Feedback from buyers on Amazon.com

As promised from last post here is my opinion on feedback a seller gets from buyers on amazon.com.

The Basics:

There are three types of feedback on Amazon.com

1) Good- this is a rating of 4 or 5 (Hopefully a 5)  This suggests that your buyer was very pleased with their purchase, the shipping time and their contact with the seller.

2) Neutral- this a a rating of 3. this suggests that the buyer was not disappointed with the sale and customer service but they weren’t exactly impressed either. Maybe the shipping time was to slow or they didn’t like the packing.

3) Negative- this is a a rating of 1 or 2. This means that the buyer was not satisfied with the purchase or the buying experience.

All of these scores affect your feedback rating. Buyers can see your rating on every listing that you post. It may actually become the deciding factor in a sale.

Here’s what they buyer sees:

$14.00 + $3.99shipping LOW ITEM PRICE

Used – Very Good

Seller:  abookintime2 Rating:100% positive over the past 12 months (9 ratings.) 9 lifetime ratings. Shipping: In Stock. Ships from TX, United States Expedited shipping available See shipping rates Comments:   Ex-library with standard stamps and stickers. Still a beautiful copy that looks unread.

 In example lets say that there is a book for the same price and in the same condition but one buyer has a 100%  feedback and the other only 89% feedback then the buyer will likely select the seller with the 100%. This alone makes your feedback of utmost importance.

Getting Feedback:

Amazon.com does not require their customers to leave feedback for the seller. It is really up to the buyer to do this. It is best to include a feedback request when sending the buyer their notification that their item has been shipped. You can say something like; If you enjoyed your experience with this seller please consider leaving them some feedback. Your opinion matters. There will be instructions on how to leave feedback at the bottom of yuor packing slip included with your order.  Nine times out of ten a buyer will not leave any feedback. The buyers who are extremely please or extremely disappointed will leave feedback. Amazon suggests that there is a 10% feedback rate that correlates with the number of sales you make. This is about right.  So if you are a small time seller, less than a 1,000 items, then you will not have loads of feedback.

 If you are desperate for feedback then you can leave each customer a feedback request through email. Again it is still up to the buyer whether or not they want to reply. Don’t Hassle The Buyers. This can result in negative feedback.

Here is an example of what feedback looks like:

5 out of 5:	“received in a reasonable timeframe and very good condition.” Date: 6/8/2008     Rated by Buyer: This is where the buyer’s name and order # would be. I have removed it to protect my buyers’ anonymity.
5 out of 5:	“Very nice!” Date: 4/2/2008     Rated by Buyer:
5 out of 5:	“Good customer service!” Date: 12/23/2007     Rated by Buyer:
5 out of 5:	“Very fast arrival, thanks!” Date: 12/6/2007     Rated by Buyer:
5 out of 5:	“Item arrived promptly, new and in original box.” Date: 11/18/2007     Rated by Buyer:
5 out of 5:	“A newer seller but one who really cares about providing excellent customer service. I look forward to dealing with you again, soon. Thank you!” Date: 11/6/2007     Rated by Buyer:
5 out of 5:	“Shipped over night, left work early to help me out” Date: 10/12/2007     Rated by Buyer:
5 out of 5:	“Great quality, quick shipping, thanks!” Date: 10/11/2007     Rated by Buyer:
5 out of 5:	“Book was as described, in good condition. It also arrived promptly” Date: 9/23/2007     Rated by Buyer:

 

Avoiding Negative Feedback:

To avoid negative feedback one should do these three things:

1) Always package your books properly. Buyers often leave negative feedback if their item is damaged in shipping due to the poor packaging methods of a seller. Bubble wrap everything!!!

2) Always send the buyer a shipment notification. Let your buyer know you got their order and you have shipped it within the two days you were required to. tell them where you shipped from. Who you used to ship it (USPS, FEDEX, UPS)  and how long it should take to get there. In this notification also tell the buyer they can contact you at anytime for help or questions.

3) If you get a negative feedback do your best to work with the buyer (i.e. give them a refund and let them keep the book). If you do this ask them to consider removing their negative feedback. Note: you can not trade feedback do notmake a deal like I will refund the book if you remove your feedback. This is a no noon amazon. Remember it is the buyers right to express their opinion all you can do is try to change their opinion with speedy response and good customer service.

Hopefully you can see how important feedback is on amazon. It can greatly influence your sells. Next time: I will discuss how to manage your inventory.  

