Who would be interested in a round of FREEBIE-ONLY Bingo?

[Steph, Serious series addict]

On our freebie reads thread, a few members have kicked around the idea of a 'freebie-only' round of BSB.

Should we host a freebie round, we would allow any form of freebie such as those loaned by a friend or library, gifted to you, and author/publisher/NetGalley/Edelweiss ARCs in addition to Amazon, B&N, Kobo, Smashwords, iTunes, AllRomance, and publisher free reads. Basically, if you didn't have to pay for it, it would be allowed. We are still discussing the logistics - things such as minimum page requirement, shelves/tags, etc.

As Sandra, Judithe and I discuss the idea, we thought it would be good to first gauge everyone's interest. For now, please take a minute to share your thoughts and level of interest. Thanks :)

[Steph, Serious series addict]

Interest in FREEBIE-ONLY Bingo
(This is purely for informational purposes only - not a player sign-up list)

Interested: 13
(as of 17/Jul)

[Victoria]

This would be my first challenge ever. I'm interested.

[Valerie ~ Val Hall ~]

I'm interested since I'm sure I have the most amount of freebies from amazon.

I like the idea to accept library, loans, gifts and all the retails websites available. It makes it more approachable and give a wider selection.

When you have an idea of the shelves/tags that you want to use, I can slowly identify the books in my TBR pile accordingly. Easier for me in the game and makes it so for other players browsing shelves.

[Victoria]

I really want to play. Will this be hard for someone that never did a challenge before?

[AH]

I'd be interested. My freebies are identified by shelves: free downloads, Kindle freebies, and Kobo freebies.

Questions:
1) Does the book still have to be free at the time of Bingo or just have been downloaded for free

2) keep the same minimum page requirement as per regular Bingo - 200 pages.

[A book away from an episode of hoarders]

Since my (one and only) freebie shelf is over 1200 books, I'd definitely be interested.

[Lis]

I'm in... My suggestion would be that you can use your personal "freebie" shelf books and the shelves identified as "freebies" by your teammates which might help those players that don't have a freebie shelf or a small shelf also participate, if they have that book too.

[Lis]

Maybe we should add a "freebie" shelf to the SOS bookshelf that could also be used?

[Steph, Serious series addict]

Welcome, Victoria! We're sure to get ya hooked on challenges in no time. :) No, it wouldn't be difficult. I'm biased, but I think Bingo (in any form) is rather easy to follow and offers an enjoyable way to work through your TBR piles. This freebie round, should we host it, should be the same. Many of our members have been playing bingo off and on since it started years ago, so you'll have lots of helpers willing to assist ya along the way.

Sounds good, Val. I'll keep everyone posted as things progress.

AH, the books allowed would only have to have been free at the time you got it. We know so many of the freebies are timed and may no longer be free to all. The page minimum requirement is still in discussion. It may drop a bit seeing as many of the freebies are novella and shorts. We'll make it clear before/if we start.

Lis, the problem with that would be that the book read by each player must have been free to them. So, what may have been a free read for you was purchased by another who missed the "sale". The goal would be for players to read the books they received free by whatever means - loan, borrow, gift, ARC, seller/publisher freebie, etc. Make sense?

I'm hesitant to add the freebie shelf to the group b/c while it maybe free right now or you may have a free copy, it may not be free for all. Lemme think on that one.

We're still working through all the details, so there's a lot left to be ironed out. But, we wanted to check interest level group wide to see if it's even worth seriously considering.

Thanks for you feedback! Keep it comin'!

[Debbie's Spurts (D.A.)]

I'd be interested (unless we had to find freebies that also matched certain cover requirements; I'm finding I don't enjoy the cover versus shelf categories this round of regular Book Shelf BINGO).

Are you thinking individual or team challenge? Or would that be decided after you see how many might be interested?

[Valerie ~ Val Hall ~]

I'm with you Steph about not putting a freebie shelf on the SOS bookshelf because it could be misleading the SOS members since many ebooks are only free at some point in time. Every member is free to tag their shelves on their own bookshelf as they want.

I'm not the kind of person who tags and note everything but I can always point out from WHERE I got a particular freebie.

- Maybe a compromise during the game: when you announce your book choice for the category they have to mention where they got it....like we do for the Free Space category. Even better if someone has tagged it as a freebie somewhere on GR before.

