Rating: 
Summary: An excellent resource!
Review: "Wow! I sold a few of my used books on Amazon and made a nice little chunk of change! I think I'll find some more to list, and become a bookseller!"Whoa, hoss. Yes, this is exactly how many people start selling used books online. But before you grab those Grisham and Clancy paperbacks at your neighbor's yard sale, do yourself and the marketplace a huge favor: Read this book. Whether you've been selling used books for years or just barely getting started, there's much to be found between the covers of "Selling Used Books Online". It's a well-organized, thoughtfully presented and thoroughly readable business resource. The selection and pricing strategies alone, if conscientiously applied, will likely return your investment in this book many times over. But this should also go hand-in-hand with appropriate book grading and description, as well as good customer service; these, too, are covered quite well and amount to best-practice models which would significantly improve the buying and selling experiences alike if widely adopted. The only book of its kind (at this writing) with relevant and up-to-date information specific to selling at Amazon, "Selling Used Books Online" is far more than a narrow formula for success in that venue alone. A cover-to-cover read will leave you more knowledgable about the used book marketplace in general, help you to avoid common mistakes, and give you the tools you need to achieve your goals. From a part-time "kitchen table" enterprise for extra spending money to a full-time career, there aren't many who wouldn't benefit from the advice of an articulate mentor with a great sense of humor who really knows his business. If you buy only one book on the subject, you can't go wrong with this one. You'll refer to it time and time again.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Really Worth It
Review: As a beginner, this book was a real disappointment. I'm sure Mr. Windwalker had better advice but kept it to himself. If you're just curious, go for it. But I certainly did not find $17 worth of information it in--nothing I didn't already know that is.
Rating:
Summary: Paid for itself by page 20
Review: As a complete newbie - this answers all your first rounds of questions. AND it gives you links and pointers to sources and resources you need for launching the online book business. It is especially helpful in training the "beginners eye" as to what books NOT to buy or list, with the expectation of selling them at a profit. Money well spent and it was delivered double quick.
Rating:
Summary: Windwalker's book is an online bookseller's friend
Review: As an online bookseller since 1998, I have often wished for a friend to sit beside me, guiding me through the complicated maze of selling used, rare and collectible books .... Stephen Windwalker's new book, Selling Used Books Online, is that friend for new booksellers and seasoned veterans alike. Windwalker gives the reader all the inside tips and information needed to succeed in online bookselling. He begins with the basics, including background and history, and progresses on to the nuts and bolts of the business such as finding your books and supplies and building your inventory. Much of the book is devouted to selling on Amazon.com, one of the most profitable selling venues available to seller's today. But most of the information in the book also applies to just about any sales venue on the Internet. If you are new to the business of online bookselling, this book is an absolute must-buy. It will teach you the basics and will continue to provide useful advice and valuable information as you grow and progress in your online business. Veteran sellers also will appeciate this source of bookselling information at their fingertips. Buy it, read it, absorb what you've read, then keep it by your computer as a friend while you list, sell and profit from online bookselling. In my opinion, it's the best book out there for aspiring, beginning and veteran online booksellers.
Rating:
Summary: The book that got me started...
Review: At some point I'd decided to start selling my books online, and started casting about for a useful guide from the pool of literature on the subject. Mr. Windwalker's book was the one that answered all my questions.
One section that really assisted me was his business model of Amazon selling: Business Plans based on 1,500...4,000...and 7,500 books listed. So far, his numbers have been consistent with my experience.
I probably could have figured all this out myself, but why? The book was certainly worth the investment. **Update: 9/25/03: I'm still in business (almost a year now), though I've long since encountered the reality behind one of Windwalker's prophetic statements. He mentioned that your initial sales should not be taken as a forecast of your future growth. My initial inventory -- from my personal collection -- sold quickly, creating an artificial spike in sales. My personal books were disproportionately valuable, and I priced them too low in my inexperience. After a couple of months, my true sales settled down to surprisingly consistent levels. Wayne Gralian
Wayne's World of Books / Krakow RPGs
Rating: 
Summary: hurting real booksellers
Review: Books like this are a real travesty because they undercut real booksellers who own stores and are trying to make a living out of it. Those who sell online as a "hobby" are the worst because they do not have to worry about any profit margins, as long as they can re-sell a book for more than they paid for it it is a win for them. Anyone who had been selling books for a living would have spent enough time around them to have done the research and know all the things that are contained within this book. So, all I see this book doing is creating an avenue for people who won't take the time to understand books and book dealing to be able to sell books and steal business from hard working book dealing individuals. Don't read this book...and remember book selling is a PROFESSION not a hobby and shouldn't be taken lightly or trifled with. This is someone's life and deserves to be treated with respect.
Rating:
Summary: hurting real booksellers
Review: Books like this are a real travesty because they undercut real booksellers who own stores and are trying to make a living out of it. Those who sell online as a "hobby" are the worst because they do not have to worry about any profit margins, as long as they can re-sell a book for more than they paid for it it is a win for them. Anyone who had been selling books for a living would have spent enough time around them to have done the research and know all the things that are contained within this book. So, all I see this book doing is creating an avenue for people who won't take the time to understand books and book dealing to be able to sell books and steal business from hard working book dealing individuals. Don't read this book...and remember book selling is a PROFESSION not a hobby and shouldn't be taken lightly or trifled with. This is someone's life and deserves to be treated with respect.
Rating:
Summary: Here is the place to start before selling books online.
Review: Don't even think about buying another book for resale until you read this book. A wonderful, sensible evaluation of the feasibility of selling used books via the internet. The author gives an internet bookselling history, many tips, and a valid philosophy of what it takes to be a successful business. Well written and well presented. This is a "must buy" book for veteran and novice sellers. Congratulations on filling a needed niche!
Rating:
Summary: Why this book works
Review: Five things strike me after reading this book and using it as a resource each and every day for the past month. One. It is like one long, enjoyable, rewarding conversation with a colleague, or maybe a mentor, who is blessed with a really terrific mix of experience, intelligence, humor, and humility. He really understands bookselling, and he articulates what "Amazon.com" is all about and how we independent sellers fit into the larger picture better than anyone I have ever encountered in person or in print. Two. He presents some very specific and original ideas that can be worth thousands of dollars to a bookseller when it comes to finding and selecting inventory. (A previous reviewer who said there was no new information in this book either did not read it or is not a bookseller, or both, in my opinion.) Three. The book is a terrific ongoing reference that I expect to consult and annotate on a daily basis for years. Four. Anyone who is going to prosper as a bookseller also has to be a good businessperson, and this book includes some well organized worksheets that got right to the heart of business and tax planning for booksellers. Five. This is not a book about selling widgets or wombats or bobble-head dolls. Windwalker loves books and bookselling and that reverence and love comes though in every chapter. The book does honor to what he calls the "noble profession" of bookselling, and that frankly makes it nice, maybe even empowering reading. I think, personally, that one of our own has written a classic bibliophile's and bookseller's book that will really help, over many years, to improve the quality of book life for online book buyers and sellers.
Rating:
Summary: Selling Used Books Online
Review: found this information-packed book to be quite helpful. It is a book that you would want to re-read often because some points or tips may have been missed during the first (or second) reading. Be prepared to take notes as you read. It is an easy-to-read, and easy-to-understand book. Great bookselling related resources are included. Highly recommended for anyone interesting in selling books (old or new) online.
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