Host A Library Fundraiser with GoneReading!

One of the most exciting new opportunities now available at GoneReading is our library fundraiser program.    An extension of our philanthropic mission to fund libraries in the developing world, we now offer a fundraiser model – the only one of its kind – to directly benefit public libraries here in the United States.

As written in a recent issue of American Libraries Magazine “The economic downturn increased the strain on public libraries at the very time that demand for services is growing.”  Our new library fundraiser program was launched to help address that problem.

Part of the beauty of our library fundraiser program, however, is that it will actually increase our profile and our customer base here in the United States, ultimately increasing our ability to fund libraries in the developing world.  It’s a clear win-win for all parties.

If you represent a public library in the United States, check out the link below and Contact Us to discuss such a library fundraiser.  If you love our products, then you’ll understand that book lovers and readers really want to buy them.  Put our merchandise to work for your library!

5 Reasons to Host A Library Fundraiser with GoneReading

Click the link above to learn more about our library fundraiser model, and how it can benefit your own public library.

Happy Reading!

Through the partnership, Ethiopia Reads will use its relationships and resources to promote GoneReading.com and drive shoppers to our website.  In return, GoneReading will share a large portion of the sales generated back with Ethiopia Reads.  A true win-win situation!

The First of Many Such Fundraising Partnerships

This is just the first in a series of fundraising partnerships that GoneReading has under development, including those with online retailers, public libraries and a variety of reading-related non-profit organizations.  We’re exploring several different fundraising models, with reciprocal benefits to both GoneReading and the partnering organizations.

I will certainly keep you appraised of these new partnerships as they become finalized.

Attention Libraries & Reading-Related Non-Profits

Do you represent just such a library or reading-related non-profit, with a focus in the U.S. or the developing world?  Contact us today (or comment below) and let’s discuss such a partnership for your organization!

Happy Reading!

Wondering What Gift to Give Mom for Mother’s Day?

Because we all love our Moms so much, GoneReading wants to make sure you treat your Mom – especially those Moms who love to read – to some fantastic gifts from GoneReading.

And it doesn’t hurt that each purchase from GoneReading supports our philanthropic mission to fund libraries and reading-related charities.

As we count down the days to Mother’s Day on May 13th, GoneReading will be making gift suggestions for Moms who love to read.  Every 2-3 days we will highlight a different product below.  Perhaps some of our bestsellers, or maybe some suggestions you’ve never even seen before!

Follow us on Facebook or Twitter to follow along!

Win $100 in Gifts from GoneReading, plus $25 from Amazon!

To make it really interesting, GoneReading will give away $100 in merchandise from our store, plus a $25 giftcard from Amazon.  Simply fill out the form at the far bottom of this post to enter the giveaway.  As you will see on the entry form, you can earn multiple entries by:

• Opting-in to our Preferred Customer Email List
• Sharing the giveaway on Facebook & Twitter
• Following us on Facebook and Twitter
• Pinning your favorite GoneReading products on Pinterest!

Whether you want the prize for yourself or an amazing Mom in your life, register below (see the entry form at the far bottom of this post)!

A Month’s Worth of Gift Ideas for Mom

Follow along below as we reveal a unique selection of bookish gift ideas for Mom.  New gift ideas will appear every 2-3 days between now and Mother’s Day (May 13, 2012)!

 Gift Idea #1 – “Paradise Found” T-Shirt

One of our most popular gifts for readers is this simple t-shirt with a simple message.  Click the image for details!

Gift Idea #2 – “The Reading Woman” Boxed Notecards

Elegant notecards, featuring paintings of women reading, all from the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

Gift Idea #3 – Scented Candles & Diffusers

A unique collection of scents and delights, inspired by the literary greats. Choose this Jane Austen gift, or others inspired by Edgar Allan Poe or Oscar Wilde!

Gift Idea #4 – Classic, Decorative Bookplates

Bookish Moms love the idea of adorning her most cherished books, and labeling them as her own, with these beautiful bookplates.  Choose from nine designs!

Gift Idea #5 – “GoneReading at the Beach” T-Shirt

Our most popular t-shirt for women!  Whether headed to the beach with a stack of reads, or just wishing to do so, bookish Moms love this bookish t-shirt.

Gift Idea #6 – “Books I’ve Read” Book Journal

Our most popular book journal, it includes specific notations and reminders for book lovers to record her thoughts about her favorite books.

Gift Idea #7 – Bookish Wine Charms

Perfect for the Mom who loves a little wine with her books (or is it the other way around?)…

Gift Idea #8 – “Read. Nap. Repeat.” T-Shirt

Relish the thought of a book-induced nap with one of our most popular t-shirts.

Gift Idea #9 – Donate to Ethiopia Reads!

It’s too late for us to guarantee shipment by Mother’s Day, so how about making a donation in Mom’s name?

Gift Idea #10 – Donate to READ Global!

It’s too late for us to guarantee shipment by Mother’s Day, so how about making a donation in Mom’s name?

Enter the “Month of Mom” Giveaway by filling out the form below!

