From the Editor 19 January 2015

We've been publishing the BookThinker now for some 11 years. In cyber-time, this seems like an eternity. So much has changed since 2003. But not everything has, and in antiquarian bookselling, given that it's a centuries old trade that's more about selling older things than newer, it's no surprise that most of the changes we've seen in recent years have been associated with what we sell, not how we sell it. The how is in fact pretty stable, and even the venues haven't changed much. I started selling books on eBay in the 1990's, and today it remains one of my most productive venues.

Speaking of venues, book fairs, though they have ebbed and flowed some, haven't changed much either. Recently, bookseller friend Adam Schachter set up shop at the 12th Annual Houston Book Fair, his first, and today his report follows another book fair article by bookseller Chris Lowenstein we published way back in 2008. It's not exactly a point-counterpoint, but I think the juxtaposition is interesting.

Some changes to BookThink's forum. Thanks to the efforts of online seller Pat Parker it has been remodeled to conform to BookThink's palette. Please note that guest access has been disabled - that is, non-registered users are no longer able to read posts or reply to them. You must be registered and logged in. Also, registration is now a two-step process that requires approval on this end. In most cases this will happen quickly; if not, please follow up with an email to me at editor@bookthink.com. I'm usually loath to make anybody jump through hoops to do anything associated with BookThink, but what this does is effectively shut down the dozens of bogus bot registrations and subsequent spamming we had been getting daily.

Due to the popularity of the "kitchen sink" sale it's been given a spot in BookThink's Store. Here's the deal: You get everything for $179.99, subscriptions to BookThink's Guide to Online Bookselling and BookThink's Author Reports along with all complete report packages - all Gold Editions, all 50/50's and all Quarterly Market Reports - and any revisions/updates to these reports as they are completed. The subscriptions include all current chapters and reports and additional chapters and reports as they are issued. This is a ton of bookselling content that, if applied, will pay for itself quickly and generate income for years to come. Click here to purchase it, and everything will be emailed to you as attachments within 24 hours.

Note to subscribers: Chapter 15 of BookThink's Guide to Online Bookselling has been delivered. If you didn't receive your copy, please check your spam folder first. If it's not there, email me at editor@bookthink.com and I'll send it to you ASAP. For those of you not familiar with the guide, a list of completed chapters may give you a better sense of what's going on:

4. How to Make Money Selling Books While You're Learning How to Sell Books: First Things First

5. How to Make Money Selling Books While You're Learning How to Sell Books: Closing the Gap on Your Competition

11. How to Identify First Editions: Books That Are, Part IV (The Essential Reference Library)

BookThink's popular First Edition Library Checklist has been reformatted to PDF and now includes thumbnail photos of cover art for all FEL titles. The FEL, for those not familiar with it, is a series of extraordinarily faithful first edition facsimiles of over 100 notable publications, most of them issued with protective slipcases. Many are now out of print and all are enthusiastically collected. As booksellers, it pays for you to know of them and about them. Our checklist package includes a checklist of all 111 FEL titles, thumbnail images of cover art, indications of most and least valuable titles, indications of rarest and most common titles, detailed issue points (where applicable), explanatory notes, and the full text of Stan Shelley's superb, illustrated primer on the First Edition Library.

If you have purchased the earlier version (which was available in DOC and TXT formats), you can upgrade to the new version for $5. The price for first time buyers is $14.99. Either option can be exercised by clicking here.

BookThink's forum can be accessed by clicking the topmost 4th column banner on the home page or by clicking here.

Also, BookThink's complete Gold Edition is now available 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.

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Contact the editor, Craig Stark
editor@bookthink.com

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