By receiving free books online you can fill up your bookshelf and make new friends that you never would have met otherwise. There are pros and cons to all the different web services so it’s important to do a little research beforehand to find the perfect site for you.

Look for a site that has a lot of automatic features. You might want to be notified by email whenever a trade is taking place or get reminders when you need to send out a book. You can also find sites that allow you to put your account on hold when you take vacations. Most places will automate the trading process to match you up with other users or tell you when it’s your turn to receive a book.

Look for a service with positive reviews. You have a variety of sites to choose from when swapping books. It may be easier to get to know people and make friends on a smaller site but you’ll also need a place that has all of the rules and regulations in place to deal with any cheaters and ensure that everyone receives items. If you go with a well known site then you’ll have thousands or even millions of books to choose from.

Find a site that offers versatile ways of shipping. You may even be able to bypass the post office and print your postage at home. You might have to ship your site the next day or you may have a few days so make sure that you sign up with a service that fits your schedule.

A book trading site should have penalties in place. If a site has clear cut rules then it will cut down on cheaters. The site should offer a refund of credits so that you don’t get left empty handed when dealing with cheaters. You can find a company that has personality but still works well.

You want to find a company that is really free to use. There is a big difference between swapping books and a book buying club. Trading books is not the same as a buy ten books get one free offer which you may get flyers for in the mail. When you swap you literally trade the items you have in your home and then you receive credits to pick out any book that is available on the site.

Want to find out more about paperback book swapping, then visit Sara Gilmore’s site on how to choose the best book trading sites for your needs.