Hi, I’m Prody, and I write a weekly series on how to get smarter.
I’ve been using Millie’s Library, an ebook subscription service, for two years now.
A while back I saw their notice recruiting the second cohort of Book Masters.
Getting picked comes with a few perks. Free access to new releases exclusive to Millie’s Library, and a nice badge.
The perks are good.
The perks are appealing, but I applied because I’m a fan. Millie’s Library has saved me over 2 million won in book purchases. The feature that collects every passage you’ve underlined is useful too.
Handy for pulling out the important bits when I’m writing
What it takes to apply
Good perks come with requirements to match. One of the conditions shown above is reading 100 books on Millie’s Library this year. Apparently 100 is where they draw the line for an avid reader. I also read through Kyobo and Aladin, so hitting 100 on Millie alone was going to be tight. I got fairly close, though.
96 books this year. Plenty of them I can’t remember.
The last condition, being someone who likes new releases, bothered me a bit. They seem to want people who will read new books, and I don’t read many. I prefer steady sellers, the ones still popular after the publisher’s marketing push has ended and enough people have read them. The knowledge in those books lasts longer.
I had my doubts, but I applied anyway. I attached my Brunch link too.
Getting picked, and what comes with it
A few days ago I got a text saying I’d been selected. I came up a little short of 100 books this year, so I suspect the Brunch series is what got me in.
Turns out the brand name has no space in it.
They walk you through everything on a dedicated FAQ page.
The care in the details made me think these people are good at their jobs.
A Book Master has to read a book and vote every week. I hope they’re books I care about. I’ll give it a proper go.
My favorite perk is the Book Master badge.
The badge sits next to my profile and my reviews, so it stands out. Makes me think I should put more care into what I write in them.
I can’t not recommend it
I started using Millie’s Library to read on my commute. Holding a book on a packed subway is a pain, but reading on my phone is easy.
More than anything, Millie’s Library is the best value around. It costs 10,000 won a month, less than a single book. I’ll read about 100 books this year, so 120,000 won gets me 1.8 million won worth of books. That’s 1.7 million won earned. I can’t not recommend it.
I’ve recommended it more than once in the group chat I run.
If you read a fair amount, why not give Millie’s Library a try? Even one book a month and you come out ahead.
It’s also a good way to build a reading habit instead of a Reels and Shorts habit. If you already use Millie’s Library, you can browse the books I’ve recommended here.
P.S. Two of the Book Master perks, the paper books and testing new features, I haven’t tried yet. I’ll write about them later.
P.P.S. This recommendation is pure fandom. Nobody asked me to promote anything, and I’m not an investor.
I hope Korea’s reading culture and Millie’s share price grow together.
I went back and forth about buying into their IPO, and I’m relieved I didn’t. I hope they stay in business for a long time. If more people read, the world probably gets a little better.
P.P.P.S. This is what I do with what I read: I organize it and publish a piece on Brunch every week. Speed reading, negotiation, decision-making, writing, marketing, practical skills like that.
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