After quite a while resting on my more or less laurels (past listings) it's time to get a move on and put up some more listings. My goal is five books every day from now on. This should be achievable, but not according to my past performance.

These books get listed in three places: on Amazon, Biblio, and Half. Books without ISBNs (older books) generally will not be listed on half. My prices might vary between these three places. Amazon and Half tell me competing prices, so I peg mine on them. Thus, if the lowest price for Deadly Percheron is $98 on Amazon, I might peg mine at $95. If it weren't my only copy maybe I'd be more reasonable. In fact, I think my Biblio listing is more reasonable.

Going forward (and possibly backward), links to titles of books will send you to the main Amazon listing. My listing will be somewhere amidst the other maybe 237 listings. This is where my photo of the book can be seen, which will probably be a better one than the one Amazon features. Half doesn't let me attach my own photo—at least I don't think it does. Photos are also at biblio. Lots of older listings still don't have photos. Nor updated prices.

I've been lousy at selling direct via email. Sorry about that, if you've tried me. Listing through the major portals keeps me honest—also prompt and reliable.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

new book ordering now

Just when I thought maybe I was no longer sending orders out to publishers, I did get a couple done. Haffner books arrived today (three Hamiltons). NESFA are on the way. PS and Golden Gryphon I have new-found incentive to procure. I won't be getting many, if any, extras from what might already be spoken (or whispered) for, so anyone wanting to jump in with something for me to get -- do let me know (or remind me). Rule of thumb is that small-press/indie publishers I give a 20 discount.
The bigs, which I've been successfully navigating away from, to get out of Amazon's wake, are generally still 30%. Even if I've been avoiding new releases, there are plenty still listed in my catalog listings. And if a book is 20 years old and listed as "new", the discount applies. The condition of the book will generally still be "new" as well. Being all mail-order, I don't get browsers to manhandle the books. And I bag/wrap the books to keep moisture and dust away. Not always printed on the best paper, some aging will inevitably occur.
I am trying to keep up/catch up with people who contact me, but I've been woefully derelict on a few scores. I hope to be rectifying this.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Thursday, September 10, 2009

book sale pick-ups

Polk City has city bus service once a week: Thursdays -- by happenstance on the opening day of the big semi-annual Planned Parenthood book sale. So there I was in the big long line waiting to get in a couple hours early. Some big book hounds go crazy in there, but somehow it takes me a while to get in the swing of the proceedings. Eventually, though, I ended up with a fair quantity (if not quality) of books. View their covershots here.

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