How to package a sold item for shipping on Amazon.com

packaging books on amazon that you have sold is important. It is your last and first impression on the buyer. They may forget how many books you had in your storefront but they will never forget a poorly packaged item and they will not order from you again.  Amazon wirtes the following in thier seller help guide:

Prepare a professional, clean package. Use new shipping/packing materials intended for packing items like yours. Avoid the use of drying materials or similar substances. Seal all shipments tightly and be sure to wipe away any dust or debris that may have collected on the item before packing for delivery.

Preparing your packages with care and professionalism makes good sense.

Use a complete return address, printed in a neat and legible manner, on all packages. Include your seller name in the return address.

Prominently label the package with the message, “Your Amazon.com Marketplace Order.”

This however is the bare bones minimum that a seller should use to package books. The best method is to ship using a bubble envelope. One should wrap thier book in butcher paper, like a present, and then insert that into a bubble wrap enevelope. You could wrap the book in bubble wrap first and then insert into a regular enevlope, or a padded envelope for extra protection. For soft cover books include a  peice of cardboard to keep the package rigid and avoid bending. If the book is hardcover it is best to package it similalry but make sure there is paper or peanuts at the top and the bottom. Heavy books can get dinged on the edges during transit. Dinged edges = unhappy buyer= bad feedback.

You can get bubble wrap cheaply from a number of places as well as the envelopes. I get my envelopes at the dollar store locally. Two for $.50. Larger sellers generally get thier supplies from places like http://www.uline.com/ whic provides these supplies in bulk. All packaginshould include a thank you of some sort. Most sellers choose to put it on thier packing slip that you print out when the books is sold. make sure the packaging looks professional. this means take your time and do it right. You want a five star feedback rating.

That is the basics of packaging if anyone has questions let me know. I can get very specific. Next time: Feedback and why it is so important.

When Packaging Goes Wrong on Amazon.com

I wanted to share with you all what happens when a seller does not package their books correctly. I am active on the Amazon.com seller forum and I have recentlyrun into a situation with buying a book from a seller. The packaging method, or lack there of that this seller used cause the book to be very damaged. Here is the conversation I have posted about it thus far. Hope you find it interesting.

 

abookintime2   Report Posts: 48 From: Texas Registered: 10/16/07

What should I do? Posted: Jun 13, 2008 8:19 AM   Reply Okay, so I bought a book from another seller, who will remain nameless, for a class I am taking for the summer. I paid like 60.00 for it. It was listed as very good condition. When I received the book it was stuffed into a flat rate box with no wrapping and it was all bent up. the corners of the book were mashed in the binding was tearing away from the page. It was just warped like crazy. So I sent the seller this email: I was very disappointed in the way in which you shipped this book to me. You shoved it in a flat rate box to save some money because of its large size. It had no protection or wrapping of any kind. When I received it the spine was all bent out of shaped and was beginning to detach from the pages. All of the corners were smashed in and the book will not lay flat. I ordered this book for a summer class and I need it so I am unable to return it. However, the book was not in Very Good Condition as you described it. Please do not ship your books this way. You can wrap the book in bubble wrap and then put it in the cloth material flat rate envelope at the post office and still ship for the same price. I am seller and I understand how much feedback can hurt your business. Please respond and I will rate your customer service instead of your packaging methods. Partial refund perhaps? So he replies: Sorry for the problem w/ your book.  I sold over 50 psychology books – I would estimate over half of them went into a flat rate box w/ no other issues.  Thanks for the email w/ your problem.  I will look at different shipping methods or different flat rate boxes.  Thanks again for the email! I am pissed. I don’t think he really gave me any response here. An apology doesn’t cut it. He needs to give me a partial refund or something. Right? So I reply: What are you going to do about the damage to my book? It was not as described. I haven’t gotten a reply yet. I can’t return the book because the class already started. I have to have the book. It is just that I don’t package my books this way and all the other sellers I have purchased from don’t do it this way. It’s just unprofessional. Should I give him poor feedback. I hate leaving bad feedback but this is just not acceptable from another seller. I hate that he says I didn’t have a problem with the other books I sent out so … implies: you must be lying.  Opinions, suggestions? Please… P.S. I posted this here so new sellers can see what happens when they don’t package their books properly. Message was edited by: abookintime2

bluecookies00   Report Posts: 6,977 Registered: 2/8/06

Re: What should I do? Posted: Jun 13, 2008 9:02 AM   in response to: abookintime2   Reply You have a few choices. Before you do anything wait for his e-mail back to see what he says. Then…1. File an A-Z claim. You’ll get your money back this way. 2. Settle for a partial refund if the seller agrees. Either way leave appropriate feedback.

