What do I need to use WhatsOnMyBookshelf?

It is very simple. All you need is an address and the ability to get to a post office and you can use our service. Oh yeah, you need to have books for trade.

Can I easily see all my account information?

All your activity on the site can be viewed on your 'My Bookshelf' page . There is a detailed account of books that you have shipped in additon to books that you have requested. There is also the ability to invite friends to the site using your own personalized link. If a friend registers 5 books you will receive 1 point. Any changes to your shipping address and preferences can also be changed on the account page.

How do I ship a book?

When a user requests your book you will receive a confirmation email with the address of the requester. Within 5 days you must ship the book and then login to the "My Bookshelf" area, click "Manage Account", and click "Order Sent" after viewing the book order to change the status to "processing".

How do I request a book?

First you need to register a book. Upon registering you will be given 1 credit for the book as a promotion. To request books, simply add a book to your shopping bag and proceed to checkout. You will receive a confirmation email and a link to the order that will appear in the "My Bookshelf" area.

Once you receive the book you must login to the "My Bookshelf" section, then "Manage Account" to view the order, and then click "Order Received".

Can I buy points?

Yes you can. WhatsOnMyBookshelf will always remain a free service but if you are running low on points for $2 you may purchase 1 point. There is a limit, however, and you can only buy 5 points per month. To ensure that you can use the point, your community investment value will increase by 0.5. We feel that if you are giving us money you are investing in the community and allowing us to make WhatsOnMyBookshelf a better place for trading.

As soon as I register a book, can it be requested?

Yes, once you register a book it can be requested immediately. Do not register a book unless you are completely sure you are willing to ship it.

Why am I no longer receiving 1 point per 5 books?

You only receive 1 point for every 5 books registered for your first 100 books (this means you can get 20 points just from registering books!!). After registering 100 books on the site you no longer get the bonus because it is assumed that you will make your points by shipping books that users want. This is not a punishment but an even greater incentive to register popular books that the community will request.

Do I have to ship to international users?

If you do not wish to ship your book internationally please specify so in the comments section when listing the book. You can use the "Reject" button to tell the user that you are unable to ship because of costs.

Why did I lose 0.2 credits when I deleted a book?

Since you were given 0.2 credits as a promotion for registering a book, the "promotional credit" is removed if you choose to delete the book. This is simply a security measure.

I am going on vacation and won't be around to ship books. What do I do?

Rather than unlisting all your books, can just go into your account and choose under "My Account" to set yourself on vacation. While on vacation you cannot add or request books since you are supposed to be relaxing on the beach!

My book never arrived and the status is still pending. What do I do?

Please allow a user 5 days to change the status of a book from pending to processing, which indicates that they have shipped the book. However, after 5 days please contact the owner of the book by clicking the envelope next to the user's name. At any point after not hearing from the user, you may cancel the order by clicking the "cancel" button. You can always email me (dan [at] whatsonmybookshelf.com) with any order disputes or questions.

How can I cancel my order if a book is marked as sent but never arrived?

Please click on the cancel order button that appears on the order page for your specific book. When you cancel the order your points will be returned to you and there will be no penalty to your community investment value. The big red cancel order button will appear after 5 days of having your order not marked as sent.

What happens when I reject a book?

Rejecting a book request causes the book to be placed back on the bookshelf. The credit value is also refunded to the requester.

Should I restock books?

Yes! Once you finish reading a book please relist it on the site so that our library is replenished and you also earn more points.

How are the book value points calculated?

The worth of a book on WhatsOnMyBookshelf is based upon the new book price. For every 20 USD the book increase in value by 1 credit. We use this system rather than a 1 point 1 book system since we recognize that all books are not created equal. The new book price reflects binding type (hardcover/softcover), number of pages, and book type (textbook, romance, non-fiction, etc.)

Can I connect with users using social networks?

Yes. You can add your facebook profile to your account which will appear as a green person next to your name on your user profile. To do this, first logoff, then log back in using the facebook link on the login page. This will automatically link your whatsonmybookshelf account and your facebook account. In the future you can login using either facebook or whatsonmybookshelf.

What is the Community Investment system?

It is a measure of a user's dedication and particpation in the trading community. We calculate it based upon this formula:

Community Investment = (5 initial Points) + (Shpd)- (RjcB*0.1) - (0.5*PndB)- (0.5*BReq)

Shpd = number of books you shipped
PndB = number of books pending your confirmation
RjcB = number of books you have rejected
BReq - number of books you requested

In order to request a book a user's community investment but be greater than -2. It works out that you can request about 10 books for every one that you succesfully ship.