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Posts Tagged ‘Referrals’

Dear Librarian: flu from a package, credits for sharing, reminder list

Sunday, October 18th, 2009

Dear Librarian-  I am so worried I will get the flu from a PBS package. What are the risks? –Cautious in Cleveland

Dear Eve,

It is known that the flu virus will survive on paper surfaces and currency for 8-12 hours at room temperature. So there is a theoretical risk of getting infectious mail (or change at Starbucks!) if someone sneezed or coughed onto your package within several hours of the time it comes to your mailbox. No one knows what the *real* risk is, of course.

In these situations, common sense applies: maintain good handwashing practices as always, and if you are concerned about your mail you can always bring it in, put it into an airtight bin for 12 hours and disinfect your hands (alcohol hand sanitizers kill the flu virus effectively), and then open the bin 12 hours later, at which point you can be sure any flu virus that might have been sneezed onto your mail en route is dead.

Dear Librarian– It seems like you guys are always changing things.  I JUST found out that I can get credits for referring new members!  There’s so much going on that I am not sure how to keep up with it all.  Any suggestions? –Quizzical in Queens

Dear Izzy,

You’re right, we are always tweaking things on the site.  Although a lot of the stuff we do is behind the scenes to keep the site loading fast and everything moving smoothly, we are also constantly upgrading existing features to work better.   When we make significant changes, we will announce them in the Newsletter, but you can also look in the What’s New! section on the site to keep up with changes as they happen.  You can get to What’s New! from the link at the very top right corner of the screen, and also from the Browse Help Docs page in the Help Center.  We try to put updates in What’s New so that new features don’t escape notice; if you check there once a week or so (or if you see something you think might be new),  it can keep you “up to speed”.

Dear Librarian– Can you put the “Convert” button back on the Reminder List? I used that to move stuff from my Reminder List to my Wish List and I don’t know how to do that now! –Boggled in Boston

Dear Tony,

We know that some people used the Convert function on the Reminder and Wish Lists, but on the whole it caused confusion – members didn’t realize that an item couldn’t be on both lists at once, and so they would add a book that was already on their Wish List to their Reminder Lists, and that would take the item off their Wish Lists although they didn’t intend this.   Now an item can be on both lists, and the Reminder List can be a list of ALL the books you want, so you can see it in one place.

It is still easy to Wish List a Reminder List book, by clicking +Wish on the listing on the Reminder List. You can read about the Wish List changes in the What’s New area linked from the “What’s New” at the very top of the site (and on the Browse Help Docs page in the Help Center).

Coming Soon:

  • Updated flyers to help Spread the Word
  • Book giveaways in the PBS blog

New Features: Newsletter – August 2007

Sunday, August 5th, 2007

PBS to Go. Now you can check your booklists easily from your cell phone! PBS Mobile, a basic version of PBS is available for those with web access from their mobile phone. Check your bookshelf, Wish List, and Books I’ve Read lists on the spot. You can add to your Wish List from PBS Mobile too. Bookmark this site, and take PBS with you, wherever you go.

Large Print really means…Large Print. In our continuing efforts to stem the tide of books being incorrectly posted as Large Print when they are not, last month (July 12) we revised the book posting process: if the ISBN you enter is categorized as Large Print in the PBS database, a pink box will appear telling you this on the Book Listing Preview, and there will be links to lead you easily through the posting process to ensure that your book gets posted correctly. We are hoping this will solve the problem once and for all for our Large Print readers–after all, this is not merely a matter of preference, it is one of necessity!

New “tiered referral” system at PBS – the more you refer, the greater the reward.

  • 1 – 10 Referrals = 1 credit for each
  • 11 – 20 Referrals = 1 credit + $0.50 PBS Money for each
  • 21 – 35 Referrals = 1 credit + $0.75 PBS Money for each
  • 36 – 50 Referrals = 1 credit + $1.00 PBS Money for each
  • 51+ Referrals = 2 credits for each

Your previous referrals will not earn the bonus retroactively, but they will count to put you into a “starting tier”, as of July 15, 2007, and your subsequent referrals will earn the appropriate bonus for each. This will continue on a trial basis, so spread the word now, and reap the goodies!

New Members Mean More Books: Newsletter – April 2006

Saturday, April 1st, 2006

–and More Bookloving Friends.
Have you visited the newly redesigned Tell a Friend page lately? We have made it easier for you to refer new members to PBS. Remember, increasing our membership means more books for us all to choose from. And also, when someone you have referred to the site gives your PBS Nickname (or PBS User-Email) during registration and posts their first 9 books, YOU get a credit! Check out the various methods of referring others: email links, clickable icons for your website, bookmarks and flyers. You can personalize any of these items by entering your PBS nickname or email address into the box provided. Personalizing in this way ensures that the referral will be automatically recorded on your account if anyone uses your link or clickable icon or bookmark to become an active member! The Tell a Friend Page is accessible from the left-hand menu on every page of the site.

PR and Membership Highlights: Newsletter – January 2006

Tuesday, January 3rd, 2006

Recently PBS was highlighted on National Public Radio (NPR). The coverage was on a nationwide basis. Listener response was overwhelming. With the surge of NPR listeners, we had members sign up from all 50 states in one evening. This is great news. See what spreading the word can do for you and all our wonderful club members? More members…more books to choose!

A member, Jan W., was recently able to obtain newspaper coverage in her area simply by contacting the local editor of her paper. It was a very simple process, and the paper was very interested in informing readers about PaperBackSwap. Check out our Press & Media section as well as our Advanced Referral section for ideas on how to promote the club. If you are successful in helping to acquire a story in a newspaper, radio or TV, let us know and you’ll be rewarded credits.

Don’t forget to have your referrals use either your profile nickname or your PBS email address when registering. This will ensure that you receive a referral credit for their membership.

Letter from the Founders: Newsletter – October 2005

Thursday, October 13th, 2005

Dear Club Members (aka Extended Book Family),

Each month as we sit down to begin speaking with you, we reflect on the past month. What a month it has been! Our book library continues to expand, and the numbers speak for themselves. Watch carefully as we aim for a quarter of a million books!

With members spreading the good news about the club, new members are joining in the fun daily. While our ‘double rewards’ for referrals comes to a close, we still continue to offer a credit for each and every referral that becomes an active member. So, keep those referrals coming! Also, look for new contests and fun games.

As the club grows, so does our volume of feedback and work on the site. Please keep this in mind as we try to personally respond to the needs of each and every one of our members. Your patience and understanding is appreciated.

Sincerely,

Richard & Robert
Co-Founders, PaperBackSwap.com

Double Your Credits . . . Double Your Reading Fun: Newsletter – September 2005

Monday, September 12th, 2005

October is the last month for our ‘Double Credits for Referrals’ program. We’ve had lots of members take advantage of this rewards program. Don’t miss out on your chance to earn 2 credits for each referral that becomes an active member by midnight, ET, October 31st.

More Advanced Referral Options: Newsletter – September 2005

Monday, September 5th, 2005

We have added more options to help spread the word about PaperBackSwap. There are some new bookmarks and also a new flyer with pull tabs. Look for the word NEW next to these items. Remember all referrals between now and October 31st at midnight ET are worth 2 credits. This means more books for you! Visit the Advanced Referrals updated page for more info on this feature.