The BookThinker Newsletter ISSN 1547-9501 #99, 23 July 2007

BookThink Update
9 July 2007>>>

Update Announcements

How To Start A Clicks-and-Bricks Used Bookstore Organizing Your Business Part I: Naming Your Business Contributing Editor Jill Hendrix recently completed a series on how to write a business plan for a clicks-and-bricks used bookstore. If this seemed like an onerous undertaking to you, you may think that the next step - naming your business - would be by contrast both easy and fun. Well, of course, it could be, but it you trot through this step quickly and merrily, will you end up with a name that will power your business both today and in the future? Not likely. There are very important matters to consider here for open shop and online booksellers alike. Jill discusses them in detail in her article, "Naming Your Business."

The Best of Tomes, The Worst of Tomes Part II: A Guide to Selling Anthologies Part II of Ephemera Editor Michele Behan's series on anthologies appears today. This time she looks at that perennial collectible, The Story of Little Black Sambo, and how it can spell profits for otherwise ho-hum anthologies that contain the story. Along the way, there's plenty of historical background on Bannerman's classic and commentary on the ethics of marketing Black Americana.

From the Editor Important announcements for BookThinker readers.

Buying and Selling Children's Books Illustrators Rule! BookThink's Children's Books Editor and reigning Queen of Flashpoints, Guusje Moore, returns after a long absence today with a discussion of kit lit illustrators, who frequently overshadow the authors they work with. FOL sales are often fertile ground for snagging books illustrated by collectible illustrators - and just as often this ground is overlooked by generalist dealers. Money in the bank.

The Adventures of a Clueless Bookseller Who Knew? Also, our now somewhat-less-clueless clueless bookseller, Brenna Hopkins, contributes another column on her further adventures. This time she strays from the path some to enter the CD game field and, along the way, has some thoughts to share on ethical aspects of selling (or not) potentially objectionable stuff.

BookThink's Bookseller's Profiles William Smith, Hang Fire Books Speaking of long absences, guess what we have today? A Booksellers Profile! Hang Fire Books honcho William Smith has a go at it, and I think you'll be impressed at how much he's progressed in the short two years he's been at bookselling.

Gold Edition #40 How To Specialize in Bookselling Part II: Types of Specialties, Hypermoderns (1) Issue #40 of the Gold Edition - Part II of the new series, How to Specialize in Bookselling, is now available for purchase. Purchase now.

Special Subscription Package BookThink's Gold Edition Plus BookThink's Quarterly Market Report of Common, Profitable Books $59.99 Now available - Special Subscription Package includes a year of Gold Edition plus a year of Quarterly Market Report .... This can be used to start a new subscription or to extend current subscription(s). Click here.

BookThink's Quarterly Market Report of Common, Profitable Books Issue #1 Issue #1 of BookThink's Quarterly Market Report of Common, Profitable Books is now available for purchase. Purchase or subscribe now.

Previous BookThinker update-

BookThink Update
9 July 2007>>>

Update Announcements

UK Bookselling A Modern Day Agatha Christie? BookThink's Claire Main presents another potential money-maker for BookThinkers today, also a new contest. This time it's crime fiction in the manner of Dame Agatha Christie - Dolores Gordon-Smith's recently published novel, A Fete Worse than Death. Answer the 6 questions in her article correctly, and you'll be entered into a competition for a framed, signed publicity postcard and a Royal Flying Corps cap badge, which protagonist Jack Haldean might have worn. Should you or shouldn't you invest in first editions? You be the judge.

UK Bookselling An Interview with Dolores Gordon-Smith Also up is Claire's interview with author Gordon-Smith. Needless to say, chocolate is involved once again.

Top 10 on eBay April 2007 You may have noticed that we've fallen behind some on our monthly eBay Top 10s. We'll do our best to catch up this summer, starting with April's list today. Here's Associate Editor Pamela Palmer's take on the April finalists: "The Fiction Top 10 started out in typical fashion with heavy weighting toward Stephen King and son Joe Hill. Then at #9, it split into a 3-way tie, making it the Top 11 list. If you are wearing a hat, though, settle it firmly before checking out the Non-fiction list. This month saw strange behavior crop up, making it a wild international ride, especially for a certain buyer from China."