Special Announcements by Craig Stark 11 October 2012

Well, guess who.

It's been a few months, I'd say - see today's article for at least a partial explanation - and the move to a new host has been completed. BookThink is back in action, including the forum. Thanks to a forum update, better security measures are in place that should block the bots, and forum registration is an easy process that does not require administrative approval. A few moments registering, one hoop to jump through, and you're ready to post. At the time of this writing, there is an issue with the left column menu. When you click "Forum," sometimes it takes you in; sometimes not. Here is the forum link that will take you in every time:

Unfortunately, the previous forum was wiped out during this update. I have archived it, however, and if I or somebody else can figure out how to convert it to a usable format, I'll make it available on the website for search only. In any case, this is a fresh start, and I invite any and all readers to participate.

Re BookHunt (which many of you have been inquiring about), an API issue arose with eBay - namely, eBay discontinued support of the previous API BookHunt was written for. The developer is working on getting it back to working order, but since this requires considerable re-coding, it's going to take some time. I'll make an announcement when the new version becomes available, and meanwhile, thank you for your patience and please accept our apologies for the delay.

Chapter 12 of BookThink's Guide to Online Bookselling is nearing completion. This chapter addresses the Holy Grail of bookselling: how to use flashpoints for acquiring quality inventory. Longtime BookThink readers know that this topic has been discussed often here, but this whack at it goes into considerably more depth than I ever have before and couches things into a ca. 2012 context. If you're not a subscriber, you can get started here. New subscribers will receive all chapters issued to date and all remaining chapters as they are issued.

Also available now: BookThink's complete Gold Edition in PDF format. All 59 Gold Editions have been recently updated (and in some cases expanded) and combined into a PDF format e-book. A table of contents presents clickable report titles, and the entire document is searchable by keywords. The PDF format ensures 100% compatibility with all computers, tablets and smartphones, and it's easier than ever to take the Gold Edition with you on scouting trips. Purchase it here for $59.99. Click here to see several sample pages. (And yes, we're working on converting and updating 50/50 and QMR as well.)

Important: If you have previously purchased a complete Gold Edition package, this e-book is available to you at no charge. Email me at editor@bookthink.com for your copy. Also, if you have purchased any Gold Edition issues either singly or in groups at any time, we will subtract those purchases from the price of the e-book. Again, email me at editor@bookthink.com and we will research your purchases and forward a discounted invoice reflecting them.