Review: Rebel Bookseller

Subtitle: How to Improvise your own Indie Store and Beat Back the Chains

Overview

The title (and especially the subtitle) of this book begs any independent-minded bookseller to read it. I just wish that the book lived up to its promise. This was probably the most disappointing read of the last year. The author, Andrew Laties, has given us a memoir of his experience creating/expanding The Children's Bookstore (and other related businesses), and the constant struggle he experienced fighting the onslaught of the chain bookstores. Conceptually, it's right in line with what most small booksellers are facing. However, there is an overriding tone of defeatism that really disturbed me.

This is going to be a short review, because people that like this book are going to hate what I have to say, and people that don't like it will have very specific hates about it. If a measure of a books success is the emotions it raises, I'm sure this can be considered a successfully published tome.

Frankly, the book is totally oriented on techniques to support (or bury) a physical presence - Andrew goes so far as to dismiss the online bookselling market as an opportunity for low-wage bookstore employees to sell their stolen books (a point that he clarifies in conveniently buried notes). He is especially angry about Amazon, which he considers to have used many of his ideas to develop their marketplace. All-in-all, I found it to be an interesting, but uncompelling book describing the difficulties in maintaining an edge in a competative business environment.

(Note: Please read the comments to this entry - Andy Laties has replied with a blazin' response. I leave my comments to stand, but he provides some interesting commentary on his position, and the issues he wishes to shine some light upon. I may not have liked this book - although I was intrigued by some of the history - but I do appreciate his militancy and strong desire for change.)

Rating: 2 out of 10

Book Review: Online Bookselling

Subtitle: A practical Guide With Detailed Explanations And Insightful Tips
Author: Michael E. Mould

Overview

Provided as an e-book, Mould's Online Bookselling is a mixed bag - some great information combined with some not-so-great. We also have a problem with the spreadsheet provided, which is almost a direct copy of the information provided in The Windwalker Book. Our copy (release date Feb. 22, 2006) suffered from disk read errors, too; which can never speak well for an e-book release.

Content

Much of the landscape in the book is covered in other books, but at 209 pages, Mould's e-book probably covers the landscape more thoroughly than anyone. Some of the information borders on the too-simple (such as the "What does it take to get started?" section), while other information will be more easily accessed by a simple Google search (such as the list of packaging suppliers).

At its best, Mould's book can offer insights into improving your book sales. The section on "Where To Buy Your Inventory" is a clear winner; unlike other books, Mould gets into the details of each source and lets us know his personal view on each. He also gives some important details (including graphs) about his sales experience, including the effects of costs and prices on his sales and profitability.

Mould also uses some interesting techniques in this e-book. For example, the section on product packaging is packed with photos, but with a twist. He replaces the typical clear packaging tape with black gaffer tape for his demonstration, so it is completely obvious where he suggests the tape goes. Unfortunately, we would disagree with his suggestions!

One part of his packaging demos has him completely covering the shipping label with cellophane packing tape. Given some of the technical issues with both the 1-D and 2-D bar codes used by the postal system (as generated by Endicia and others), it's not a great idea to have any reflective overlay of the label's barcoding. I've read a lot of people saying "Gee, I've never had any problem"; however, we aren't really willing to gamble on these sorts of issues.

And this points to the problem with Mould's e-book: at its worst, it's pretty bad. Some sections either sound like bragging (as with the section "Examples of Gems I Have Bought and Sold", which seems to exist solely to fill up two pages of text) or are incomplete (such as the "Terms" section, which dips a toe into describing book defects, but leaves the reader wanting).

Then there is the spreadsheet. It is the spreadsheet created from content in The Windwalker Book, with only a few numbers changed. This is, to me, plagiarism, plain and simple. I've got a huge problem with that, and it's something that subjects Mould to some serious consequences - at the least, disrespect from other writers. If you are going to use it, at least credit Windwalker for the work!

Tone

It's personal, but somewhat authoritative. This would be fine if a) we knew how experienced Mould is, and b) we didn't notice obvious "bugs" in the suggestions. Overall, it seems alright - but reading some of the text seems like a waste of time. Succinct it is not...

Helpfulness

Sigh. I don't know - I found the discussions about scouting source and selling venues to be interesting, and the pricing information to be unique among bookselling books. On the other hand, I consider the packaging information to be wrong, and much of the text to be almost useless (in comparison to 10 minutes with a Web browser and Google connection).

