On 22nd September, around 40 AbeBooks booksellers headed over to Chetham's Library in central Manchester to attend the most recent AbeBooks special event in the UK. Two superb presentations of some of the impressive items the library holds were given by librarians Michael Powell and Fergus Wilde.
A few of items that were displayed are listed below:
Invoices of booksellers, 1655-85
Paradise Lost: A poem written in ten books - John Milton (1667)
Micrographia: or Some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies Made by Magnifying Glasses - Robert Hooke (1665)
Opera - Prosper of Aquitane (1539) Book owned by Henry VIII
Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica - Isaac Newton (First edition 1687)
Following discussion and perusal of a mere snapshot of the catalogue at Chetham's Library, Udo and I led a meeting focused on the listings on AbeBooks.
We discussed together in the group both what a good book description is from the eyes of a buyer or collector and how descriptions can be optimised to take advantage of what the AbeBooks system has to offer and how it works.
Top tips for optimising your listings and their descriptions were:
1. Tell your customer what the book is about
2. Send book information in separate fields
3. Add trustworthy copy to your description, describe the condition well
4. Attach photos – you will sell more!
5. Do your listings stand out in any way? Compare them to the other listings surrounding them.
6. Avoid confusing abbreviations
If you wish to receive any further information about the event and what was discussed, please let us know. Many, many thanks to Chetham's Library and particularly Michael and Fergus who shared their vast knowledge of the library and its contents to a truly captivated audience!