What do you do with your proof copies?

[Guest]

I have a ton of them. Some were to try out different versions of the cover, to see the change from matte to shiny, others before and after complete formatting changes… Basically, a lot of faulty books are now lying around my home and I hate it not only because it’s very small and I don’t have the space but also because I’m a minimalist and can’t stand having around something I can’t use.

But I also feel bad about just throwing them away. Technically they’re good books but they’re also not the finished product or something I would want anyone to read, so that’s a no for donating… What do you do?

[Rée]

I sign them (made out to myself), write a little note, and put them away as a keepsake.

[Ruriks]

Autograph them and send them to beta readers as a thank you.

It’s unique and they can feel like they were part of something spectacular.

[Steven]

I burn them and have a cigar and scotch.

[Jessica]

If you have a reader group on social media, do a signed giveaway. I'm in alot romance reader groups and that's what they do.

People go insane for one of a kind versions of their books, even proof copies.

[Megan]

I'm a middle grade author, so the ones I've gone through and marked up come with me to school events to show kids the process and that you're not done when you think you are.

[Kasey]

I don't have the money to spend on proof copies...I proof online and buy 5 copies after publishing. If I don't like the cover glossy on them...I go into KDP and change the cover to Matte.

No big deal.

If you feel the books are faulty - burn them or shred them.

Explore these too: Apart from Amazon KDP, where else can I publish a Christian books to make sell?

[Martin]

I’d say the two options are donate or recycle.

Or option three, if you have readers who might like them, then run a free giveaway and write stuff or do doodles in them to make them unique and have them as prizes.

[Terry]

I would cut the covers off, or isolate whatever I was testing, mouth them in a scrapbook or binder with an explanation about what I was testing.

I would discard the rest.

[Donna]

They're not the product you would want everyone to read... Keep like five of them in case you become famous, and throw the rest away.

I get the emotion behind thinking they're 'too good to throw,' but if you don't want people to read them, clearly they aren't.

[Jared]

Do a signed giveaway promo to fans who already bought the book. Heck, real fans would pay double to have a working edition signed and dedicated by the author they like. Imagine if Tolkien or Rowling offered up their working manuscripts as standalone, one of a kind, special editions.

They would be fought over.

[Pascalle]

I personalized mine. Put stickers on the back cover, and I even tore a small bit of page where I had spilled some food and tried to wipe it up with a wet cloth- the bottom of the page disintegrated.

I hated it at first - the fact that my final perfect copy was now not so perfect.. but in retrospect I am now pretty proud of the uniqueness of it.

[Caroline]

When I had a bunch of unsalable copies, I wrote a note in each explaining why it was unsalable but assuring the reader that the text itself was alright and inviting them to visit my website (which I provided) to learn more about my work.

Then I planted the copies, one by one, in free-book bins and waiting rooms across several states.