Book clubs and discussion groups have always been a great word-of-mouth generator, and the Internet has given them global reach. BookCrossing.com is a virtual book club whose members pass along books they've enjoyed. Members can recommend books at the Web site and ask to receive books via postal mail. Another pass-along technique is for members to "accidentally" leave books at bus stops, dentist offices and other places, along with a sticker inviting whoever finds the book to join BookCrossing--a practice members call "releasing books into the wild."
Launched in 2001, BookCrossing now has about 520,000 members circulating 3.5 million books. Membership is free, and the group has grown primarily from word of mouth, not advertising. At first, founder Ron Hornbaker feared authors would oppose BookCrossing and brand it the book world's "Napster," referring to the online music-sharing service accused of copyright infringement. But hundreds of authors have discovered that BookCrossing can generate strong word of mouth for their book, Hornbaker says. Active members discover many new authors and purchase lots of books based on member recommendations.
BookCrossing remains unpopular with some authors, who argue that access to free copies of books deprives them of income. Perhaps these are the same authors who would rather not see their work on the shelves of public libraries--another strong word-of-mouth generator, in the opinion of many successful authors.
Many authors say exposure through BookCrossing generates more buzz and sales than mailing review copies to magazines and newspapers. Although there is nothing wrong with authors donating their own books to BookCrossing, Hornbaker cautions that authors should be transparent about their activities, and identify themselves as a book's author. In no circumstance should authors post a message on BookCrossing's discussion boards or send a private message promoting the author's book.