[Sallie(GeorgiaGirl)]

I would be interested because the poor kindle is overloaded as it is lol

[Christina T]

I'd be interested in this because, like many of you, I have hundreds of freebies. I have 2 team challenges going on right now and one starting up in a couple of weeks so I'm not sure if I'd be able to join in if this started right away though.

So, yea to the idea nae to starting it soon.

[hIpnoticraQs]

I'm interested.

[Danielle Book Boss]

me me me

[D.G.]

I'd be interested if the categories are somewhat easy and broader. Having to find a book you got as a freebie AND also having to match a particular item in the cover or a very particular genre could be difficult.

I also agree with Christina that I couldn't start right away.

[Lizz (Beer, Books and Boos)]

I would. I have so many free kindle books I need to read

[Logan]

I'm interested, but I agree with D.G. - it would be hard for me to find super specific books since my freebie pool is much more limited.

[Danielle Book Boss]

I'm pretty sure if you all stick to basic things like cover colors, genres, headless torso, couple on the cover, stuff like that... I actually don't think it would be difficult. And this is coming from the freebie hoarder. I count myself as something like an expert hahha

[Natalie]

I'd be interested. I purged many of my freebies a little while ago because I knew I was never going to get to them. But I still have some and I love using the library. It'd encourage me to request a lot of books I haven't gotten to yet.

[[deleted user]]

I'm definitely interested too. This sounds like a fun way to reduce my freebie-TBR pile up. But, I agree with D.G. and Logan, it would be better if the categories/ rules were easier and broader. I only have about 200+ books in my freebie pile, which is a lot less considering some of you all, however.

[Moondance]

I'm interested. I can't begin to tell how many freebies I have on my Kindle....and my two other e-readers.
~~cheryl

[Heather ~ Marceline]

I'm definitely interested, my only concern would be that I don't have any of my books shelved as free. If we needed to do that, it would take some time, but be worth it. I file them away on my kindle as bought or free, but not here at GR. I also read almost 50% of my books from the library so I don't have those shelved :). But this sounds like a wonderful way to offload so many of the freebies I have building up thanks to Val!

[Debbie's Spurts (D.A.)]

Danielle Book Boss wrote: "I'm pretty sure if you all stick to basic things like cover colors, genres, headless torso, couple on the cover, stuff like that... I actually don't think it would be difficult. And this is coming ..."

Maybe there should be a Book Cover BINGO version if many members like the cover stamps/challenges. That might even prove helpful for freebies you forget what the heck genre or why you downloaded. And, could make deciding the shelf/stamp/cover categories easier for the BINGO card. I'm finding I loathe cover challenges but I think lots of others enjoy.

[I have trouble getting in the mood to read a specific cover plus grayscale eInk ereaders don't usually show the color of covers (also I have ebooks and arcs without covers (particularly library loans and some kindle editions that have a title/author page when you click to go to cover rather than the cover), on text only eInk ereaders or ereaders I tend to view as lists rather than covers; ...). Add different devices and moderator opinions about things like green versus aqua green, headline color counting on some books but not on others, etc. — the cover ones are not for me.

Many freebie-offering authors change book covers and I have been in cover challenges where I did have qualifying cover on my ereader but somehow author was privileged got that cover deleted on goodreads when they updated on amazon even when that vandalized the careful book shelves I used to keep here.

Unless it's a cover artist I collect, I tend to go in bookstores to the genre shelves I like what's new sections and just flip to back blurb without registering covers so I know I'm in the minority. On endcaps and grocery stores I'll notice more because covers can indicate genre sometimes.]

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Definitely won't have to label shelves as freebie, cause I'm not doing that!! LOL.

[Belinda]

I could be persuaded to be interested and be a participant.....I don't have a heap on freebies but my library has a great selection :)

[Dragana]

I would be interested but only if required number of pages is lowered. I have a lot of freebie novellas that have around 50-60 pages.

[Valerie ~ Val Hall ~]

If we were to include novellas in a "Short & Sweet" stamp...I think we should be required to read 2 or 3 depending on the amount of goal pages and only review the best of them.
Like read 3 novellas/shorts and review the best.

