background photo via uppercasebox.com
i was scrolling through my twitter feed when i saw a conversation bubbling between sydeny (from a daring adventure) and jacquelyn (from ya bookmark) about book subscription boxes. i joined in, but after i’d realized how much i had to say, i thought it was best to write a seperate discussion post dedicated for the topic. 140 characters is NOT ENOUGH.
book subscription boxes have gotten a lot of hype these past few months – especially in YA. the concept is really cool: you pay some money every month and get a curated box of goodies with – best of all – a book! but there are pros and cons. if you’re interested in checking it out, some popoular ones include: uppercase, bookriot, owlcrate, and A TON more. (note: i am not affiliated with any of these companies. i’m just stating my honest opinions. i’ve yet to purchase a subscription box.) (BUT, uppercase is having a giveaway which i seriously think you should enter!)
the book you receive each month is different.
there’s a mysterious aura around what you’re going to get and that’s exciting! it may be an amazing book you never would’ve picked up yourself, and now at your doorstep. you could discover your new favorite author, and who wouldn’t want that? but, what if the book that arrives is one that you already own. or what if it’s in a genre you generally don’t read because you know you won’t like it? there are a bunch of things that could go wrong, but also a bunch of things that could go right. in short, subscribing for a monthly box of mystery is risky.
the book included is sometimes advertised as a “new release.”
the book that i get at my doorstep is fresh off the press? awesome! i know i love newly released books. (though my never-ending tbr pile wouldn’t be too happy ahaha) so the unknown book i’m going to get is newly released, but if it’s a book i’ve been DYING to read, i probably already pre-ordered. or gone to the bookstore the morning of so i can start right away. if i get the box a few weeks later and womp, it’s the book that i finished the day it was released that’s a bit… anti-climatic. i already have a copy of the book AND i finished it. it’s nice to have multiple copies of the same book, but my shelf will have no space if that happens every few months.
the book subscriptions also include bookish goodies!
bookmarks, necklaces, posters, all the things! i think this is what makes these boxes special. some include a handwritten note, socks, stickers, signed things… that is all fantastic and makes me really want to subscribe to one. i can’t find anything wrong with this. i LOVE bookish stuff, and really, who doesn’t?
the prices range from $20 to $50.
here’s the tricky part. you can buy a new hardcover book for maybe $10 to $18. paperbacks are cheaper, and bargain books are even cheaper. if you work in publishing or something related to books (like sydney does), you could probably get great discounts on newly released hardcovers. so… is it worth it to pay an extra $10 to $40 on the other perks? personally, i don’t know because i haven’t purchased any of these (yet?) but what do you think?
as a book blogger, i probably already know or have newly released and “hot” titles. the most i could get out of this would be small things like posters and a signed something. however, if you enjoy reading, but aren’t super enthusastic or up-to-date on what’s being released, i think these are great and completely worth their money. the books they generally send out are fantastic, but i already own it which is a bit problematic for me.
I think book subscription boxes are super cool, but I would never subscribe to one for the very same reason I probably won’t ever subscribe to ANY subscription box: It’s a lot of money and then I’ll just end up with too much stuff in my life. I already feel like I have too much stuff that I hardly ever use/wear/re-read so I don’t want a box more of stuff every month, no matter how cool that stuff might be. I do enjoy watching people’s unboxings on booktube and the like though. 🙂
Tarmara, I love this! Its so true that stuff just piles up. I love this philosophy.
i’m so into subscription boxes in general even though i’ve yet to try one out. i don’t know, i just love the idea of having something to look forward to in your mailbox every month. like i used to have a subscription to american girl (LOL) + seventeen magazine and even though there wasn’t as much of a surprise factor as there are with subscription boxes, i still loved checking the mailbox every day to see if my magazine arrived! so i love that book subscription boxes are on the rise and the ones i’ve seen look so cool!
the only thing i’m a little ehh about is the price. like obviously there is a factor of risk with any subscription box but if i’m being totally honest, i’m so much more inclined to risk $10 for an ipsy or a birchbox and take my chance with the products than spend $20+ and risk it for books and some goodies? because there’s a) the idea of receiving a book that you already own which would be such a disappointment and b) the fact that i am kinda picky when it comes to the books i read and own. i don’t like the idea of not knowing what book i’m going to get and i mean i know the whole idea is to discover new books and ones that you might not pick up yourself but knowing me, i’d probably get a sci-fi book right off the bat and just never ever ever read it ever. like even with books i buy MYSELF, i have such a hard time picking up. like i bought the 5th wave three years ago and STILL HAVEN’T READ IT so i feel like if it wasn’t a book i was already interested in, it’d be kinda pointless.
but i am so on board for the goodies. like honestly if there was just a bookish goodies subscription box, i’d be so for that. like bookish buttons and bookmarks and necklaces and candles and clothes? yes NAME YOUR PRICE LET ME GET IT.
like tamara i do love watching unboxings though. so at least i can live vicariously through all the youtubers.
Very interesting post, Alex!! I’ve been seeing a lot of book subscription boxes as well, especially on Youtube because a lot of booktubers are doing unboxings and such. I think the concept is certainly fun – like you said, really mysterious and who doesn’t love getting things in the mail?! But for me, I just don’t think they’re worth the money. Sure, there are a lot of goodies, but a lot of the time, they are so overpriced and things that you don’t REALLY need. I do love watching the unboxing videos though, I really do. Very well-written post, Alex! I’m glad you decided to talk about it.
