Book Bloggers Christmas Swap 2008

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Welcome to the second annual Book Bloggers Christmas Swap!

The second annual what?
Last year, I organized a Christmas gift swap between book bloggers, and this year Dewey and I are doing it again!

How does it work?
You sign up by sending an e-mail to xmasswap08 at gmail. You have until the 18th of November to do so. You will then be randomly assigned as another blogger’s Secret Santa.

What you have to do next is send that person a little something - it can be a book, a journal or bookmark, a box of Christmas cookies, a mixed CD, whatever you can think of. It doesn't have to be anything pricey, of course. Second hand books are perfectly acceptable, as are homemade gifts.

A different person will be assigned as your Secret Santa, and you'll only find out who they are when you get their package in the mail.

Something to keep in mind: Because there are book bloggers from all over the world, this is going to be an international swap. I understand that not everyone can afford to send a package overseas, though, so if that's the case with you, please don't feel that you can't sign up. Just include a note saying so in your e-mail, and we'll make sure you get a blogger who's near you.

What else should your e-mail include?
Other than your name, mailing address and willingness to send internationally, you should include your blog url and a short paragraph about what kind of gifts you like, so that your Secret Santa has an idea of what to get you. You could also include links to online wishlists, your librarything catalogue, etc. Anything that you think will make your Santa's life easier!

Important dates:
The most important date is the 18th of November. It's very important that you sign up until then, because after that we'll be assigning the Secret Santas, and once that has been done it would be complicated to include new participants.

As for when to mail your package, if you're sending internationally it's probably best to post it before the end of November. Last year, I suggested that people post theirs before the end of the first week of December, but that turned out to be a little late. If you're sending within your own country there's more flexibility, but remember that the mail tends to be slow around this time of year.

In any case, you should all know who your blogger is around the 20th of November, which leaves you at the very least ten days to get and mail your gift.

One more thing: if you could help spread the word by posting about this on your blogs, it would be very much appreciated!

That's everything for now. Please don't hesitate to contact me or Dewey if you have any questions or suggestions!

* Original image by jacalynsnana; used under a Creative Commons license.