What to do with ARCs

brainstorm77 · Apr 10, 2015

I review quite a bit and have a lot of ARCs from publishers and authors. My question is what to do with them after reading and reviewing the books. I do keep the books that I loved and will read again at some point, but what to do with the others.

I know you can't resell them. Donating to Goodwill isn't an option either since they would sell them. Should I just toss them into the recycling bin?

Toothpaste · Apr 10, 2015

Donating to libraries (schools and public) could be an idea. But I also wonder if a donation to something like Goodwill is okay because it's a not for profit and it is considered a charitable thing . . . not sure . . . just thinking out loud here

.

BenPanced · Apr 10, 2015

Goodwill might be a better choice. There's a good chance a library will either toss them outright or put them in a book sale (then toss them if they don't sell).

WendyN · Apr 10, 2015

We had a rummage sale last spring and I gave away a ton of them. People were *super* excited to snatch them up (who doesn't love free books?)

frimble3 · Apr 10, 2015

If the ARCs are suitable, you might try school libraries, which are generally shorter of resources than public libraries. Also, some of the students might be interested in the concept of ARCs, as in 'this is how books come to be'. Heck, an English teacher might be interested in having you have a talk to a class.

Jamesaritchie · Apr 10, 2015

brainstorm77 said:
I review quite a bit and have a lot of ARCs from publishers and authors. My question is what to do with them after reading and reviewing the books. I do keep the books that I loved and will read again at some point, but what to do with the others.

I know you can't resell them. Donating to Goodwill isn't an option either since they would sell them. Should I just toss them into the recycling bin?

Donating them to Goodwill is fine. That, at least, is what I do, and I suspect I've found several hundred of them at Goodwills over the years.

They may resell them, but they do so for almost nothing, the money helps employ the poor, and no one seems to mind. Anyway, you aren't reselling them.

School libraries won't accept them here, and they shouldn't anywhere. Doing so can cost the publisher and the writer money. The public library won't accept them for the same reaosn.

Goodwill will take them, will resell them, and even if you could make a case that this, too, costs a writer or publisher money, it's not at all the same thing as a library that buys books directly from a publisher.

Marlys · Apr 10, 2015

You could also check with your local women's shelter, homeless shelter, or halfway house. They can often use books.

K. Q. Watson · Apr 10, 2015

I'm a big fan of donating to hospitals.

Brightdreamer · Apr 10, 2015

Jamesaritchie said:
School libraries won't accept them here, and they shouldn't anywhere.

Weird - the one time in my life I got an ARC was when I bought it at a sale in an elementary school library. (Granted, I don't know the book's origins; it could've come from outside the system and been donated for the sale.)

Do you know anyone with one of those Little Free Libraries? They've become my favorite book-offloading method, especially since Half Price Books started paying crud.

thothguard51 · Apr 10, 2015

There are programs for donating books to the various military branches, prisons and county jails.

brainstorm77 · Apr 11, 2015

Thanks for the great ideas

Smiley0501 · Apr 11, 2015

This is such a helpful thread. I just donated 12 bags of ARCs (yeah…I get a lot!) and ended up giving to local veteran's shelters, women's shelters and I think we ended up dropping some off at a prison too.

Jamesaritchie · Apr 11, 2015

Brightdreamer said:
Weird - the one time in my life I got an ARC was when I bought it at a sale in an elementary school library. (Granted, I don't know the book's origins; it could've come from outside the system and been donated for the sale.)

Do you know anyone with one of those Little Free Libraries? They've become my favorite book-offloading method, especially since Half Price Books started paying crud.

I wish I did. Before a revolution put an end to it, I used to send every book I was done with, ARCs and all, to Africa. It's hard for many to believe, but they wanted books, even books in English, more than they wanted food or clothing. If we had readers like that in this country, being a writer would be a lot easier.

Jinsune · Apr 11, 2015

Maybe you can donate them to an English teacher at a high school or middle school, and you can also donate to charity as well. Where I live there's always a summer program that challenges kids to read a certain number of books over the summer at the library, and they accept donations.

As one person said before, you can always send them to the military branches and jails/prisons.

AbielleRose · Apr 11, 2015

I donated a big pile to the women's shelter at the YWCA a while back. They were very thankful because a lot of the mothers with children only take what they can carry so young kids to adults love getting a book to read or keep.

GailD · Apr 12, 2015

Jamesaritchie said:
Before a revolution put an end to it, I used to send every book I was done with, ARCs and all, to Africa. It's hard for many to believe, but they wanted books, even books in English, more than they wanted food or clothing. If we had readers like that in this country, being a writer would be a lot easier.

Don't stop. There are plenty countries that will be thrilled to receive those books!

Most African countries that were former British colonies have English as one of their official languages. New books are very expensive here and, in South Africa, have a steep import duty added to the price.

And talking of book donations, last year I put a large box of books (about 50 or so) out on the sidewalk in front of my house. Most days, a lot of homeless people walk through our suburb looking for work or something that will help them out. My neighbor saw me putting the books out. She's very.... um... *cough* (let's not go there)... and she said, 'You're wasting your time. Blacks don't read books. (Don't ask me how I didn't slap her.) Well, to cut a long story short, people began stopping and going through the box and selecting books. In less than two hours all the books were gone.

And here's another heartwarming story!

Jamesaritchie · Apr 12, 2015

GailD said:
Don't stop. There are plenty countries that will be thrilled to receive those books!

Most African countries that were former British colonies have English as one of their official languages. New books are very expensive here and, in South Africa, have a steep import duty added to the price.

And talking of book donations, last year I put a large box of books (about 50 or so) out on the sidewalk in front of my house. Most days, a lot of homeless people walk through our suburb looking for work or something that will help them out. My neighbor saw me putting the books out. She's very.... um... *cough* (let's not go there)... and she said, 'You're wasting your time. Blacks don't read books. (Don't ask me how I didn't slap her.) Well, to cut a long story short, people began stopping and going through the box and selecting books. In less than two hours all the books were gone.

And here's another heartwarming story!

That is a wonderful story. I knew that English is an official language in many areas, but not where my books were going, but people were actually learning English just to be able to read more books. I find that amazing.

The only reason I stopped was that my pipeline closed. The trouble in that area has died down, and the people I know are going back sometime this year. I'll have plenty of books to give them.

GailD · Apr 13, 2015

Jamesaritchie said:
That is a wonderful story. I knew that English is an official language in many areas, but not where my books were going, but people were actually learning English just to be able to read more books. I find that amazing.

The only reason I stopped was that my pipeline closed. The trouble in that area has died down, and the people I know are going back sometime this year. I'll have plenty of books to give them.

You're awesome!

What to do with ARCs

brainstorm77

practical experience, FTW

Toothpaste

THE RECKLESS RESCUE is out now!

BenPanced

THE BLUEBERRY QUEEN OF HADES (he/him)

WendyN

8-armed cyborg tree

frimble3

Heckuva good sport

Jamesaritchie

Marlys

Resist. Love. Go outside.

K. Q. Watson

Brightdreamer

Just Another Lazy Perfectionist

thothguard51

A Gentleman of a refined age...

brainstorm77

practical experience, FTW

Smiley0501

Lurker, now activated. :-)

Jamesaritchie

Jinsune

AbielleRose

Crazy Cat Lady

GailD

Still chasing plot bunnies.

Jamesaritchie

GailD

Still chasing plot bunnies.