happeeface   Report Posts: 3,259 From: An island of tranquility between two major cities Registered: 2/8/06

Re: What should I do? Posted: Jun 13, 2008 9:47 AM   in response to: abookintime2   Reply What a jerk!You’ve got to tell him what you want–don’t leave the solution in his hands.  I’d tell him I want a 50% refund.  If you don’t get that within a few days I would file an A-Z claim.  If you do get a full refund through A-Z you might want to return the book wrapped properly so he knows what that looks like. No matter what happens with the refunds I would leave him the appropriate neutral/negative feedback after everything is resolved to your satisfaction.

abookintime2   Report Posts: 48 From: Texas Registered: 10/16/07

Re: What should I do? Posted: Jun 13, 2008 1:00 PM   in response to: happeeface   Reply Thanks you two. I felt like this wasn’t right. He still hasn’t responded to my last email. The thing is though is that I can’t return the book until after my class if I do return it.

salem-books   Report Posts: 932 Registered: 6/12/06

Re: What should I do? Posted: Jun 13, 2008 1:21 PM   in response to: abookintime2   Reply I don’t think you made it clear what you wanted.  You wrote a lot about how to ship properly and the condition of the book.  And then at the end are three little words- easily missed  If a partial refund was important, you should have made it more clear.See what the seller responds to the second email, and go from there

happeeface   Report Posts: 3,259 From: An island of tranquility between two major cities Registered: 2/8/06

Re: What should I do? Posted: Jun 13, 2008 2:14 PM   in response to: abookintime2   Reply You’re welcome.I wouldn’t wait for an answer.  Just write and tell him what you want and that he has until Monday to respond.  Then, if you aren’t satisfied you should file an A-Z claim.  I wouldn’t threaten the claim, just do it if you aren’t happy after a few days.  Let us know how it turns out. Good luck!

abookintime2   Report Posts: 48 From: Texas Registered: 10/16/07

Re: What should I do? Posted: Jun 13, 2008 3:11 PM   in response to: happeeface   Reply I wrote to him again following your advice. This is what I wrote:Maybe I was being a bit unclear about what I want. Just because the other books you shipped didn’t have damage does not mean mine doesn’t. You just got unlucky with me I guess. I don’t appreciate the idea that you use this excuse as a means not to give me a partial refund for the book since it has been damaged. I want a 50% refund on the book. I have to keep the book so I guess 50% will be fine. I am sorry but you packaged the book incorrectly and you have to deal with the consequences of that. Please respond. Thank you but a simple apology will not placate buyers in this business, including me. I will keep you guys updated okay.

sevenne   Report Posts: 269 Registered: 2/8/06

Re: What should I do? Posted: Jun 13, 2008 3:49 PM   in response to: abookintime2   Reply Sorry, but if I received an email demanding a 50% discount on a $60 book because of some transit wear I would be telling you to return the book immediately for a refund.50% is just greed for greed’s sake. I’ll bet any money that acceptable copies of that book are on sale for $58 in much worse condition than the copy you currently have.   If you actually wanted a partial refund you should of sent a request asking for a reasonable discount . 50% on a  textbook that the seller can sell again in a matter of days is plain outrageous. All you have now accomplished is to tick off the seller and make yourself look like a scammer. 20% maximum is appropriate.

jettyfisherman   Report Posts: 763 Registered: 3/1/06

Re: What should I do? Posted: Jun 13, 2008 4:28 PM   in response to: abookintime2   Reply If the seller reads this thread{and many do}, now they know you need the book and probably won’t return it.  It looks like a A to Z is your only option.

