selling your stuff on Amazon - part 7 - advice for newbies in the first post

apprentice_tycoon

Hi tescodisco - it must be very hard reading about everyone elses sales and not having one yet, teapots advice is spot on, maybe your descriptions need a bit of tweeking, read them from a buyers point of view and see if they sound OK.

For example- I used to write 'shows few signs of use' meaning the book looks as if it's hardly been touched, then one day I re-read it and saw it differently as 'the book shows *a* few signs of use' I didn't put the *a* in the line but it read as if it should be there, that description now sounds like a book that has been handled and has creasing. I went back through 100's of books re-writing the description - it was all down to perspective.

Now if I have a book that looks as if it has hardly been touched I say that 'it looks to have just been browsed'. I always say that it's 'smoke free' (I don't buy them if they smell) and state that they will be sent same day by 1st class post, because I can, if you can't send same day then word it differently like 'dispatch within 24 hours'. Teapot was right about offering international delivery BUT CHECK THE WEIGHT, you will lose money terribly if you get this bit wrong, look at the royal mail rates - link in the first post- then check the Amazon international postage allowances here and alter those books that are light enough to make it work.
I sold a paperback yesterday for 99p to a buyer in Australia, the postage allowance was £7 (before they took off their slice) it cost me less than £3 to post airmail, apparently it was a recommend book for a book club so she *had* to have it for the december meeting. A nice profit on the postage as well as the 99p I got from selling the book.

Good luck with them and well done on keeping the faith by listing so many without the reward of a sale to keep you at it

apprentice_tycoon

iwanttosave wrote:

Someone has clicked buy for an item of mine then emailed me to say they want to cancel it, do I just re-list it and leave it at that, or is there anything else I have to do?

Hi wanty, you'll have to refund then relist - then mutter under your breath

jo_b_2

Amazombie wrote:

I dont really understand this quantity challenge? Anyone can sell 100 penny books a month.

It should be about profit per month.

I may only sell 50 - 100 books per months but they average over £ 10 per item.

The Amazon challenge is more about mutual encouragement and support than any real competition! After all - there isn't any prize at the end of it - just a warm glow! :cool:

frivolous_fay

Site glitches are generally par for the course, but today I can't get into my transactions or completed listings... so my buyer's book isn't going to get despatched today unless they sort it soon!

soolin

I'm locked out as well, all I'm getting is a little message telling me they are aware of problems and to try again later.

Soo

halojones

I have sold 3 books in total now and only have just over 30 listed. I am totallyaddicted and am checking Amazon over ebay now.

apprentice_tycoon

halojones wrote:

I have sold 3 books in total now and only have just over 30 listed. I am totallyaddicted and am checking Amazon over ebay now.

I think that the reason everyone gets hooked so quickly is the no photos thing, I've lost count of the posts I've read on MSE on various boards where people have said that they have stuff to list but it's a bit of a bother and they've got this to do and that to do.....and it gets left for another week, with Amazon you can sit and list a handful of books while you wait for the spuds to boil or whatever - they make it very easy for you to get going.

stig

Has anyone else noticed a change in Amazon's returned search results which might be having an effect on sales?

Looking through some of my listings in detail to make sure that they are not only the lowest price but the lowest price in any category (I've been caught out by "as new" listings showing as lowest price when there were new listings available cheaper!) I notice that as well as returning prices for the edition you search for, Amazon now also gives details in a little box of every other available edition, both paperback and hardback, and lists the lowest price for each, both through Amazon and through Marketplace.

Every time a buyer looks at one of my books now they are being told if there is a cheaper edition available anywhere on Amazon - I'm sure they didn't do this before, and as I don't have time to check against every single edition I'm sure I'm losing out on sales because of this.

Anyone else noticed this change?

Stig.

teapot2

Hi Stig,

yes I'd noticed this when I was looking for books to buy this last couple of weeks. I thought it was new but wasn't sure. I guess its good for buyers but maybe not so much for sellers?

sara2323

Really upset with Amazon now!!

Just had my first 3/5 which has had an immediate impact on my feedback, it was from a buyer who returned the item after almost two months!

She said she did'nt realise she had received the wrong item until now!!

I asked to return item, refunded her full payment plus sent a cheque for her return postage.

I was just wondering if it will be better for amazon to have a feedback system like Ebay which affected the buyer as well as seller?