Winner can reside anywhere that GoneReading already ships to: U.S., Canada, U.K. and Australia

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Each of the shirts is available in five sizes for kids, ranging from X-Small to X-Large (Size 2-20), and feature the same, high-quality, heavyweight, 100% shirts you love.

Summer is almost here.  Make sure your kids looks as cool as you do with their book shirts from GoneReading!

Click here to view the kids shirts!

Take Me To Your Reader -Book Shirts for Kids

Read. Nap. Repeat. – Book Shirts for Kids

Shopping for yourself?  Check out our Book Shirts for Adults!

Happy Reading!

I’ve been reading Dracula, the original by Bram Stoker, over the last couple of weeks on my Kindle.  I’ve enjoyed it so much that it occurred to me that I need to read more of the classics, and for some reason Charles Dickens popped into my head.

Over the course of the next minute and a half I visited the Kindle store, searched for Dickens, read a quick review of David Copperfield, and downloaded it for free.  All of that in just 90 seconds, and for no cost.

Now I certainly could have bought David Copperfield in any format.  I didn’t need it right away, and I could easily afford to pay full price for the latest edition by whatever publisher.

But think about the less fortunate reader, possibly someone living in a remote area, with limited means.  Whatever upheaval the digital revolution is causing for publishers and others in developed society, it can have a radical effect on the impoverished reader.

Instant access to the classics, all of them, free of charge, for everyone in the world, at any time or place.  That’s pretty powerful stuff.  Chalk one up for eBooks.

As always, please share your comments below…

Happy Reading!

By the strictest definition, these new additions are technically just journals, not specifically designed for writing about your books.  But they are beautiful, functional, and we hope you enjoy them.

Click to View Our Book Journal Collection

The Garden Blossoms Flexi book journal

The Wise Red Owl book journal

The Evolve Eco book journal

Happy Reading!

When I first saw The Reading Woman collection I knew it was perfect for GoneReading.  It had never occurred to me just how many famous artists over the centuries have painted women in the act of reading.  We feature a few in our collection of prints and posters of books, but The Reading Woman takes it to a new level.

Works by Monet, Degas, Renoir and others adorn useful products for the bookish home: address books, notecards, postcard sets and calendars.  The Reading Woman will surround you with literary images, nurturing your love of reading to new heights.

Check out the new collection, and please let me know what you think.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE READING WOMAN COLLECTION

Happy Reading!

The "Books to Check Out" book journal, now available from GoneReading.

Our book journal collection has been so popular that we’ve been working hard to add to it.  I’m happy to announce that just today we’ve added four new book journals to the collection!

As I’ve written about before, it’s proven surprisingly difficult to find “real” book journals to carry on our website.  Most of what you find are really just journals on which you can write about books; they’re not designed specifically as a book journal.

Three of our new book journals, to be completely fair, fit this latter description.  They’re beautiful, artful journals that will inspire you to record your most bookish thoughts.  But one of the new journals was designed specifically for the book lovers among us…

Introducing the “Books To Check Out” Book Journal

One new book journal that I’m really proud to introduce is the “Books To Check Out” book journal you see pictured to the right.  Inspired by the classic library “due date” stamps and cards, you’re going to love this book journal!

It includes bookish quotes and a library-style pouch in the back to store book reviews and other bookish clippings.

One nice surprise from our initial book journal offering is that people are buying multiple copies of the the mini-version of the “Books I’ve Read” book journal as book club gifts.  Bring it on; we love big orders!

Let us know what you think about our book journal collection by commenting below, and thanks as always!

Happy Reading!

As you will see from the instruction form below, you can gain multiple entries by conducting various tasks to help promote GoneReading:

• “Like” GoneReading on Facebook to earn one entry
• “Follow” GoneReading on Twitter to earn one entry
• “Tweet” about this giveaway to earn FIVE entries

That’s right, earn FIVE entries by Tweeting about it to your friends.

Our lucky winner earns any free item of their choosing from our store, up to $25.00, for residents of the U.S., Canada, U.K. or Australia.  The giveaway runs through next Sunday.

Enter by logging in where it says “Enter To Win” below!

 


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Before I launched GoneReading, a few people asked “But what can you really sell besides books themselves?”  I was never concerned, because I’ve always known that reading is a lifestyle… it’s not just about the act of reading.  Book lovers and avid readers live a little differently than everyone else, creating endless opportunity to express our “readingness” through interesting products.

A perfect example of this is the idea of surrounding ourselves with bookish home decor.  Now GoneReading enables you to celebrate your love of reading at home through our reading-themed prints and posters of books.

Our initial collection is small, but robust.  From our prints of people reading – including greats byVan Gogh and Renoir – to classic book covers including Catch-22 and Alice In Wonderland.

I’m also proud to introduce one of our very first product extensions.  The Peace Love Books bookmark we began selling several weeks quickly became such a hit that we’ve added it as a print to our new collection of posters of books.

Check out our entire collection of posters and prints, and let me know what you think!

Click here to view our prints and posters of books!

Please comment below, or contact us with your feedback.