Re: Amazon.com Advantage

**"bbmackey" b*@prodigy.net**

Sad but true, our titles get remaindered after a while because of the 
economics of publishing. Because of warehousing and taxation (one can be 
taxed on inventory carried over) a publisher is practically forced to 
liquidate perfectly good titles that are not hot sellers, even if they have 
years of moderate and valuable sales ahead.

Graham is wise to obtain his books. The more specialized or unusual they 
are, the better.

However, if a book is general in nature and was widely distributed, Amazon 
Marketplace is already swamped and the price is low. Before going all the 
way into publishing, I cowrote (as a work-for-hire, bad, bad) "The 
Gardener's Home Companion" (1991, Macmillan, 650 pages) which went through 
many printings and several editions, which actually were repackagings. It 
does not have color photos. I buy copies on the Amazon Marketplace for just 
two or three bucks each (plus shipping) and resell them, signed, at talks, 
for over ten. It's only a handful of books per year. I can't believe how old 
this book is!

Amazon Marketplace is a great place to sell books that are beautiful and 
unusual. I was annoyed when Amazon began the Marketplace program because it 
keeps some people from buying new books. Yet now I find that it has a lot of 
value in keeping out-of-print books in circulation.

The Amazon Advantage program does not let you specify that the books are 
signed. All the information is general. Amazon fills the orders. They will 
scan your cover, but they destroy a copy of the book to do so. You can send 
them a .jpg of the cover and keep the book.

All authors can go to Amazon and add background information about themselves 
and their books, whether they are in one of these special programs or not.

The Amazon Marketplace program allows you to describe the condition of each 
copy. The author's signature puts a book into the 'collectible' category, 
which is valued more highly. There is also a way to relist automatically, so 
it is not necessary to key all the information in for each copy. You fill 
the orders individually, but with padded book bags it's not too difficult. 
Unusual books can command quite a good price. There is a higher postage 
allowance for priority mail and international mail.

Books in Amazon Advantage and in Amazon Marketplace (click on "I have one to 
sell") show up on the same book listing page.

A few years ago I tried to sell to Barnes and Noble online but it was more 
trouble than it was worth. Has anyone had recent experience with them?

Best wishes,
Betty

Betty Mackey, Publisher
B. B. Mackey Books
P. O. Box 475
Wayne, PA 19087
bbmackey@prodigy.net
www.mackeybooks.com

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Graham Rice" <garden@tiscali.co.uk>

> That was my thinking, Betty, to sell copies of remaindered titles (of
> which I have a number of boxes... says he vaguely...!). I can offer
> the advantage that they'll be signed and listing them will give me
> the opportunity to move on some books, make space in my basement,
> make a little extra income, enhance my profile and, as you say,
> ensure that books are available without having to go through the
> business of packing and mailing them myself one by one. But with
> amazon needing a 55% discount I have to have bought them at a
> knock-down price to make it worthwhile.
>
> One the good things about this program seems to be "Advantage gives
> you the ability to include bibliographic data, descriptions,
> editorial reviews, artwork, etc.--all at no charge. We'll even scan
> your cover art." Have you made use of this facility? I see they've
> scanned your cover art for Creating And Planting Alpine Gardens.
>
> C.L. - It sounds as if you're sending books to amazon as they're
> ordered by customers while Betty is sending boxloads... Have you
> tried selling them through the Marketplace and perhaps getting a
> better percentage? Or will that mean selling fewer copies?
>
> I'm going to look into this some more and will report back.
>
> Graham Rice
> Milford, PA
>
>

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