And, of course, I have a real problem with the spreadsheet. Much of Mould's marketing of this e-book points either directly or indirectly to this information, but he never credits Windwalker for the work he pioneered. In fact, in an Amazon review of Windwalker's book, Mould states that he purchased his rival's book a week before his book was published, and hadn't had a chance to read it before he published his own. This is difficult to believe, given the easy-to-spot use of the data provided by Windwalker's book.

Conclusion

As you can tell, we aren't big fans of this e-book. In fact, even the fact that (at the time of purchase) it was e-book only was disappointing; one would think that a book seller would have a desire to create a book out of paper. We realize that printing costs are high for a paper book, but at $40 for a poorly produced CD-R, we ended up feeling somewhat ripped off.

Alas, YMMV (your mileage may vary), but this money is better spent on a copy of Windwalker, and a copy of Steve Weber's "The Home-Based Bookstore". And you'd still have enough money left over for a decent lunch. If you really want to get this text (now available in paperback, I believe), you can check out Mould's website at: http://online-bookselling.com/

Rating: 2.5 out of 10 (mainly useful for its scouting and pricing info)

Book Review: Selling Used Books Online

Subtitle: The Complete Guide to Bookselling At Amazon's Marketplace And Other Online Sites
Author: Stephen Windwalker

Overview

Selling Used Books (often referred to as "The Windwalker Book") is a soup-to-nuts guide to getting involved in the online bookselling business. Books such as these can easily fall into trap: they can become boring compilations of lists, quick-to-stale screenshots or rigid how-to lists. Windwalker is able to avoid all of these traps while still maintaining to-the-point details and insights into the costs and profits available with online selling.

Content

The content is typical of the genre; there are chapters about scouting sources, what type of books are easiest to sell and how to handle the business end of selling. The book hits in all areas, with great advice about where to find books, and detailed information about tax and paperwork issues. It's hard to give details without giving away the whole book, so I'll lay back on that. However, let's just say that this book literally saved us years worth of trial-and-error, and helped us come up with a focus for our book acquisition, order fulfillment systems and even the selling sites we use.

Tone

While filled with anecdotal experiences in the battlefield of online selling, Windwalker has found a balance between easy reading and hard data. One of the most important pages in any bookselling book is the page that provides a brief "spreadsheet" of expected income, sales volume and the related costs. This is an eye-opener, and will either get you excited or scare you away. Windwalker is clear about the rigors involved with online bookselling, and seems to want to raise the bar on the quality of sellers by providing good information.

Helpfulness

Um, this one is easy. This is one of the two most helpful books written about online bookselling, and is "required reading" for anyone serious enough about the business to open an Amazon account. If you are even *thinking* about online bookselling, Selling Used Books Online has to be in your library.

Conclusion

What else can I say about this? It's a pleasant read for a must-read bookselling book, and we can't recommend it more highly. Stephen's website is no longer available, but the book can be purchased on Amazon, eBay and most other venues. Just pull out the credit card and order the thing, OK?

Rating: 10 out of 10 (Get This Book!!!)

Book Review: Click & Mortar Books

Subtitle: Book Selling in the Internet Age
Authors: William and Jennifer Kinser

Overview

Click & Mortar Books is not quite a how-to book; rather, it is more like the memoir of the creation of a new book business by a dedicated (and pretty business-savvy) couple. The book is split into a Q&A sort of format, but rather than giving "do it my way" answers, they couch their answers in the experiences that helped them make their decisions. It runs the gamut from "Who can sell used book?" to detailed descriptions of using the Homebase software package. Extensive detail is given about the sales projections (and subsequent volume) of their business.

Content

The content varies between items about a physical bookstore (Click), internet sales (Mortar) and both (Click & Mortar). Each is useful, complete with anecdotal background and fairly useful. I, personally, found the information about the physical bookstore interesting (in fact, it was instrumental in helping me *avoid* opening a brick & mortar shop), and their book scouting reports interesting and fun. I also appreciated their detailed description of the venues they sell in - it, too, helped make some decisions about where we would focus our online sales.

This book has gotten rather slagged in the internet forum world - mainly from people that griped about them writing this book after only 16 months in business. I'll take a different view: I think that it was brave of them to talk about their successes, but even more brave to talk about their failures. I also think that there are many kinds of booksellers that can be served, and not all of them need to have their noses pressed in a copy of Mandeville's Price Guide.

