Bookseller Digest UK

File Processing Delays - 22nd December

We are currently experiencing some processing delays which means that some of your updates may not be searchable online yet. We are aware of this issue and are working hard to ensure that all updates are applied as soon as possible.

Please avoid re-uploading your files as this could create further delays. Remember that you can check your Book Count Report in the Members Menu to make sure that we have received your files.

- Sign on to your AbeBooks account.

- Select [Your Books] from the Members Menu.

- Click [Yesterday’s Billable Listings: xx].

- Check the “Recently Uploaded Files – Status Report” section for your files. If the status is “Listings loaded into database,” then we’ve received your file and your books will be searchable soon if they aren’t already.

We thank you for your patience and understanding!

We are currently experiencing some processing delays which means that some of your updates may not be searchable online yet. We are aware of this issue and are working hard to ensure that all updates are applied as soon as possible.

Please avoid re-uploading your files as this could create further delays. Remember that you can check your Book Count Report in the Members Menu to make sure that we have received your files.

- Sign on to your AbeBooks account.

- Select [Your Books] from the Members Menu.

- Click [Yesterday’s Billable Listings: xx].

- Check the “Recently Uploaded Files – Status Report” section for your files. If the status is “Listings loaded into database,” then we’ve received your file and your books will be searchable soon if they aren’t already.

We thank you for your patience and understanding!

We are currently experiencing some processing delays which means that some of your updates may not be searchable online yet. We are aware of this issue and are working hard to ensure that all updates are applied as soon as possible.

Please avoid re-uploading your files as this could create further delays. Remember that you can check your Book Count Report in the Members Menu to make sure that we have received your files.

- Sign on to your AbeBooks account.

- Select [Your Books] from the Members Menu.

- Click [Yesterday’s Billable Listings: xx].

- Check the “Recently Uploaded Files – Status Report” section for your files. If the status is “Listings loaded into database,” then we’ve received your file and your books will be searchable soon if they aren’t already.

We thank you for your patience and understanding!

We are currently experiencing some processing delays which means that some of your updates may not be searchable online yet. We are aware of this issue and are working hard to ensure that all updates are applied as soon as possible.

Please avoid re-uploading your files as this could create further delays. Remember that you can check your Book Count Report in the Members Menu to make sure that we have received your files.

- Sign on to your AbeBooks account.

- Select [Your Books] from the Members Menu.

- Click [Yesterday’s Billable Listings: xx].

- Check the “Recently Uploaded Files – Status Report” section for your files. If the status is “Listings loaded into database,” then we’ve received your file and your books will be searchable soon if they aren’t already.

We thank you for your patience and understanding!

We are currently experiencing some processing delays which means that some of your updates may not be searchable online yet. We are aware of this issue and are working hard to ensure that all updates are applied as soon as possible.

Please avoid re-uploading your files as this could create further delays. Remember that you can check your Book Count Report in the Members Menu to make sure that we have received your files.

- Sign on to your AbeBooks account.

- Select [Your Books] from the Members Menu.

- Click [Yesterday’s Billable Listings: xx].

- Check the “Recently Uploaded Files – Status Report” section for your files. If the status is “Listings loaded into database,” then we’ve received your file and your books will be searchable soon if they aren’t already.

We thank you for your patience and understanding!

Bookseller Payments - Christmas 2008

Due to the timing of Christmas this year, your weekly bookseller payment will arrive one working day later than usual.

Instead of being paid on Friday 26th December, which is a bank holiday, UK booksellers will receive their weekly payment on Monday 29th December. The following week's payment will be transferred as normal on Friday 2nd January. Over this period, your AbeBooks statements will be issued as usual each Friday.

Please follow the link to our Bookseller Help pages, if you would like to know more about how to view your account payment details. 

Wishing you a happy and healthy Christmas weekend!

Customer Service Times - Christmas 2008

We would like to inform you that our Customer Service team will not be available on the following dates over the Christmas period:

Wednesday 24th December - Sunday 28th December (inclusive)

Wednesday 31st December and Thursday 1st January

Any enquiries that are received on these days will be dealt with as soon as possible. Should you wish to contact our Customer Service team, please use the online Contact Form. Just to remind you, our normal business hours are Monday to Friday 8am - 5pm GMT.