[AH]

Valerie ~ Val Hall ~ wrote: "If we were to include novellas in a "Short & Sweet" stamp...I think we should be required to read 2 or 3 depending on the amount of goal pages and only review the best of them.
Like read 3 novellas..."

Good points Val.

I wonder how many tentacle sex books I've downloaded for free. :)

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

LOL I saw another one yesterday :)

[Valerie ~ Val Hall ~]

AH wrote: "Good points Val.

I wonder how many tentacle sex books I've downloaded for free. :) "

Gasp! You downloaded those???? Naughty girl...on second thought, whatever rings your bell is fine by me.

Having regrettably never read any of those (and even less downloaded), I did pause at the gay tentacle sex book....was it any good?

[AH]

I'm pretty sure I downloaded some of those weird books. Haven't read them yet. Once you've read about tentacle sex by LKH's Merry Gentry series, I think it's enough for a lifetime.

[Lis]

AH wrote: "Once you've read about tentacle sex by LKH's Merry Gentry series, I think it's enough for a lifetime."

You mean Lord Sholto's extra bits?

[Elizabeth]

I'm interested, too.

[Moondance]

I must have stopped reading the Merry Gentry series too early!

[AH]

Lis wrote: "AH wrote: "Once you've read about tentacle sex by LKH's Merry Gentry series, I think it's enough for a lifetime."

You mean Lord Sholto's extra bits?"

Uh huh. Somethings just can't be unread.

[Steph, Serious series addict]

Not tentacles again?! LOL! :p

Agreed. Please do not waste time creating shelves or adding freebies or any other shelving that you would not normally do here on GR. There will be no need, at least for the purpose of this game. And, as Sandra mentioned, we're not doin' it, so don't feel you gotta either. :)

Okay, gang, we've been a chattin' and a brainstormin'. For now, I've got the game name, which should give ya a clue as to which way we're thinkin' this will go ... Freebie ABC Bingo.

< More to follow as plans are hashed out >

[Debbie's Spurts (D.A.)]

Valerie ~ Val Hall ~ wrote: "If we were to include novellas in a "Short & Sweet" stamp...I think we should be required to read 2 or 3 depending on the amount of goal pages and only review the best of them.
Like read 3 novellas..."

I like that idea. Or just that, you could use shorter works so long as you read and briefly reviewed enough to add up to at least the minimum page count.

[Debbie's Spurts (D.A.)]

Would books borrowed free via amazon prime count as freebies?

[Valerie ~ Val Hall ~]

AH wrote: "Lis wrote: "AH wrote: "Once you've read about tentacle sex by LKH's Merry Gentry series, I think it's enough for a lifetime."

You mean Lord Sholto's extra bits?"

Uh huh. Somethings just can't be unread."

Well, it's a bit spoilerish to say anything about Sholto (don't read if you haven't read A Shiver of Light) but I think you won't see (view spoiler)[much of him since he was shot dead in the last book (hide spoiler)].

[AH]

Valerie ~ Val Hall ~ wrote: "AH wrote: "Lis wrote: "AH wrote: "Once you've read about tentacle sex by LKH's Merry Gentry series, I think it's enough for a lifetime."

You mean Lord Sholto's extra bits?"

Uh huh. Somethings jus..." I can't even remember which book it was. I stopped reading her ages ago.

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

D.A.-bully victims suffer more than a ★ on their commercial product wrote: "Would books borrowed free via amazon prime count as freebies?"


Yes, Debbie, just mention in your review so we know not to try to track it down for those of us who don't/can't have prime.

[Monica]

Since I keep downloading the freebies that are posted no matter what they are I think I could join in too. I have an obsession with getting something for free. :)

[AH]

Yay, Freegans!

[Michelle]

I'm interested! :)

[Lauren]

I have dozens and dozens of freebies that I really need incentive to read. I'm in!

Would books bought using a gift card work?

[Debbie's Spurts (D.A.)]

Ooh...if this game is coming soon, I think I'll wait for game to start to try a 30-day trial of Unlimited.

[Nici]

i would love it

[Steph, Serious series addict]

As of now, we've got a rough idea of how the game would go. We'll most likely host a Freebie-Only round at some point, but no start date set. It won't be something we do right away though. As with our other BSB games, we'll give everyone a head's up and post all of the rules ahead of time so people can decide if it's for them or not.

Thanks to everyone for your feedback! We really appreciate it.