abookintime2   Report Posts: 48 From: Texas Registered: 10/16/07

Re: What should I do? Posted: Jun 13, 2008 4:45 PM   in response to: sevenne   Reply I’m sorry but I fail to see how this is greedy? You seem like you are mad at me. I am certainly not a scammer. The book was damaged and was no longer in the manner described. If you were a seller maybe you would be upset but if you were the buyer you would definitely be upset. $60 dollars is alot for one book and I expect to get what I pay for. I am not asking for the whole price back. Why 20%?  Is there some sort of set limit on this?  Anyway I was merely following the other posters advice. Maybe you should have posted earlier. By the way would you ever send a book in this manner to a buyer.  It was so wedged in the box that I couldn’t even pull it out. I had to get my boyfriend to hold on to the box while I pulled. If you were the buyer, trust me you would be upset. If I bought something at a retail store and took it home only to find missing pieces or broken parts I would get a full refund. 50% is not mean.  Message was edited by: abookintime2

abookintime2   Report Posts: 48 From: Texas Registered: 10/16/07

Re: What should I do? Posted: Jun 13, 2008 4:47 PM   in response to: abookintime2   Reply Also, this wasn’t transit wear, this was improper packaging.

abookintime2   Report Posts: 48 From: Texas Registered: 10/16/07

Re: What should I do? Posted: Jun 13, 2008 4:48 PM   in response to: jettyfisherman   Reply Am I supposed to return the book?

abookintime2   Report Posts: 48 From: Texas Registered: 10/16/07

Re: What should I do? Posted: Jun 13, 2008 4:51 PM   in response to: abookintime2   Reply It’s a textbook, most people purchase text books for classes. This is probably part of the reason he feels he can get away with crappy packaging. He assumes people need the book and won’t complain. If he reads this maybe he will see how frustrating his actions are to his buyers.  By the way all, I was putting this up here, not to argue but to make it clear to people how frustrating it is to get a book where the packaging was so bad. It is really frustrating to the buyer. I am going to redouble my own efforts for proper packaging as well. I don’t want to put my buyers through this.

abookintime2   Report Posts: 48 From: Texas Registered: 10/16/07

Re: What should I do? Posted: Jun 13, 2008 4:53 PM   in response to: abookintime2   Reply I feel bad enough complaining about something to a fellow seller. I just can’t not complain in this situation. Seriously, it looked like he was trying to stuff an elephant into a walnut.

snuglismom   Report Posts: 47 Registered: 3/4/06

Re: What should I do? Posted: Jun 13, 2008 5:14 PM   in response to: abookintime2   Reply OP wrote “You can wrap the book in bubble wrap and then put it in the cloth material flat rate envelope at the post office and still ship for the same price.”I do not ship anything in a flat rate envelope unless there is ample room for bubble wrap. I understand your frustration. I am curious about the cloth material flat rate envelope you mentioned. I’ve seen the tyvek that are based on weight, but never a Flat Rate cloth material envelope. Is this somehing new?

cranerea   Report Posts: 401 Registered: 4/29/06

Re: What should I do? Posted: Jun 13, 2008 6:13 PM   in response to: abookintime2   Reply Perhaps you should check the going rate of the textbook in “acceptable” condition, and use that as the basis for your refund request.

happeeface   Report Posts: 3,259 From: An island of tranquility between two major cities Registered: 2/8/06

Re: What should I do? Posted: Jun 14, 2008 8:46 AM   in response to: sevenne   Reply I don’t see a 50% refund as greedy.  The book sounds as though it arrived in terrible condition.  And the stress and disappointment of the buyer is worth something.  Asking for half back from the seller is a lot better than filing an A-Z claim and getting 100% of the money back–and keeping the book.

happeeface   Report Posts: 3,259 From: An island of tranquility between two major cities Registered: 2/8/06

Re: What should I do? Posted: Jun 14, 2008 8:57 AM   in response to: abookintime2   Reply I think your letter is very good.You could order another book from a seller with a high feedback rating and then return that book when the other one arrives–hopefully in good shape.  What is the feedback rating of the seller you got the book from?

abookintime2   Report Posts: 48 From: Texas Registered: 10/16/07

Re: What should I do? Posted: Jun 14, 2008 10:18 AM   in response to: happeeface   Reply So he just replied with this.It is normally not an option…I only take returns on problems.  It gets very complicated and does not ever seem to work out.  But, we’ll give it a try.  What do you feel is an acceptable refund? Let me know. Is he suggesting that this is not a problem? What does he mean it does not ever seem to work out? He must be a new seller right? What should I say is acceptable?

abookintime2   Report Posts: 48 From: Texas Registered: 10/16/07

Re: What should I do? Posted: Jun 14, 2008 10:24 AM   in response to: snuglismom   Reply Snuglis,I am refering to the tyvek envelope. I was told at the post office it was a cloth mailer. I looked it up on USPS and it is suggesting that it is the normal $4.80 to mail something in this envelope. They list it as Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope: Tyvek. I live in a city where people at the post office don’t speak English most of the time. Seriously, last time I went to the post office I didn’t hear any English until it was my turn in line. When I asked what it was they said cloth maybe it was lost in translation.  Good question.  Thanks. BTW I happened to have another text book sent to me in this type of mailer so I tested it with the warped book to see if would fit with room to give and it did. I agree with you about not shipping without bubble wrap.