I probably wouldn’t subscribe. Mainly because I don’t have a job and therefore I don’t have the money but also because I couldn’t take the risk. I’m very particular about the books I read and if it’s a book that I’m not too keen on then it would be a bummer. If it’s a book that I already own then that wouldn’t be good either. It’s too risky. I can’t deal with it.
As someone who lives from the other side of the globe, it isn’t practical at all, though it’s a really cool thing to do. First, the shipping would be expensive. Plus, the only thing we’re pretty much after is the book included, which you can pre-order or purchase at a cheaper price.Should it be a duplicate, a giveaway would be the only plausible thing to do. Plus, some of the extra goodies included aren’t even of good quality or probably just something to add to your stash of “stuff I’ll never use or probably just give away to friends instead”, lol.
Oh btw, it’s @Iblessthee13th from twitter! New follower! 🙂
Oh that’s a hard one. I completely agree with you!
I would love to get free book swag {maybe even some signed things} but what if you already own the book, or like you said, can purchase it for cheaper someplace else.
I guess I may need to research this topic more because if your getting the things in your book box for less than you would by just straight up purchasing them at a store then it may be… a bargain?
Great post! Definitely need to think longer on this 😀
i haven’t really been that into book subscription boxes. it’s sounds really fun but i don’t want to risk a book that i might not like and pay more money just for a hardcover.
at least when i’m looking and buying books i can pull up goodreads but with this? the thought doesn’t seem too pleasant with me. also, you could order a book with a cheaper price! i can only buy a few books from b&n unless they are from book outlet then i could probably get 10+ books for about 50 dollars.
the goodies seem pretty fun tho. but i like to hoard things and i wouldn’t really mind getting things that are related to books because i only own like a few posters, two or three. i’m glad that someone i read from actually talked about this! i really like hearing what you have to say about things bookish. you did amazing as always xandra!
the idea of subscription boxes is cute but personally i wouldnt go for it because none of them ships to ireland anyway lol plus i’d love to be in control of the books i get because i have looooong list of books i need to buy
isha
Hmmm.. currently my country doesn’t have this feature, which is a shame. I know about beauty subscription boxes though and the thing is, these type of boxes always have mixed reviews. I personally am not it because I don’t like surprises, but I think those who do will find them worth the cost. By the way, how many books do they send per month? If it’s only one, I agree it’s kind of expensive.
Great post!
I personally don’t like subscription boxes. I feel like they are more money than they are worth, especially when you aren’t actually picking out the things you get. I’m afraid I will just end up with a bunch of swag (which I already don’t collect) and books that I didn’t want in the first place. I know they are really popular right now but I don’t think they are for me.
I totally agree about all the points you made above. I’ve always been curious about subscription boxes, bookish or otherwise, but have always been worried that it’s something I already have or really just don’t want. Although I am now a blogger, I am still pretty behind on the newer releases, so perhaps it would be fun to get the box because chances are I won’t have the book, but I don’t know what’s more worth it — getting a box with a book you might not necessarily want (even if it includes awesome swag or related merch), or just saving that money and buying a book or two I know I really want that month. It’s a difficult decision. Wonderful discussion, Alexandra (aka name twin)!! 😀
TBH, I didn’t think the value of Uppercase was there. I’ve subscribed to LootCrate in the past and the stuff is plentiful and high quality. I didn’t think Uppercase provided enough stuff for the price.
If I could afford a subscription box, I would join one that sends autographed books or bookplates and things like that. I think they’re really cool. As it stands though, I have to choose between getting a subscription box for $30-40 a month OR using that money to buy whatever books I want. Hmm… not hard choice for me. I can get 10 or more books on Book Outlet or at my local used book store for that price.
I’ve been a subscriber to OwlCrate for 7 months now and I love it!! They’ve included full size FunkoPops and mini FunkoPops as well as mini posters (I think every month), jewelry, nail wraps, buttons…stuff I love but if I had to buy and pay shipping on individually…probably wouldn’t. Been introduced to some awesome shops and authors through the box. 100% advocate! Plus, if there is a month and you think you really won’t care for the theme, you can opt to skip it without unsubscribing entirely. Win!
I think the curators are incredible! That being said I found that I ended up with books on my shelf t I felt I should read some day because I paid for them but I wouldnt have picked up and bought myself because I wasnt interested in them. So they just sit their waiting being by passed by other books on my TBR. And once I received a book I had already preordered. I do love the bookish items and some are exclusive, so you cant get them anywhere else. That being said I started to found some items went unused (i dont wear jewelry really) and that I was buying for that one item, say a candle, that I could have ordered on its own and saved some money. (Except of course for the exclusive items) The biggest kicker for me is shipping. To Canada is often an extra $20 US! thats like $26 CAD on top of the cost of the Subscription box. So for me they range from $50-70 and a hardback here is $18-26… it simply doesnt add up especially when I might not like or use an item. I do still love the mystery though and I think thats what makes me consider signing up again but Im not sure I will.