Sunday 30 September 2012

Cash from Amazon

From the books I've written:

Payment made to: ROCK HARD BOOKS(ROCFZ)


Our Supplier No.: 11910749

Supplier site name: ROCFZ

Paid to bank: Hidden for security

Paid to account: Hidden for security

Payment number: 3692573

Payment date: 26-SEP-12

Payment currency: GBP

Payment amount: 11.11

And from second hand book sales:

Dear uncommonadvice@googlemail.com,

We initiated a transfer to your current account (ending in 771) in the amount of £21.18 on 25/09/2012.

Thursday 20 September 2012

Rebel Bookseller

   Further to my review of "Kingdom of Books", I thought I would write a few words about "Rebel Bookseller" by Andrew Laties.

   The blurb on the back of the book would lead me to believe that it was right up my street - "Everything you wanted to know about the book business but were afraid to ask. Even I, after 40 years of writing, found this an eye-opener. Publishing, bookselling, 'should I open my own bookstore' it's all in this entertaining, biting book - Eric Carle".

   My problem with this book is the over detail. If it was 60 pages less I'd probably have been more taken. The author goes into such florid descriptions of the past that we probably end up knowing what he had for Breakfast on every day of his blinking career. He also drops more names than a Chinese phone book. The unfortunate thing as that I, as someone with no knowledge of the American Publishing industry, haven't got a clue who he has just name-checked. He writes in a conversational style - the only problem is that the conversation he is having is with Hank Wittenberger, the ex-CEO of some long defunct American Bookstore Chain.

   At 33, I am young enough to have been caught up in the 5-minute attention span-Youtube-Youporn era. I need short and to-the-point chapters, infographics, bullet points, website back-up and audio. If the written word hasn't grabbed my attention by the end of the first page of each chapter then forget it. Sad but true.

   If anyone reads the whole of  "Rebel Bookseller" and can summarise it down to one cue card then please get in touch.

Snidey complaint to Lidl

   Sent a snidey complaint to Lidl after a very small incident earlier this week. They replied with a really good voicemail from customer services. I am waiting to see if they are going to back this up with some vouchers in the post.

Richard Booth - My Kingdom of Books


   I recently sold my copy of Richard Booth's "My Kingdom of Books" on Amazon. As I wrapped it up to send I was reminded what an absolutely fascinating life is described within its pages.

   In a nutshell Richard Booth started selling the dusty tomes from his family's bookshelves in the backwater (and I can say that as a regular visitor) of Hay and Wye in the Welsh Marches. As his business grew he started to go far and wide buying job lots of books. His ever increasing stock pile meant he had to find more premises and he even invented the "Honesty Bookshop" where books are stacked up outside with a tin box for donations alongside. Over time other booksellers gravitated towards Hay. Today it is a thriving rural community - and an excellent place to visit. Richard began to know as much about developing rural towns as he did about selling books. Many of the views he puts forward in the book are the same sort of things that Mary Portas tells the government and big firms (for a fee) nowadays. Keep it local, keep it friendly but professional, bigger doesn't always mean better.

  I'd recommend this book to anyone looking to get started in the second hand book business or even anyone interested in how business can thrive away from the crack-riddled drug dens of the inner M25.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Booth


Wednesday 19 September 2012

Amazulu

   Have been busy in my regular workplace over the last couple of weeks so things have been relatively quiet on the Business opp front. I have managed to win an Ebay auction for 500 books at 5p per book though so should be able to top up my stocks next week. Have also done a bit of work to sort out my current stock (it was a mess - now slightly less of a mess). I'm sorting out a Power week in Mid October where I will devote every minute of the day outside of regular work to The System. At the point it'll be a good time of year to give a final report on my veg.

   In the meantime, Amazon income keeps on rolling on:

Dear uncommonadvice@googlemail.com,

We initiated a transfer to your current account (ending in 771) in the amount of £26.63 on 18/09/2012.

Tuesday 11 September 2012

I'm an Amazonian...

Dear uncommonadvice@googlemail.com,

We initiated a transfer to your bank account (last three digits 771) of £28.90 on 11/09/2012.

Friday 7 September 2012

Crime Scene Cleanup

An email to Scotland's biggest Crime Scene Cleanup company:

Hi,




I have no Crime Scene Cleanup experience but plenty of regular cleaning experience. I only work in the mornings and I'm available at any other time with my own transport. If you ever need an extra pair of hands around Alloa, Stirling, Dunfermline or Falkirk then please get in touch.



Kind regards,



Ross.

Poundlines Update

   Of the 4 items I listed I managed to get a sale on the Hello Kitty stickers - bought for £1, sold for £3. That's a 66% profit margin in my book.

   The rest will sell eventually. I'll just keep relisting on Free Days.

Boob Paintings

   Did you know that people are paying good money on Ebay for girls to smear paint on their Boobs and press them on canvas?

Weird but true.

Tuesday 4 September 2012

£17 more from Amazon this week

Dear uncommonadvice@googlemail.com,

We initiated a transfer to your bank account (last three digits 771) of £17.39 on 04/09/2012.