How do you manage your book collection?

I have accumulated a lot of books over the years. I do read a lot of e-books, and I borrow books from libraries. However, sometimes I end up buying a book if it's not available in one of those categories. I like to keep nonfiction to refer to them, make notes, and bookmark pages. And cookbooks are much easier to read and use in print form.

A lot of my books are old textbooks from school. I've taken a lot of classes over the years, and sometimes (due to a new edition) the books are not worth anything when I'm done. Some I kept as a reference, though they get outdated quickly.

Ideally, I'd keep them all forever. But sometimes I know that I'm not going to read certain books again or they have no sentimental value, so I remove them from my collection. After all, I'm going to move someday, and books are heavy.

How do you get rid of old books you don't need anymore? Fiction that's still in good condition can go to charity, usually either a library book sale or a thrift store. Really outdated books, or books in bad condition, can be recycled. Bookscouter is also a good way to find sites that buy back textbooks.

And as for the remaining collection? I have a huge bookshelf to display my books. I try to group them by subject--fiction, cookbooks, textbooks, etc.--but more often I tend to group them by size, just so they fit on the shelf.

If you have any tips for managing a book collection, please leave them in the comments.

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Writers: know your audience

I had to go to the post office sometime in the autumn, and when I dropped by early in the morning, I was surprised to see a huge line. I'm used to going in the early afternoon, and being one of the few people there. So I got in line and waited. And waited.

One of the workers was trying to explain to someone that he needed to write the send-to address on his package.

"But it has my name on it," said the customer.

"Yes," said the postal worker, "but who are you sending it to?"

Lightbulb moment. The man took out a piece of paper and copied an address onto the package. That stuck with me all day. How can a person expect to mail a package but not put the destination on it? What did he expect to happen?

Well, writers do it all the time.

I see a lot of writers trying to pitch books that really wouldn't appeal to anyone but themselves. Or they might resist making needed edits. If you try to tell them this, they'll say, "But I'm the writer! I decide what happens in the story!"

This is entirely true; however, readers can decide not to read it.

When you're writing your book, in that precious, embryonic stage, definitely write whatever you feel is necessary. But once you open that door to criticism, be ready to take it. Get advice from other writers, preferably, whose opinions you trust.

I see a lot of writers taking off now in indie publishing, and it's clear they didn't just finish a manuscript and upload it. They took time to revise, and they know what sells and can write it in a compelling, illuminating way.

You're not just keeping a journal here. You're writing to help entertain, amuse, or inspire other people. Keep your audience in mind. When you release that book, who do you want to read it?