Bestselling books, delivered to your door.
Bestselling books, delivered to your door.
Media Contacts
eginsberg@bookswim.com
732-603-1091
Eric Ginsberg
VP, Marketing
BookSwim.com
anna@liveinfivepr.com
973-509-1746
Anna DeSouza
Live in Five Public Relations
on Behalf of BookSwim.com
Forget library wait times, late fees and due dates, bookstores' high prices, and ereaders' limited inventory and astronomical buy-in costs - what if reading could be easy again? Our mission is as simple as that: freeing readers to enjoy reading, without all the attendant hassles and expense. BookSwim, America's only book rental club providing both hardcovers and paperbacks, offers home delivery, a 24/7 online catalog constantly adapting to member requests and demand, and responsive customer service for hassle-free reading.
But we don't stop there: We hosted Drop Everything and Read Day, a special event promoting literacy in New York's Central Park, with Harper Collins, the Princeton Review, and the New York Public Library. We've spoken at events such as the Midwestern Interlibrary Loan Conference to help libraries conceive innovative solutions to their distribution concerns and we've partnered with EcoLibris to plant a tree for every BookSwim giftcard purchased. From our environmental advocacy to our 13,000-book donation to the Newark Public Library, BookSwim strives to improve our society through more accessible, eco-conscious reading.
BookSwim offers unlimited book rental for one flat monthly price. A member simply clicks a title on our website to add it to her list, and her top books automatically ship out with no need for a complicated checkout process. Returning books is as simple as enclosing them within an included prepaid, self-sealing return mailer and dropping the package in the mail. When the return package reaches our warehouse, the member's next selections ship immediately. With the supply of new books forever replenishing itself, members can read 3, 5, 10 books in a single month - for the same flat monthly membership fee.
BookSwim was founded by two college friends, George Burke and Shamoon Siddiqui, in Siddiqui's basement. In March 2007, BookSwim mailed out our first rental book, The Richest Man in Babylon. Bloggers and media outlets such as MSN Money quickly took notice of the young company, and in just ten months, we had already shattered our two-year goal for membership growth. In March 2008, a year after George and Shamoon first began piling milk crates of books inside a drafty basement, we made a new home for ourselves in a gigantic warehouse in Matawan, NJ.
Readers tired of bookstore prices and library wait times continued to join the service in droves. In May 2009, with the help of our members' feedback and testing, a top-to-bottom redesign unveiled a website that was more attractive and intuitive than ever before. At the same time, our "Read Easy" campaign articulated our mission of more convenient reading for the modern bibliophile.
We've come a long way since that drafty basement. Today, our team works from our office in the New Jersey Institute of Technology's business incubator in Newark, NJ, while a professional warehousing company takes care of our book shipping in Coatesville, PA. With over 50,000 square feet of expansion space available, our new facility promises to deliver fast, hassle-free service for thousands of readers to come.
Georg Richter, Chairman
With an executive career in the Direct Marketing book industry that goes back over 25 years, Georg Richter brings tremendous experience to the BookSwim team ...
Full Bio »
Jeevan Padiyar, CEO & CFO
Jeevan brings expertise in financial and competitive analysis, corporate re-structuring, and operations ...
Full Bio »
George Burke, Co-Founder & CMO
Before co-founding BookSwim, George started the new media design company, Circular Orb, LLC, becoming a leader in the growing market of Artisan e-commerce ...
Full Bio »
Nick Ruffilo, CTO
An internet entrepreneur since the tender age of 14, Nick Ruffilo, Chief Technology Officer and resident wunderkind, is the driving force behind what keeps BookSwim functional on a day-to-day basis ...
Full Bio »
Eric Ginsberg, VP, Marketing
Ginsberg brought his library experience to BookSwim just months after its launch, helping shape BookSwim into the well-rounded company it has become ...
Full Bio »
Shamoon Siddiqui, Co-Founder
After receiving his MS, Shamoon delved into software and technology for government contractors, ITT Avionics and BAE Systems. Shamoon recently completed his M.B.A. at Rutgers University
Full Bio »
Unlimited Plans
3 books at-a-time: $23.95/month
5 books at-a-time: $29.95/month
7 books at-a-time: $35.95/month
11 books at-a-time: $59.95/month
Limited Plans
1 book per month: $9.95/month, $3.99 outgoing shipping
Want more info? Browse our frequently asked questions here.
© 2007-2010 BookSwim, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