From all at AbeBooks, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a joyful and successful New Year!

Most Expensive Sales on AbeBooks - November 2008

1. Goslar Gospels - $7,470 - £4878
   Limited facsimile edition of 300 copies published in 1990. A replica of one of the most exquisite books from the 13th century. Bound in leather with 30 biblical scenes.
2. Edge Chronicles by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell - $7,000 - £4569
   A complete set of the children’s fantasy series containing Beyond the Deepwoods, Stormchaser, Midnight Over Sanctaphrax, Cloud Wolf, Curse of the Gloamglozer, Last of the Sky Pirates, Vox, and Freeglader. All titles are first UK editions with signatures of Stewart and Riddell.
3. Narrative of a Journey to the Shores of the Arctic Ocean, in 1833, 1834, and 1835; Under the Command of Capt. Back, R. N. by Richard King - $5,995 - £3904
   Published in 1836 in full leather, this first edition describes the George Black Arctic expedition. Written by the chief surgeon and naturalist on board the vessel, this is an important companion work to Black’s account of the journey.
4. Cinq livres De l'imposture et tromperie des diables: des enchantements et sorcelleries, pris du latin de Jean Wier by Johann Weyer - $5,867- £3821
   Five books on the attacks and deception of devils written by Weyer, who was a leading Dutch physician, occultist and demonologist. He was one of the first people to campaign against the persecution of witches. Published in 1570.
5. Dreams From My Father by Barack Obama - $5,500 - £3581
   Signed first edition of the 2004 reissue of the President-elect’s first book.
6. Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer - $4,000 - £2604
   A complete set of all four books from Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series. All books are first editions, first printings in fine condition. All copies are signed by the author.
7. Encyclopedie Paris 1751-1772 by Diderot & d'Alembert - $3,911 - £2549
   Reproduction in 18 volumes bound in fine brown silk; includes 3000 original etchings of Paris with captions and more than 1,000 entries in French. This 1981 replica was limited to 3,000 copies.
8. Wolf to the Slaughter by Ruth Rendell - $3,841 - £2502
   First edition in fine condition of the author’s scarcest book - signed and published in 1967
9. Histoire Charmante De L’Adolescente Sucre D’Amour by Joseph Mardrus and Francois-Louis Schmied - $3,781 - £2465
   A 1927 limited pressing of only 150 copies of Mardrus’ work with illustrations by Swiss engraver François-Louis Schmied.
10. Autograph of Sir. Joshua Reynolds - $3,764 - £2450
    A rare autograph from the 18th century portrait painter.
    

AbeBooks’ top 10 bestselling signed books for November 2008

1. The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
2. A Mercy by Toni Morrison
3. The Widows of Eastwick by John Updike
4. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
5. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
6. Once Upon a Time in the North by Philip Pullman
7. Dreams From My Father by Barack Obama
8. A Most Wanted man by John Le Carre
9. Indignation by Philip Roth
10. Brisinger by Christopher Paolini

Top 10 bestselling books on AbeBooks.co.uk for November 2008

1. Dreams From My Father by Barack Obama
2. Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart by Bret Hart
3. A Champion’s Mind by Pete Sampras
4. On the Beach by Nevil Shute
5. Have You Seen The Crocodile? By Colin West
6. Once Upon a Time in the North by Philip Pullman
7. Epicenter by Joel Rosenberg
8. The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
9. Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
10. The Morville Hours by Katherine Swift

Royal Mail postal strikes - Christmas 2008

Please be aware that there are several postal worker strikes planned to take place on Friday 19th December, the day before the last Christmas posting date. The strikes, due to last for 24 hours, will affect the following sorting offices:

Bolton, Coventry, Crewe, Liverpool, Oldham, Oxford and Stockport

As a result of these strikes, parcels are likely to be delivered later than expected. If you have orders that could be affected, we would recommend that you make the buyers aware that their orders may be caught up in the delays. Alternatively, you may also want to consider sending the parcel using a different service and requesting Extra Charges in order to guarantee that it will get to the buyer before Christmas.

