Hi Guys!  I've been hosting the romance virtual box here at PBS for a couple of years and have struggled keeping players in the box.  When I first started the box, I advertised around the various genre forums but few joined at that time.  I've tried to grow the box in the games forum but not much has happened.

For those that don't know The romance box currently has 10 players in it.  Most of us appear to lean toward contemporary and suspense books.  Some of us also play in the unmoderated historical romance box and thus typcially don't include those genres.  We do have some interest in erotica and paranormal but that is not everyone's main genre. 

What I would like to ask the L&R forum is what would make you want to join (and stay in) a virtual box?  Have you played in them and just were not interested or do you even know about them?  Would a genre specific box be better, one with a variety of romances or more elephant swap type games.  The ladies of the box are discussing various option in the box including special holiday themed  rounds, special contests, etc.  Would that entice you?

I'm curious as to what others think and thanks in advance for your input!

I'm so glad Sherri posted this- I was going to post about this myself to help her out, but as usual, she is on top of things!

I would just like to say that I have been a member of this box for over a year and love it!  If you have never played a game in the Games forum and are a bit gun-shy about that, please don't be intimidated- the VB is very, very easy (no stealing or other complications like in an elephant swap), and it's a great place to meet other members who love romance books!  It is also a great way to get books you would like to read without ordering from FIFO- you know who the book is coming from and that you don't have to worry about book condition, late mailing, etc.  It's a good way to try new authors, risk free- if you don't like the book, just put it back in the box for someone else to take.  It is not at all uncommon for WLbooks to be put into the VB- I have received a number of books from my WL from the HSRVB!

We have a great group of ladies in the box and would love to have more, so please let Sherri know how we can make the box more appealing to more romance readers!

Sherri- Could you take all the ideas we've come up with in the HSVB and make a new spreadsheet asking readers in the  L & R forum to contribute?  Perhaps they would like to see what we have been discussing and can add to it?

To back up what Lesley posted, this truly is a great box to be in.  If you've never been in a game before and are too shy or intimidated to do so, this is a great place to get your feet wet.  It's not complicated and all questions are welcome. 

Please ladies, if you have any input or ideas, we'd love to see them! 

That's a great idea Diana! I will work on it and post a link to it in my original post right at the top.  I will make it an annonymous poll, so no one feels pressured  and share the results with everyone, google has this nifty little device that graphs your results out in a bar or pie chart. 

I won't get to it tonight (yea for girls night out!) but will work on it tomorrow.  :-D

I didn't realize there was one for romance - I rmember an erotic romance VB but it was always full with a long waitlist and certain books excluded after so many rounds(and the excluded ones I hadn't even read since I wasn't in the groups!) I was also bad at having so many 'keepers can't part with anything' that I'm sorta getting out of now. lately though I've been reading a ton of library books and trying to catch up on my tbr so not sure a vb would work for me right now.

I've never done it because my interests swing so much. One minute I can't get enough of urban fantasy then I go into a romance binge, then I go into a scifi phase etc. I'm trying a new genre right now (m/m) and who knows what I end up reading next lol.

I've been in the Eroitca Virtual Box for quite some time now, a couple of years.  I love it!  Erotica is what I read, there's always a great variety in the box.  I love swapping out books I've read for something else I haven't read.  I always always find something in the box I want.  There is not a waiting list at all.  Books expire from the box after 2 full rounds with no one choosing them and then can be put back in after 2 more rounds.  Why keep books in the box that no one wants?

The only reason I wouldn't join the Romance Virtual Box is that that is not what I read.  The Erotica box is a better fit for me since it's strictly Erotica and that's all I read lately.

thanks Sarah - the time I checked into the erotica one there was a waitlist and it didn't make since since it seems like the more the merrier - unless the waitlist just got there after the rounds started maybe?! if so it makes sense not to leave the books in when no one is picking them.

I read a lot of romance I haven't joined because it's moderated. I already do 2 moderated boxes and with the credit requirements-I can't do anymore.  I do the erotica box because I get a lot of WL books there. I do the Oldie box becuase I read a variety of genres.  I don't know how long I will do that one because I think I have different reading tastes then most of the other players.  But it's only the 1st round and it seemed like a good place to trade some older books.

I'll check out the box and see what people have trading and if I think I have books that will fit.

Thanks for the comments ladies.