Dear [bookseller],

Are you ready for the biggest sales season of the year? From math textbooks to literary classics, students need books. Sales have already started to climb, and are expected to peak in mid January. We know you're well prepared, but we wanted to share some important tips to help you have your most successful back to school season yet.

1. Consider which books in your inventory will be of interest to students. Remember, not all the books on the reading lists are strictly textbooks. Classic literature, Cliff’s notes, reference works, and more are all part of the student must-have list every year.

2. Enter an ISBN with each book and be sure to include condition, especially "new" or "used."

3. Ship quickly. Students are in a hurry and won't come back if they have to wait too long. Consider lowering your priority shipping matrix rates. If a student finds more than one copy of a book within his or her price range, the book with the fastest shipping may be what finalizes the sale. You can adjust your shipping matrix in the Members Menu.

4. Include tracking information when you update your order online. Students have time-sensitive needs, and may seek refunds for late books earlier than another buyer might. Tracking information will aid buyers in finding the location of orders that have been delayed in the post.

5. Answer student inquiries quickly. They are on a deadline and are savvy internet users – slow responses will result in lost sales.

6. Describe your books in terms that students understand. Our most successful textbook seller last season built special student-friendly descriptions that the customer could relate to.

7. Keep your inventory up-to-date. Top textbooks sell in the thousands each day so turnover rates are high and keeping current information is key. You may consider focusing your data entry to specific topics, fiction or other non-academic niche subjects. Check our list of last season's top 10 textbooks to help build your inventory.

8. Make sure your prices are competitive. Use our Price Comparison feature when entering books to see how other Abebooks booksellers have priced the same title, or check other marketplaces to see how competitor sites have priced their textbooks.

You can use HomeBase Price Partner to alter the price of your stock in HomeBase. Remember to make a backup first, in case you should wish to restore your stock to its original pricing. Download HomeBase Price Partner.

9. Clearly Label International Editions. International Editions sales have increased online in recent seasons. International Editions are permitted for sale on Abebooks as long as they follow the conditions outlined in our Bookseller Policies. Please enter "International Edition" (no abbreviations) in the description of the book. As well, be sure to note the differences between the International Edition and the original book in the description, such as if the book is black and white, soft cover, or printed on non-standard paper.

10. Check out Textbook Central. Take a minute to learn more about what we are promoting to students on Abebooks Textbook Central.

We look forward to working with you to drive another successful textbook season for our booksellers, and invite you to give us your feedback.

Sincerely,

Sue, Jordan, and Shaun
Abebooks Account Management

Bookseller Policy
Abebooks has defined policies and rules to ensure high customer satisfaction for both booksellers and book buyers. Being familiar with our policies will assist you in making your Abebooks experience a successful one.

Visit the Bookseller Policies.