Online Bookstore and Book Websites
A Guide to Purchasing Books Online for Australian Readers
Shopping for books online saves time and can save money as well. There are a range of online bookstores to suite all reading interests and budgets.
Ringing around a variety of bookstores looking for a particular title or, worse still, trying to locate an obscure book on the shelves of a crowded bookshop can be frustrating at best. By shopping for books online, all the searching can be done from the comfort of home with the added advantage of being able to easily compare book prices before making a purchase.
Remember to take any currency conversion or shipping charges into account. Most of the sites listed below offer inexpensive shipping charges within Australia or even free shipping for orders over a particular amount.
General Book Websites
- Fishpond.com.au has an extensive range of books, CDs and DVDs available at discounted prices. There is free shipping in Australia for orders over $50. Further discounts can be achieved by writing reviews ($0.20/review) on items that do not already have a customer review.
- SeekBooks.com.au also offers a large range of books including recent releases at discount prices. An additional 5% discount is offered to NSW seniors card holders.
- Larger booksellers such as Dymocks, Borders, ABC Books, and Angus & Robertson have websites where online purchases can be made .
- Amazon.com - One of the most comprehensive lists of books, CDs, and DVDs available for sale on the Internet. Both new and second hand books are available for many items. The extensive range and ‘all in one place’ convenience is offset somewhat for Australian buyers by the costly international shipping charges.
- Elite Books.com.au has a range of educational books for students from kindergarten to tertiary studies.
Book/Author Websites
Many authors have books available on their own websites along with additional information about their books, upcoming releases and author bios. Jasper Fforde, for example, has signed books available through his website, while Company’s Coming has significant specials on their range of cookbooks.
Hard to Find or Second-Hand Book Websites
Abebooks.com is the best place to look for out-of-print or hard to find books. This website provides a facility to search the database of a large number of second-hand booksellers internationally. A great place to source less expensive, second-hand copies of books as well. Searches can be limited to booksellers in a specific country and can be sorted by title, author, price, new books to the catalogue and bookseller rating.
Christian Bookshops
Both Koorong and Word bookstores have stores located in major cities and an online store facility. Both offer free shipping within Australia for orders totalling $100 or more. Periodically through the year they offer 15 – 20% discount sales days. It is possible to register for an email newsletter advising of general specials and notice of sales days as well as requesting that sales catalogues be sent by post.
Bargain Books Online
Social Club Books is great for customers looking for some bargains for gifts or with a particular interest but no specific book in mind. Prices are good, but the range is limited.
oo.com.au – Online bargain discount shopping. Follow the link to their book section for an ever changing list of book specials.
Book Clubs
DoubleDay has book and music clubs that customers can join. Joining qualifies the customer for an initial number of heavily discounted purchases, however there is a requirement for further purchases within the first year.
Take the time today to browse for some book bargains online.
