Help me find a groovy use for 50 copies of the same book!
June 7, 2011 9:05 AM Subscribe
What should I do with 50 copies of the same book?
Self-publishing snafu... and I find myself with 50 copies of the same book. They are all identical in shape and size and I'm brainstorming things I can do with them.
So far my best idea is to make a bookshelf.
Any other ideas?
I want the books to be useful, somehow.
Recycling isn't an option.
I did find Jacqueline Rush-Lee's art on the interweb, but I'm looking for something quick and easy!
Self-publishing snafu... and I find myself with 50 copies of the same book. They are all identical in shape and size and I'm brainstorming things I can do with them.
So far my best idea is to make a bookshelf.
Any other ideas?
I want the books to be useful, somehow.
Recycling isn't an option.
I did find Jacqueline Rush-Lee's art on the interweb, but I'm looking for something quick and easy!
Organize a theme party and use the books as an invitation (write something in it). Your friends will always remember the party when they look at the book. It all depends on the content of the book of course...
posted by eau79 at 9:39 AM on June 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by eau79 at 9:39 AM on June 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
Donate them to libraries in your area?
posted by Hanuman1960 at 10:07 AM on June 7, 2011
posted by Hanuman1960 at 10:07 AM on June 7, 2011
What genre is the book in?
posted by ForeverDcember at 10:15 AM on June 7, 2011
posted by ForeverDcember at 10:15 AM on June 7, 2011
I would also go with donating, either to a library or reading room or maybe some form of adult education program (depending on what your book is).
posted by shakespeherian at 10:48 AM on June 7, 2011
posted by shakespeherian at 10:48 AM on June 7, 2011
A local high school could also be interested if you're willing to donate them. We've had that happen loads of times at my school.
posted by guster4lovers at 11:32 AM on June 7, 2011
posted by guster4lovers at 11:32 AM on June 7, 2011
I've done Bookcrossing to get rid of some books. It assigns each book a tracking number, and you "send it into the wild." Hopefully when someone finds it they'll log it in. I've had some success of having books travel cross state lines.
posted by ALLLGooD at 2:36 PM on June 7, 2011
posted by ALLLGooD at 2:36 PM on June 7, 2011
Are these hardback or paperback? That could make a difference.
Beyond making something with them, you could do a Goodreads giveaway for promotion, though you'd end up shipping out 50 books individually, and that could be costly.
posted by katillathehun at 3:06 PM on June 7, 2011
Beyond making something with them, you could do a Goodreads giveaway for promotion, though you'd end up shipping out 50 books individually, and that could be costly.
posted by katillathehun at 3:06 PM on June 7, 2011
Aha! Offer to teach a course at your local library/community center on writing novels and self-publishing. Each person in the class can get their own book to take home and you get publicity for your book= Win for self-promotion and the community.
Extra books can be donated to a literacy program focused on your target demographic (a book about woodworking could go to a men's vocational or outreach program, a Twilight-type book to a teen center, etc).
posted by lovelygirl at 3:08 PM on June 7, 2011
Extra books can be donated to a literacy program focused on your target demographic (a book about woodworking could go to a men's vocational or outreach program, a Twilight-type book to a teen center, etc).
posted by lovelygirl at 3:08 PM on June 7, 2011
By make a bookshelf, I hope you mean making it out of books.
posted by therewolf at 3:48 PM on June 7, 2011
posted by therewolf at 3:48 PM on June 7, 2011
If you wrote the book, I don't see why you don't want to distribute it, even if you won't make any money. Surely some people would be interested.
Anyway, you could also donate to the Internet Archive (yesterday on the blue).
posted by Chicken Boolean at 4:52 PM on June 7, 2011
Anyway, you could also donate to the Internet Archive (yesterday on the blue).
posted by Chicken Boolean at 4:52 PM on June 7, 2011
Response by poster: thanks for all the suggestions folks. I absentmindedly forgot to mention the main caveat: I don't actually ever want the book to be read by anyone!
to that end, I'm basically thinking of shellacking the books into bricks and stacking them together to make a coffee table or book shelf....
I was hoping someone might have an interesting suggestion along those lines.
posted by OlivesAndTurkishCoffee at 6:16 AM on June 10, 2011
to that end, I'm basically thinking of shellacking the books into bricks and stacking them together to make a coffee table or book shelf....
I was hoping someone might have an interesting suggestion along those lines.
posted by OlivesAndTurkishCoffee at 6:16 AM on June 10, 2011
Have a book burning. If you've got a good bonfire location, host a party with a proper bonfire and feel the liberation of burning your own books.
Crafty stuff like booksafes are fun but can be very time consuming.
posted by chairface at 12:36 PM on June 10, 2011
Crafty stuff like booksafes are fun but can be very time consuming.
posted by chairface at 12:36 PM on June 10, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by inturnaround at 9:09 AM on June 7, 2011 [1 favorite]