Attention Mumsnet Towers - sorry I accidentally applied for all three free books...

[gaelicsheep]

.. before reading we should just pick one. I wasn't being greedy, just trying to maximise my chance of securing one of them. If you can work out who I am please feel free to remove my name from two, or all, of the draws.

[DuchessofMalfi]

Oops, I think I did that too. I must have missed the apply for one book only instruction. But presumably you wouldn't get more than one anyway. I've never had more than one and often none at all :o

I don't know how the draw works but assumed that if your name gets drawn for one book it wouldn't get put in the draw again for the other books anyway?

[dragonfly63]

Same applies as above thought it was a raffle type process and only one would be sent anyway if I was lucky enough to be chosen - sorry.

[DuchessofMalfi]

It's confusing now that the books are released all through the month rather than in one list. Are you limited to applying for one per month? Do you have to wait until you know you haven't been successful before having another go?

[Eirwen]

I'm another one who is confused. When I first applied for free books about a year ago, I received e-mails on a couple of occasions from the MN ladies to say I had been lucky so I knew to expect books in the post. Later on, the e-mails stopped so I was never sure if I had won or not and sometimes a surprise book parcel would arrive with the postman. For instance, I applied for the 50 Shades giveaway which closed on 18th April because everyone was talking about it. I didn't receive an e-mail or book, assumed that I hadn't been lucky and gave up. Then the book turned up on 2nd June, over six weeks after the closing date! In the meantime I had applied for the May giveaways and I'm not sure if I should have or not. Had I received an e-mail to say that I had won 50 Shades I would not have entered the May giveaways as I dont like to appear greedy. Duchess asked "Do you have to wait until you know you haven't been successful before having another go?" Good question. And how long should you wait if you don't receive any e-mail? And otherwise, how do you know if you haven't been successful? Some clarification would be great.
Thanks, by the way, for the lovely books I have been lucky enough to win!

[DuchessofMalfi]

I don't think MN's seen our questions, so I'm going to report the thread so they'll see it and hopefully clarify things for us :)

[KateSMumsnet]

Hullo all,

Thanks DuchessofMalfi for bringing this to our attention - we'll get some knowledgeable Book Club type people to answer your questions.

[KateSMumsnet]

Oh and while we're here, site stuff is usually the best way to get our attention

[DuchessofMalfi]

Thank you :)

[ShadeMumsnet]

Thank you for your queries and for raising the points you have.

We took a break from our usual routine of sending email notifications to giveaway winners because the sheer number of entries made managing the notifications and the resultant responses a little difficult. We are always looking to improve your bookclub experience so we will be reintroducing the emails. As with most competitions, if you don't receive an email you can assume you were not successful.

Sometimes books are late in going out to winners but as they're sent directly from the publishers all we can do on that score is chase the publishers. Still, we hope it's a nice surprise when a book turns up unexpectedly.

You are free to apply for as many giveaways as you wish, no need to wait to hear back about the last one. The only time we ask you to pick one book is when the monthly bookclub newsletter has a line-up of five giveaways running concurrently.

We're sorry you've found some areas of our bookclub giveaways confusing. Do keep communicating with us and we'll continue to do our best to improve your experiences in the club.

[Eirwen]

Thank you Shade for giving us some clarification. I totally understand the work involved in sending out fifty e-mails after each giveaway but I am glad to hear that the e-mails will be re-introduced. At least we'll know that a book is on its way. Once last summer I went out and bought a book (thinking I hadn't been lucky) and then one arrived in the post two days later !
I have a house full of book lovers so it's great to win the occasional free book. Each one has been enjoyed by one or more of the family! It's lovely that we're allowed to apply for all the giveaways except the multiple choice giveaways with the Bookclub Newsletter. I will bear that in mind in future. I don't feel so guilty now for applying for lots in the past!
Thanks once again to Mumsnet and the publishers for their generosity.

[DuchessofMalfi]

Everything Eirwen says, from me too :o

It's always a pleasure to receive a book. We're all book lovers here in our house too.

Sometimes you make it too hard to choose from your lists of books - I want to read them all :o And I confess to having bought some also where I haven't been lucky enough to win a copy.