The BookThinker Newsletter ISSN 1547-9501 #74, 31 July 2006

BookThink Update
7 August 2006>>>

Update Announcements

Putting A Face on Faceless Venues An Interview with Alibris' A.J. Kohn BookThink introduces a series of interviews with major bookselling venue spokesmen today that we hope will not only put a human face on these corporate entities but also address some of your more pressing concerns. First up is Alibris. Media Editor Catherine Petruccione recently spoke to Alibris' Director of Direct Marketing and Sales A.J. Kohn, and A.J., in my opinion, was extraordinarily candid and thorough in addressing some hard questions that I know have been on many booksellers' minds. I think you'll come away from this with a much different perception of Alibris - and a decidedly more human one.

Top 10 on eBay June 2006 Pamela Palmer's Top Ten on eBay, June 2006, appears today. What's noteworthy about this month's list is that it contains a book that you may have seen mentioned in BookThink's forum last month: Tom Doak's The Confidential Guide to Golf Courses - a modern cult phenomenon, it is.

50/50 Issue #15
Now Available
Issue #15 of 50/50 is now available for purchase; its focus is "Fish, Fur and Game Shows." Subscribe today here.

Gold Edition #29 How To Become a Full-Time Bookseller Part VII: Timely Tools of the Trade Issue #29 of the Gold Edition is now available for purchase. This is Part VII of a seven-part series on How to Become a Full-Time Bookseller Purchase now.

From the Editor Important announcements for BookThinker readers.

The Language of Books Collecting Science Fiction Matt 9:16 No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. And don't forget the parable that immediately follows this, warning against putting new wine in old bottles. What does this have to do with bookselling? We're revisiting the topic of Old and New School bookselling this week, and it's Science Fiction Editor Tim Doyle's turn to take a whack at it. Should New School booksellers put their "new wine" in "old bottles"? Sell their books the old way? Well, New School booksellers necessarily imply the presence of New School Buyers, right? Will these buyers even understand the Old School approach? Lots of interesting questions to look at here, but ultimately it comes down to a familiar, fundamental one: What's the best way to get my books sold?

Buying and Selling Magic Books Part II: Alternative Approaches History Editor Bill Klimon returns today with Part II of his series on magic books. What makes today's article especially important is his illustration of an important bookselling principle: If you're having trouble finding books in a hot niche, sometimes it pays off to examine books that are more typically associated with other niches but have overlapping content. In music, of course, this is called a crossover hit

Introducing .... BookHunt Software Designed for Buying Inventory Online The bookselling theme we pound the hardest at BookThink is this: Sell better books. Agreed, some of you don't live in inventory rich areas, and this may be easier said than done. One solution I've suggested is to start buying some of your inventory online. After all, where are most of the best books located? For most booksellers, however, especially those new to the business, buying online is significantly more difficult than buying books in the field. Or was until now. Software developer Ian Ashbury has come to the rescue. Ian has designed a tool for BookThink that will greatly enhance your ability to not only locate inventory online but also save you countless hours you otherwise would've spent slogging through listings at eBay. It's called BookHunt, and here's more information.

BookThink Consulting - Phase I BookThink's eBay Critique FAQ NEW! Are your eBay auction presentations lacking that certain something? Are you frustrated with listing high quality items again and again and not getting top prices for them? If so, BookThink's new consulting service, eBay Critique, may be the answer. eBay Critique consists of two elements - one, a detailed analysis of your existing eBay auctions identifying specific problem areas; and two, suggestions for improvements. Primary areas of concern include image quality, presentation layout and textual content. Read our FAQ for more details and get started today.

Previous BookThinker Update -

BookThink Update
24 July 2006>>>

Special Supplement to The BookThinker, #73 Update How To Beat The eBay Stores Fee Increase 15 Strategies to Consider Based on the email I've received and notes that have been posted in BookThink's forum and elsewhere over the last few days, it's clear that there aren't many booksellers who are happy about the recent eBay stores fees increase. What took many of us by surprise wasn't that there was an increase - we're accustomed to this - but that it was so punitive. Store items listed at $25 and over, for example, could previously be listed at $.02 a month. That fee will now skyrocket to $.10 - a 5-fold increase. Believe it or not, however, there are some of us who are ok this, and I'm one of them - at least tentatively. I'll explain why and also offer 15 suggestions for beating them.

Update Announcements

Buying and Selling Children's Books There's No Business Like Show Business Guusje Moore dances onto the BookThink stage today, and the theme song is children's books with a show biz angle - and a special emphasis on ballet. As always, key authors in the genre are identified and flashpoints abound. Speaking of flashpoints, Guusje also illustrates a pattern in books with special value: The best ones often possess two or more flashpoints.

Book Repair for BookThinkers Repairing Split Hinges and Gutters Also back is Book Repair Editor Gail Altman, this time to show how to repair books with two of the more common problems booksellers encounter - split hinges and cracked spines. Sometimes it makes sense to replace the endpapers and/or recase the book; sometimes not. Gail presents two damaged books that require the simpler repairs. Fast and cheap!