So as you can see this can be very frustrating. packaging a book the proper way it the first step to customer satisfaction.  I will post more about how to package properly later.  I will also keep this one updated.

How to price a book to sell on Amazon.com

There are a few factors to consider before setting a price for your book on amazon.com. Always take a look at what the other sellers are pricing their books for. View the page where you will be listing your book. Look for the highest price and the lowest price. Once you have found those, look at the condition of each of those books. Once you decide what condition to list yours in use that as a way to decide how much you should list yours for. In example, if the highest price book is listed at $30.00  and is in like new condition, and the lowest price book is listed at $1.99 in acceptable condition, and you have a book that is in very good condition you should list it above the price being asked for the next lower condition but under the price being asked for the next highest condition. If there are several books in the same condition as yours, and you want your book to sell, list it below the lowest price for that condition. this should be done only if this is not the lowest price for the book. If this is the lowest price on the page then match it.  

Another important point is to consider profit. You need to figure out how much amazon is going to take from the sell. For books they take a $.99 closing fee and 15% commission. Amazon then gives you $3.99 for standard shipping (6-14 day shipping) and $6.99 for expedited (3-6 day shipping) , and if you send your package media mail it will not cost that much unless it is an extremely large book. In example, let’s say I sell a book for $15.00. Amazon would take $3.24 so then I have $11.76. Add to this 3.99 for shipping and I get $15.75. Shipping and packaging costs come out to .50 cents for bubble wrap envelope and $2.81 for shipping, so I am left with $12.44. I paid .50 cents for the book at a used book store so I made $11.94 in profit. The math here is relatively easy. To make it easier you can list how much you paid for each book you bought on an excel sheet so you can better calculate loss and gain. If you are paying more to ship and pay amazon than you are making on the book reprice your book at a higher price or a lower price so amazon can’t take as much.

Another thing to consider is how much is the book really worth? If it is a first edition and has very little wear it might be worth listing at a higher price or even as a collectible, for collectibles there is a minimum price you can list the book for that is set by amazon. (Several sellers will have listed the book at this price so list at this price and write very good description to grab the buyers attention.) Sometimes books are listed for a penny when you know they are worth more. Charge what you think is reasonable and wait. Eventually, these penny books will sell, and their sellers will loose money, and then yours will be available to buy at a good price and for a profit. NEVER SELL A BOOK FOR A PENNY. It doesn’t work. 

Finally, one should consider the ranking the book has. if a book has a very high ranking such a in the top one hundred, it is a very desirable book and will sell quickly. Price it competitively for the page it is listed on. if a book has a very low ranking like 52,965,128 it is either undesirable or rare. Again look at the page and price it competitively. Amazon ranks their items by the number of searches and clicks an item receives. Just because a book has a low rank doesn’t mean someone isn’t looking to buy it. List it.

Hope this helps if you have questions about this post or other thing about selling on amazon please don’t hesitate to ask. Next time: I will write about how to package your books effectively.        

Automatic pricing programs on Amazon.com (beware)

I know I said Iwas going to talk about pricing on my last blog but I don’t have time today to write a long post. Sorry so long since the last one…I took a leave of absence. This one will be short. Long one next time.

Many sellers on Amazon.com have some type of automatic repricing engine or program attached to their inventory. Basically, what this does is, everytime another seller lists below what this seller has listed as the lowest price, the automatic repricing program takes effect and lowers the price of their own book by a penny. This ensures this seller has the lowest price listing at all times.

This is Horrible for everyone. Why? Because the next time someone list an item on that page at lower than the lowest price the same thing happens.  On a popular item these programs start a spiraling price war and the value of the item that anyone can list it for eventually goes down dramatically. Especially if there is more than one seller on that listing with an auto repricer.

How to fix this problem: The best way to fix this problem is list an item at the same price as the lowest price. This does not set off the machine. The machine only works if you list lower than the lowest price. Price matching therefore is the responsible way to go. That way there could be several sellers listed with the lowest price. There is still competition  and now it based more on description accuracy and feedback of each seller instead of a penny difference in price. Buyers will enjoy having several sellers to choose from at the lowest price point. Everyone loses with this thing in action.