The fact is, this isn't a book for the seasoned bookseller. It is a very good book for someone just getting started - but make sure you measure their advice carefully before you follow any of it. (Note: this is something I would say about almost any business guide.) For example, early in our bookselling adventures, we needed to get shipping supplies; we lived in the sticks, and had no local supplier of any worth. We followed their link (which eventually pointed us to Linton), and found the shipping supplier that we use to this day. However, we also blindly took their advice about envelope sizes to purchase. We ended up with about a 15-year supply of #0 envelopes (since we sell very few MM paperbacks), but not nearly enough #5's. Live-and-learn - we should have taken a closer look at our sales stock before making a buy decision.

Tone

This book is written in a very personal way: in the end, you feel as if the Kinser family are already your friends, and you just need to remember to invite them over for supper. The text is rich with experiences of beginning booksellers - which is a great for a beginner that would prefer to learn from someone else's mistakes. They don't pretend to have all the answers, and there are a few instances where you might choose a different path than they've taken. However, since they are open about their goals and decision-making process, the book gives you the ammo to take a different fork in the road.

Helpfulness

As I mentioned before, this isn't a book for the experienced bookhound. But if you are comtemplating a new book business (whether click, mortar or both), the Kinser's unrivaled willingness to share is probably a good read for you. This isn't the only book to get, but it is one of the few that may help you decide whether the business is for you.

Conclusion

Despite the gripes and groans of the internet forum bookmasters, I found this a great and inspiring read. I also found it a useful was to gain some experience without having to duplicate someone else's trials and tribulations. At around $20, a beginner can't really afford not to buy this book.

You can visit part of the Kinser's online presence (as well as order the book) from their website: www.thebookhive.net.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10 (but primarily for beginners)

Book Review: Complete Guide to Starting a Used Bookstore

Subtitle: Old Books Into Gold - Second Edition
Author: Dale L. Gilbert

Overview

The Complete Guide to Starting a Used Bookstore is considered the bible of the used book industry. Long out of print, you'll probably end up paying between $40 and $80 for a copy of this 199 page book. But it is an industry standard for a reason: it sets the stage for booksellers to see their work as a business, and not a joyful hobby.

Content

The Complete Guide, Second Edition, was printed in 1991 - long before online selling was a twinkle in anyone's eye. It is focused on a physical bookstore, and could therefore be easily dismissed as irrelevant in today's marketplace. However, making this assumption would be cutting yourself out of a significant wealth of information. Gilbert provides insight into the business aspects of starting, maintaining and selling out of a book business - all of which remains useful information to someone contemplating the bookselling business. He also offers great advice about physical layout, shelving, book maintenance and other details that are easily glossed over by someone hunched over a spreadsheet.

But if you do have an inkling that you'd like to open a brick-and-morter store, you simply cannot afford to ignore this text. One of the most useful sections is the chapter about "Hiring Help That Won't Hurt", which is an almost painful account of employees both good and bad. Since your employees can represent the greatest fixed cost of your business, you need to understand how to hire great help, and how to keep them motivated to sell more books.

Tone

The tone of the book is very personal; you feel as if you are getting a face-to-face meeting with a crusty (but successful) master of the book business. The fact is, I wish that I could spend a few days with him, since I'm sure there are 50 stories for every bit of advice listed. While he'd be the first to tell you to "find your own way", he is also quick and willing to tell you about dead ends and poor choices.

Helpfulness

Will this help an online seller? Sure - especially if you are just getting started, and wanted an inspirational text to help you get ramped up. It will also help you identify holes in your business plan that you may not have considered. If you are thinking about opening a physical store, you must buy this book. There is nothing else as complete or helpful as provided by this modest looking book.

Conclusion

So, pretty much an unqualified winner. It will be expensive (especially if you buy it in the spring, when people's minds turn to the lure of opening a bookstore), but both inspiring and useful. This will not tell you how to make a million on Amazon, but it will probably prevent you from shooting yourself in the foot by jumping into an ill-conceived business plan.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Welcome to the Well Read Book Blog

Thanks for tuning into our blog. We are online booksellers (although we have a small office open by appointment), and we've developed a lot of peculiar views about books and bookselling. You may agree, or you may disagree, but we sure hope you enjoy our posts.

We are going to start off our blog with some bookseller book reviews. Some of these books are very important for new sellers, while others are neither interesting or relevant. We aren't going to be holding to any sort of strict posting schedule, so it might be worth your while to subscribe to our RSS feed; in this way, you'll be able to see when our content changes.

So, here's to the start of a new blog. Drinks are on the house!