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anamardoll · 06-15-2011, 12:19 PM

I can think of a lot of good coping strategies.....

1. Organize your Calibre libary. Fix the tags. I like to tag things to know (1) genre, (2) source store (and whether or not it was free), and (3) whether I've read the book or not. Trim out free books that you snapped up at the time but are now certain you'll never read (like the Text Vooks

). View the library through the Cover Carousel -- it's surprising how those covers will catch your eye in a way that the titles on the eReader don't.

2. Make a "soft" rule. Hard rules like "no buying eBooks" are hard to stick to and just encourage cheating. Tell yourself that you can spend $5 on eBooks a week (or whatever number). When you see an eBook you want, put it in a "wishlist" -- the Amazon wishlist, or GoodReads, or an Excel sheet you keep handy. Plan ahead: do you want that $5 mainstream release or five $.99 indie books? A weekly limit will also let you use the coupons to the best of your ability.

3. Pound the pavement for the books you know you want to read but aren't sure you want to own. Are you a member of the Free Library of Philadelphia? Start hitting their search engine to cross-reference your current wishlist against their offerings. How many books have you "bought" that you ended up not wanting to read again. Does your local library not have a lot of selection? Consider contacting them about purchasing the eBook FOR them (via donation) so that you can still read the book, but you aren't stuck with it forever. Remember: Charity is generally tax deductible.

4. Don't buy impulsively. A crap $.99 book is still crap. Check the Amazon reviews and the GoodReads reviews. Every penny you save for your weekly goal is a penny that goes towards better books.

5. Do check out the free stuff that isn't in eBook form. Read 8 Bit Theater or The Order of the Stick -- hilarious gaming themed web comics. The Elfquest archives are all available on the Elfquest website for free. Read Fred Clark's incredible Left Behind series on Slacktivist. Etc. There's a LOT of good free stuff out there worth reading that you won't find on the Inkmesh search engine.

6. If you DO buy an ebook, don't feel guilty. Seriously. God doesn't kill a kitten every time you buy, and turning the experience into a fetishized guilty pleasure is just going to exacerbate the problem. Can you absorb the cost of the unexpected book into your weekly budget? Can you justify the purchase by not eating out this week or not buying a soda at work? If so, great; if not, meh. Move on with life.

But come back here to chat with us about how you fell off the wagon, because it's a blast.

06-15-2011, 12:19 PM	#257
anamardoll Chasing Butterflies Posts: 3,132 Karma: 5074169 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: American Southwest Device: Uses batteries.	I can think of a lot of good coping strategies..... 1. Organize your Calibre libary. Fix the tags. I like to tag things to know (1) genre, (2) source store (and whether or not it was free), and (3) whether I've read the book or not. Trim out free books that you snapped up at the time but are now certain you'll never read (like the Text Vooks ). View the library through the Cover Carousel -- it's surprising how those covers will catch your eye in a way that the titles on the eReader don't. 2. Make a "soft" rule. Hard rules like "no buying eBooks" are hard to stick to and just encourage cheating. Tell yourself that you can spend $5 on eBooks a week (or whatever number). When you see an eBook you want, put it in a "wishlist" -- the Amazon wishlist, or GoodReads, or an Excel sheet you keep handy. Plan ahead: do you want that $5 mainstream release or five $.99 indie books? A weekly limit will also let you use the coupons to the best of your ability. 3. Pound the pavement for the books you know you want to read but aren't sure you want to own. Are you a member of the Free Library of Philadelphia? Start hitting their search engine to cross-reference your current wishlist against their offerings. How many books have you "bought" that you ended up not wanting to read again. Does your local library not have a lot of selection? Consider contacting them about purchasing the eBook FOR them (via donation) so that you can still read the book, but you aren't stuck with it forever. Remember: Charity is generally tax deductible. 4. Don't buy impulsively. A crap $.99 book is still crap. Check the Amazon reviews and the GoodReads reviews. Every penny you save for your weekly goal is a penny that goes towards better books. 5. Do check out the free stuff that isn't in eBook form. Read 8 Bit Theater or The Order of the Stick -- hilarious gaming themed web comics. The Elfquest archives are all available on the Elfquest website for free. Read Fred Clark's incredible Left Behind series on Slacktivist. Etc. There's a LOT of good free stuff out there worth reading that you won't find on the Inkmesh search engine. 6. If you DO buy an ebook, don't feel guilty. Seriously. God doesn't kill a kitten every time you buy, and turning the experience into a fetishized guilty pleasure is just going to exacerbate the problem. Can you absorb the cost of the unexpected book into your weekly budget? Can you justify the purchase by not eating out this week or not buying a soda at work? If so, great; if not, meh. Move on with life. But come back here to chat with us about how you fell off the wagon, because it's a blast.