How to improve the quality of a book to sell on Amazon.com

There are several little tricks that a seller can do to improve the quality of their books to sell on amazon.com. These are not a guarantee only recommendations.

For loose binding:

Binding is the part of the book that the pages are connected too. All to often, with older, but otherwise valuable books, the pages are beginning to come away from the binding.  This is something a bit of rubber cement (clear color) can fix. Cut a piece of plastic of cardboard just a bit smaller than the binding. Coat one side with rubber cement and slid it between the chunk of pages and the binding itself. The pull it back out to coat the pages and binding. Make sure not to over due it on the amount used. Then give the binding a press down onto the table to make the glue stick to the pages. You will have to hold it this way for awhile. The glue should dry and the binding  and pages should stick a bit better. Make sure you are honest in your description. Say something like “binding has been artfully repaired”.

Smoke smell:

Often used books that you happen to pick up come from homes where people have been smoking inside. Since cardboard cloth and paper are porous they often soak up this smell. Febreeze works wonders on the pages. Just get a bottle of febreeze and while flipping the pages spray the febreeze downward. Hold the can about a foot away. Continue to flip the pages carefully and quickly to dry them. For the cover of books. Take some 409 orange scented cleaner and lightly spray a washcloth or paper towel with it. Wipe this over both covers of the book.

For price stickers:

It is always a wise idea to remove price stickers from books. If you’ve gotten a bargain you may want to sell your book for a higher price. If you send the book to the buyer with a price sticker on it that is cheaper than they paid get ready for some negative feedback. Goo Gone, (let me stress that this must be a very small amount, otherwise you risk staining the cover,) takes the stickers right off.

Books that look like an elephant sat on them:

To straighten, square and tighten a book there are a few methods you can use.

Method One: Libraries use a method called tightening to keep thier books looking good. All you do is place the book in a bookshelf with several other books. Make sure there is no give in books. They should all stand up straight and not move or tip over. The book there and let pressure do its job.

Method two:

Two old tennis rackets or snow shoes. Remove the handles with a hacksaw, then get eight square peices of wood. these will serve as clamps. Drill holes in all eight peices through thier center. Using a nut and bolt system (You need four nuts and four bolts) Place the bolts upright, slide one the first peices of wood, one over each bolt, slide the first tennis racket over the that , place your book (make sure you set it to be saquare and unlopsided) in the center of the racket and slide the next racket over that, then the four remain peices of wood go one, one peice on each bolt. Finally, slide the nuts onto the bolt and screw to tighten them so they place and adequate amount of pressure on the book. Let it sit and watch it reform. You now have a device that you can use over and over again.

Next time I will talk about pricing your books so they will sell.  

Selling on Amazon (how to gauge quality of an item)

Amazon.com is a great place to sell your things, especially books. Books, at a cheap price, or free, are relatively easy to come by. Because I am seller, I will not reveal to my competition where I get my books, but if you do a little looking around your own city you should find some resources. The major problem with purchasing used books is knowing how to list their quality. Amazon gives the following choices for the condition of the books:

 

• New: Just like it sounds. A brand-new, unused, unread copy in perfect condition.
• Like New: An apparently unread copy in perfect condition. Dust cover is intact; pages are clean and are not marred by notes or folds of any kind. Suitable for presenting as a gift.
• Very Good: A copy that has been read, but remains in excellent condition. Pages are intact and are not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.
• Good: A copy that has been read, but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact, and the cover is intact (including dust cover, if applicable). The spine may show signs of wear. Pages can include limited notes and highlighting, and the copy can include “From the library of” labels.
• Acceptable: A readable copy. All pages are intact, and the cover is intact (the dust cover may be missing). Pages can include considerable notes–in pen or highlighter–but the notes cannot obscure the text.
• Unacceptable: Moldy, badly stained, or unclean copies are not acceptable, nor are copies with missing pages or obscured text. Books that are distributed for promotional use only are prohibited. This includes advance reading copies (ARCs) and uncorrected proof copies.

