Update Announcements, #96, 11 June 2007

First, BookThink's Contributing Editor Claire Main reports that Anne Yodice was first in line with the correct answer to the Magic Lantern of Kimbustan question posed in the May 28 BookThinker. The answer: "Just remember ... nothing in India is as it seems." Anne wins a special Magic Lantern of Kimbustan Treasure Chest containing a copy of the book itself and some associated promotional items. Congratulations, Anne!

Second, bookseller Jeffrey (Jay) Caton is spearheading an inaugural seller's conference in Columbus, Ohio in August. Details are here (and this information will be also posted for reference in our classified ads throughout the month of July):

You're invited to the First Annual Midwest Sellers Conference on August 18th & 19th, 2007 in Columbus, Ohio! This event is specifically for online sellers - primarily booksellers. We'll have roundtable discussions plus guest speakers who share business relationship techniques, small business tax specifics and more information to help improve your business. We'll also have a Vendor Gallery featuring services and products for online sellers. Registration is limited for this inaugural event. Use keyword "bookthink" to enjoy the early registration fee of $75 until July 12th, 2007. Visit our Yahoo group for registration, program & hotel information:

Next, Michele Behan, BookThink's new Ephemera Editor, is here with Part I of a two-part article on selling anthologies. Today's focus is on 19th century anthologies containing works of collected authors and associated collectible topics. If you know your flashpoints and include them in auction titles and descriptions, these otherwise low-dollar books can soar to significant final values.

Also, Contributing Editor Jill Hendrix is back this week with some serious nuts and bolts - the first part of her sample business plan for opening a bricks-and-clicks bookstore. Detail, I must say, is impressive. A new BookThink Open Shop Bookstores forum, moderated by Jill, has been installed for discussion of open shop bookstores.

Thomas Lee, author of 20th Century First Edition Classic Fiction: A Price and Identification Guide and First Edition Mystery & Adventure Price Guide has released a brand new 2008 edition, this time a double volume guide - 20th Century First Edition Fiction: A Price and Identification Guide (382 pages) and Medieval Whodunits and Other Historical Mysteries: Price and Identification Guide (77 pages).

Tom's superb reference features 2,350 titles by 161 collectible authors and includes first edition points, states (if applicable), etc., for both books and dust jackets. We've recommended Tom's guides before. This one is clearly the most comprehensive yet - highly recommended - and those of you who have used his previous guides know the pains he takes to provide as much detail as possible. It's available starting tonight on the BookThink website at an exclusive price for our users - $18.99 - the lowest you'll find anywhere. Click either here or the banner on the home page to purchase.

BookThink's NewsBlog is up and running. Check it daily for breaking news in the marketplace - and commentary. BookThink's News Editor Karin Bergsagel will serve as our primary contributor, and both yours truly and Associate Editor Pamela Palmer will be adding our two cents from time to time. If you stumble upon some important news yourself, please email me at editor@bookthink.com and I'll post it ASAP.

Finally - so much for making this brief! - don't forget that BookThink's MySpace website is fully functional. Several weeks out (at the time of this writing), we have 100 friends. Not enough! Get on board now, and please feel free to participate in discussions. Additional BookThink content available nowhere else will appear here from time to time. Here's where to go.

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Questions or comments?
Contact the editor, Craig Stark
editor@bookthink.com