Please do respond to buyer queries promptly and take the opportunity to provide good customer service by warning those buyers that may be affected.

 

Arabian Nights - 1,001 Words Story Writing Competition

Have you seen the details of the great new competition running on AbeBooks.co.uk?

Penguin have worked their magic on The Arabian Nights and AbeBooks.co.uk has a very special competition prize for one lucky booklover. AbeBooks has teamed up with our friends at Penguin Classics, and we have one of the 3,000 special limited edition box-sets of The Arabian Nights: Tales of 1,001 Nights to give away.

Just released by Penguin, the three-volume set is a new translation by Malcolm and Ursula Lyons and has a recommended retail price of £125.

The Arabian Nights is one of the best known and most influential works of literature ever written. This translation is the first into English from Arabic since Richard Burton’s seminal translation in the 1880s. The box-set also includes new translations from 18th century French of the so-called ‘orphan stories’, for which no original Arabic text remains.

To review the full special on this feature, please click here.

Textbook Season Preparation

As the New Year approaches, so the next textbook season will slowly begin and students will start hunting for those essential reading list titles for the next semester. With few copies of the titles they need in the university libraries, students are always looking for competitively priced copies online. Make sure you have uploaded your text, reference and any other type of education books you have.

Our top textbook season tips:

• List in Quantity. If you have multiple copies available, use a Quantity field so that your listings are updated as you sell them. If you need, or would like to update your conversion, let our Customer Service team know, so that we can arrange for the necessary update(s) to be made on your account. They can also help you decide on the best way to update your inventory if you are unsure how to proceed.

• Provide Detailed Descriptions. The edition or publisher year are usually the deciding factor when a student buys a textbook – make sure you include all relevant details so they do not have to email you a question first. Remember that students often search by ISBN, so make sure you upload those details with each of your listings where available. For more tips on how to improve your book descriptions and increase your sales potential view our Sales Tips.

• Label your International Editions. International Editions are a great way for students to save money each semester. These are permitted for sale on AbeBooks as long as you include the term "International Edition" (no abbreviations) in the description so that it is clearly obvious that they are not purchasing the original.


• Price Competitively. Students are bargain-hunting experts, books are not cheap and they do not have vast amounts of money to spend. They will be comparing both your book and shipping prices, so make sure that your prices will fall into their budgets. HomeBase users, can download the AbeBooks PricePartner application to help ensure that they are offering the best prices.
  

• Adjust your Shipping Matrix. Make sure you update your shipping matrix to reflect shipping times you can meet. Faster shipping is always better, but students will initiate returns quickly if their books do not arrive on time. If you are able to, offer reduced shipping on the second item in any order. Tracking details prevent unnecessary returns and provide the buyer with excellent customer service.

• Don't forget your Customer Service. Excellent Customer Service is a MUST. Students are often in a rush, and may decide to shop somewhere else or initiate a return sooner than other buyers if they are not able to get hold of you. Fast responses will make sure they come back next semester. It is essential that you are able to deal with the queries coming in. Remember you are required to respond to ALL buyer enquiries within 48 hours.
  

Put your books on vacation this Christmas

Are you going away to visit the family, or taking a break in the Caribbean to beat the winter blues this Christmas? If you know that you won't be available to process your orders, don't forget to take your books offline first to ensure that you are not receiving orders that you cannot process.

Did you know that you can give your books a vacation too? The vacation tool allows you to remove your books for the period of your holiday, so that buyers cannot place orders for your books that you are not able to fulfil. 

Our Vacation Tips:

• Ensure that you set the vacation 24 hours before your holiday is due to start, you will prevent any last orders coming in whilst you are away.
• When entering the end date of your holiday, again set it 24 hours before you are due to return to your shop, you will ensure that your inventory is ready and waiting for you when you get back.
• Minimum subscription fees still apply for that vacation period, so if you know that you will be away for longer than 3 weeks you may wish to temporarily close your account.
• If you are not sure which route to take, contact our Customer Service team who will be happy to see which route makes the most sense for you.

To view the full instructions for putting your books on vacation please visit our Online Help Blog:

I am going on holiday. How can I temporarily remove my books from AbeBooks?