Dear Bookseller,

Welcome to the October Bookseller Digest. In this issue, Abebooks on TV, an exclusive Brodart mailing materials discount, tips on ISBNs and textbooks, our Holiday campaign, and more.

Half.com Program Continues

Half.com will remain open indefinitely, rather than closing its doors October 14 as originally announced. This means you can continue to sell through the Half.com program. This is also a great opportunity to join and receive the benefits of listing in the Half.com marketplace. Benefits of the Abebooks Half.com Program.

Tips of the Month

Selling Textbooks Effectively
by Sue Connors

[Sue's Tip of the Month]

What You Should Know About ISBNs
by Tina, Customer Service

[Tina's Tip of the Month]

Abebooks Holiday Shop Opening Soon!

Abebooks will begin promoting a special area called the Holiday Shop at the end of October -- focusing on practical ideas for finding the perfect gift. Holiday Shop will feature:

• Contest - One of our lucky buyers will fly a family member home for the holidays, courtesy of Orbitz.
• GiftSleuth – GiftSleuth will work just like BookSleuth, only customers will post a description of the person on their gift list, and other customers can offer recommendations. We encourage you to visit often and make recommendations based on your experience. It’s a great way for you to connect with buyers.
• Gift Guides – Our gift guides will offer suggestions for finding books that will make personal and meaningful gifts.
• Pass the Story – Customers will join in writing a new version of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas in the forums, to encourage repeat visitors to our site. The final will be published on the site Christmas Eve.

Get your book prices ready for upcoming holiday features

We’re bringing back some of our most popular features in time for the holidays. Check the selection of books we’re showcasing to ensure your inventory is available and priced competitively.

Cookbooks
100 Best Children’s Books
100 Greatest Novels of All Time
Easton Press
Bestsellers of the 20th Century
Coming to Theatres

We are also preparing a special feature for the super-winners of our comic books poll – Spider Man, Superman and X-Men.

Coming to the Rare Book Room

Get your rare and collectible books ready for upcoming Rare Book Room features on Hans Christian Anderson and Charles Dickens. Find out how you can contribute items and get listed in our directory

Watch for Abebooks on A&E, CNN, MSNBC, and More!

Abebooks is running television advertisements on A&E, CNN and more throughout October. Visit the Forums to view the ad now.

Introducing the Avid Reader Book Club – First Title is Life of Pi

Approximately 1000 members will read Life of Pi by Yann Martel as the first book club selection. This is a great chance to sell books in your inventory and price your stock competitively. The first discussion will take place on December 1. Interested in joining? Sign up today.

Abebooks on the Road

Abebooks in Frankfurt, New York and Vancouver

Our teams hit the streets of Frankfurt, New York and Vancouver this fall promoting Abebooks. See the pictures of the Abebooks team in action.

Watch for Abebooks in Austin

Meet Abebooks staff at the Austin Book Festival October 29 to 30. The festival features more than 100 free readings and presentations by top Texas and national authors at the State Capitol.

Join us in Chicago for CIROBE & Save $10 on Registration!

Join Abebooks at the Chicago International Remainder and Overstock Book Exposition (CIROBE), from October 29th - 31st at the Hilton Chicago. As an Abebooks customer, CIROBE is offering you $10 off your registration fee. Simply print out our coupon and present it at the door. And don't forget to visit us at booth # 2201. [Print the Coupon]

Attention Australia & New Zealand Booksellers -- Join the Amazon.com Program now!

We are happy to invite our Australia & New Zealand booksellers to join the Amazon program at no additional cost. Find out more details about joining.

Amazon A-Z Claims

Amazon guarantees the purchase of items ordered through their Web sites for return reasons “Item did not arrive” and “Item not as described.” If a buyer initiates an A to Z claim for an item that did not arrive, they will be refunded unless the bookseller has previously provided tracking information online for this order. Find instructions on how to add tracking information onto our Web site and read about recent Amazon policy updates.

Amazon.com Bestsellers
Find out the top performers on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca.

Bookseller Policy Updates

We’ve updated a few of our policies:

• If you use a traceable method of shipping, you are responsible for entering this information onto our web site before the buyer receives the item.  If you do not enter tracking information, returns initiated for reason “Item did not arrive” may auto-complete and the buyer will be refunded automatically. We realize this is difficult for some sellers and are working on a change to this system.
• Please update your account information and make sure we can easily reach you if needed. Abebooks reserves the right to withhold payment to accounts with incomplete or inaccurate account information (including inaccurate e-mail address or telephone number). 
• Abebooks may withhold payment to booksellers whose accounts are under investigation for a Code of Conduct Violation.  Payment will be released when the issue is resolved to Abebooks’ satisfaction.

Polls

How do you define a "remainder" book? Tell Us

How often do you compare your Abebooks prices to similar books on Amazon or Barnes and Noble? Tell Us

How do your prices compare?

Find out how your prices compare to current bestsellers. We have created a list of current bestsellers with the lowest prices listed on Amazon or Barnes and Noble. We will be featuring these bestsellers in the next Avid Reader – going out to 400,000 buyers. Make sure your new book and remainder inventory is ready and priced competitively. [See the Comparison]

Next Roundtable

Join us for the next Roundtable on October 27 at 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. PST. The forums will be open for questions on October 21. Please watch the forums for details.

Bookseller Spotlight – Powell’s Bookstores Chicago

This month meet Ryan and Brad from Powell's, and discover the ins and outs of selling remainder books. [Profile]

Win a Guide to Pricing Paperbacks

Wouldn’t it be great if you could determine what price constitutes a "fair deal" before you make a deal? Enter to Win Paperback Prices and Checklist – a guide to thousands of sales reports showing you current market value by Abebooks Bookseller Graham Holroyd. [Enter Now]