From the Editor by Craig Stark #49, 8 August 2005

In the midst of what should be (according to conventional bookselling wisdom) the soft part of the bookselling season, my sales on fixed-price venues last month were up nearly 20% over what they've been running for some months. And eBay sales? Year to date, July was my second best month. This isn't to brag, just to debunk the myth that booksellers should take the summer off or even ratchet down their expectations until Fall - and to encourage you to sell the books your buyers want everydayoftheyearnomatterwhat! and thereby insulate yourself against seasonal downturns.

In case you don't know what these books are or how/where to find them, showing you has been, is, and will continue to be our sacred purpose at BookThink and the very reason we created both the Gold Edition and 50/50. Not subscribed yet? It's easy and (still) cheap >>> here.

Speaking of conventional bookselling, selling books at cons (or conventions) isn't at all the norm for most of us. As Tim Doyle will show you in Part II of his venue-expanding series, however, it can be a good fit for some and most decidedly a rich learning experience. Also, for those of you who have been waiting to exhale in anticipation of Tim's inventive, breakthrough floor display solution (promised in Part I), the time has arrived, and yes, you can color it black.

Finally, IOBA makes an appearance on the BookThink stage today with a history and overview of this growing and respected booksellers association. For those who haven't seen it yet, BookThink forum regular, IOBA member in good standing, and latest BookThink Profile victim Rick Marsh unleashed a mighty sales pitch for IOBA just last week >>> on BookThink's Forum.

That's right. If you aren't a member, you'll actually be losing money! As my formidable high school English teacher Mrs. Pond was fond of saying, "A word to the wise is sufficient."