After quite a while resting on my more or less laurels (past listings) it's time to get a move on and put up some more listings. My goal is five books every day from now on. This should be achievable, but not according to my past performance.

These books get listed in three places: on Amazon, Biblio, and Half. Books without ISBNs (older books) generally will not be listed on half. My prices might vary between these three places. Amazon and Half tell me competing prices, so I peg mine on them. Thus, if the lowest price for Deadly Percheron is $98 on Amazon, I might peg mine at $95. If it weren't my only copy maybe I'd be more reasonable. In fact, I think my Biblio listing is more reasonable.

Going forward (and possibly backward), links to titles of books will send you to the main Amazon listing. My listing will be somewhere amidst the other maybe 237 listings. This is where my photo of the book can be seen, which will probably be a better one than the one Amazon features. Half doesn't let me attach my own photo—at least I don't think it does. Photos are also at biblio. Lots of older listings still don't have photos. Nor updated prices.

I've been lousy at selling direct via email. Sorry about that, if you've tried me. Listing through the major portals keeps me honest—also prompt and reliable.

Friday, May 9, 2003

BOOKCELLAR NOTES (5/7/03 WED):
---A couple more arrivals:
Kirk, Russell WHAT SHADOWS WE PURSUE: Ghost Stories, Volume Two, Ash-Tree '03, 1st, (Edited, with an Introduction by John Pelan), new in dj 45.00
---and:
Partridge, Norman THE HOUSE INSIDE, Subterranean '03, 1st edn, SIGNED, booklet, new 12.00
---Finally received this, after three or four reminders about my order. I should have also received another chapbook (Ligotti’s SIDESHOW), but I guess that is another no-go. I see it is listed as sold out on their webpage. I am getting tired of having my orders show up months later than other dealers, and my having to remind them to send books, and keep track of their doings lest I lose out. Regretfully, I ended sending them this email:
“I was waiting to return the not-ordered EMBRACE THE MUTATION ltd. expecting long ago the three more AZTECHS you promised (prior to its going OP). Also, Ligotti SIDESHOW and now BOOK OF DAYS which I hear has shipped a while ago but has not shown up here. It seems maybe you would prefer we just part ways. I can't be promising customers books and then have them disappear, with my orders evidently ignored. You seem to be doing fine without my business and you come up with some nice books to publish, so maybe we should just clean up this mess by declaring it null and void. Look for my check for recent invoices with book return. I would say cancel my orders but that seems to have happened already anyway.”
---My exasperation is tempered by the knowledge that there are many who I am sure perceive my own performance as no better. I well know how things can get delayed and seemingly lost, but I get the sense here that I do not need to keep trying to horn in and get books from someplace that will not seem to even try to keep track of my orders. Lots of dealers I am sure are swarming for the books published by Subterranean, so I feel quite superfluous as a source for their books. I apologize to those who I have led to expect I could supply these books. Maybe Subterranean will bow and scrape to keep my business, but my inclination is to give it up. I figured out a couple years ago, when I was also having difficulties that by 2001 I had sent Subterranean more than $10,000. What it has been since then I could figure out too, but do not feel so inclined at the moment. But I am sure it has been substantial enough--at least for my level of business. I guess not for theirs.

---CDs played:
- Black Box Recorder THE FACTS OF LIFE (Xgau: A Minus)
- Unsung Heroes UNLEASHED (Xgau: A Minus)

Blog Archive

Chris Drumm Books notes

Locus Online Blinks

Used books, out-of-print books, rare books at Biblio