I find it interesting that these are the guidelines. They a pretty straightforward. However, I have seen many people list a book as good when it should be listed as acceptable. I often see people listing books as new that have most certainly been read and so on. The biggest thing is pushing the boundaries between the ranks of condition. Many sellers will list a book in very good condition when it is only good. They do this because they want the higher priced sale for a book that is in better condition. However, when selling books, it is best, when one is not sure where the condition lies on the scale, to list it one lower rank than they think.  That way the buyer will be pleasantly surprised when they find a book in better condition than they were expecting. This also applies to the reverse; the buyer will not be angered when the condition of the book is what they expected. This is important because people have varying ideas about what these different rankings include. In this situation it is best to err on the side of caution.

Another important thing is to make sure that the book is described accurately. Make note of every flaw you see. Your condition ranking should match the amount of flaws visible.  By being overtly honest with your customers you will receive buyer loyalty and good feedback, which is what your sales are reliant upon. You can also find some good qualities about your book and list those first. In example, if your book is highlighted, but not excessively make it sound good. Write “only minimal highlighting”. If there are notes in the margins, write, “relevant notes in the margins”. These tips could prove very useful in getting that sale over a competitor. Just remember buyers like description and honesty. The better your description the better your chances of gaining the buyers trust and their money.

Still confused? Here is a sample of one of my listings that I just sold today. Make note of how I made sure to talk up the good qualities as well while listing the negative ones. Next post I will discuss ways to improve the quality of your books.

Condition:	Used – Good
Comments:	Nice glossy hardcover w/o DJ. Cover shows some wear on back. Pages and binding are in mint condition. Ex-library with standard effects.

Selling Penny Books on Amazon.com and why it doesn’t work

Sometimes, we see a deal we think is too good to be true. I have had a business on Amazon.com for over a year now and I keep coming across a very strange and seemingly unprofitable business model for selling books. I wrote this article for my myspace site and I then I posted it on the amazon.com forums. I have yet to find a convincing rebuff to it. No one can quite explain why selling books for a penny is a good business model. They also fail to calculate additional costs into their bottom line. They fail to include costs of packaging per book, travel to the post office, etc. I would be interested to know what my readers think.

Dear reader,

    As  a bookseller on Amazon.com my goal is to provide my customers with a good book at a reasonable price. It is also my responsibility to get their book to them in a timely manner and in the condition it was described. However, like anyone who runs a personal business the major goal is to make a profit. I do make a profit, but I often price my books as low as I possibly can to still make a profit and offer the customer a good deal. The question in my mind is how much of a price cut is too much…. perhaps charging only a penny seems a bit ludicrous? Read on to find out what I mean….      

   As a book seller I have often been taken aback to find people selling the same book I had wanted to list for a single penny. Seriously, $.01. Wow, I figured to myself how do they make a profit? Chances are they don’t. Every seller gets a $3.99 shipping credit from a buyer for standard shipping on books. So if I sell a book for a penny, one which did not cost me a penny, but more likely in the range of  $1.00 – $5.00, depending on the source and quality of the book, I am now up to $4.00 from the buyer. Amazon.com charges a $.99  closing fee plus 15% commission. After the math is done there, Amazon gets 1.59 from the sale, leaving the seller with $2.41 in profit.  Now the seller has to mail the book to to the buyer. USPS media mail rate seems to be the best method for standard shipping requests. If a book weighs one pound and 2 ounces, for example, the cost of postage is $2.47. This means the seller is now at ($ 0.06), they just lost money on their sell. This of course  is not including the cost of the book for the seller, the gas spent to go to the post office, or the time to list and package the item in the loss. Therefore, the loss is ostensibly more than six cents. 

      Not only are these sellers not making a profit from each book, they are also, nine times out of ten, not providing an accurate description of the text they are sending you. All you might get is that it is ex-library, or even, and I swear I have seen this more than once, you will receive the best copy available. What does that mean? I have also purchased many books on amazon.com. I always avoid the one penny sellers because in my opinion, and from a seller’s point of view, something just doesn’t seem to be right about that price. As a seller I would never sell a book that did not make me a profit. I am certain that as a buyer I would not want to purchase something I have never seen and don’t know the condition of.  Why would I spend my money on something that appears wholly untrustworthy? As a seller I caution you as a buyer of books to think twice before you jump at the penny price tag…Beware you might be getting the bad end of the deal.

BOOKS FOR A PENNY? TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE!!!!

I welcome comments or explanations as to how a seller can get away with losing money in their book selling business. The only thing I can think of is they make it a tax write off, but still numbers just don’t seem to add up.  

Very Truly Yours,

A Book In Time