmosphere, rejoicing in being in a place where people love books just like I do. They have a loyalty program too, which is nice. No dopey card, they just record your purchases and every now and again I get a free book.
But the Book Depository comes into its own when you want a book from overseas that isn’t available here, or it’s out-of-print. Unlike another online bookstore which I use the BD *admits it* when they’re out of stock, and suggests AbeBooks. I like that:)
Lisa
By: Lisa Hill on December 30, 2009
at 1:31 pm
OK I’ve ordered a book that a friend (in Melbourne actually) recommended and said you cannot find it in local bookstores. It was cheaper by far than his recommended source – Booktopia – but I guess it involves more carbon miles. Hmm…life is so complicated these days. However, my friend Lisa should get a cut so that’s worth something.
Yes, I prefer loyalty programs that don’t have cards. I discovered though that a local independent store that has one of those also offers immediate discount (rather than discount AFTER you build up points) if you are a friend of the NLA. Much better deal! More complications though…
By: whisperinggums on December 30, 2009
at 2:14 pm
Oh, Sue, what a dear friend you are:) I shall shout you a nice glass of wine when next I am in Canberra! Lisa
By: Lisa Hill on December 30, 2009
at 2:34 pm
LOL I don’t think you’ll get THAT much of a rebate will you!!
By: whisperinggums on December 30, 2009
at 3:27 pm
House wine, then…
By: Lisa Hill on December 30, 2009
at 3:29 pm
I’m a regular customer of BD and often link to them, but didn’t know about their affiliate scheme. Thanks for the info, I’ve now signed up.
I particularly like this feature
“If the visitor orders (the order need not be placed during the same browser session–cookies and IPs are stored for 30 days – so if the visitor comes back anytime in that period, and buys, you’ll still get paid), the order will be registered as a sale for you.
I suppose you know of Mark Thwaite’s (of Book Depository) excellent book blog at http://www.readysteadybook.com/
By: Tom Cunliffe on January 1, 2010
at 7:47 pm
Hi Tom, happy new year! Yes, I do know about Ready Steady Blog: I subscribe to britlitblogs.com and so I get notification of nearly all my favourite blogs through that. I wish we had something similar harvesting all the OzBlogs there are… Must go, a thunderstorm is blowing up so I’d better turn the computer off. Cheers Lisa
By: Lisa Hill on January 1, 2010
at 8:51 pm
I like BookDepository due to their worldwide free shipping. Books in English are kinda hard to get in my country, so I really like what BD offers.
By: Andrew on October 14, 2010
at 1:40 am
Where are you, Andrew?
By: Lisa Hill on October 14, 2010
at 7:45 am
Lithuania. And, Amazon does ship here, but they charge like $4 per book + $4 per order, so it really adds up :(
By: Andrew on October 29, 2010
at 3:21 pm
I once bought some books from Amazon UK because they didn’t have them at Amazon US and the postage cost more than the books. Never again.
By: Lisa Hill on October 29, 2010
at 3:53 pm