I've been eBayed!!

**Celine Chatillon** · #1 May 24th, 2007, 06:28 PM

Get a load of this--My print book is already being sold on eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Im-Falling-for-t...QQcmdZViewItem

And it has had six bids already!

What do you think of people who eBay books--are they doing the world a favor, only themselves a favor, or are they taking away valuable royalties from the poor struggling authors? (I'm of the third opinion.)

**Mike** · #2 May 24th, 2007, 06:40 PM

Well there's a second-hand market for nearly everything, can't stop that world turning.

You could capitalize on it:
"Help! I'm in the Yardsale Down the Road"

**Celine Chatillon** · #3 May 24th, 2007, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike

"Help! I'm in the Yardsale Down the Road"

FANTASTIC!! Thanks for coming up with my next book title, Mike.

**Shara Lanel** · #4 May 25th, 2007, 11:35 AM

Celine, look at it as a chance for someone new to your work to try you out second-hand (same as libraries) then come back and buy everything new the second it comes out. I have a reader friend who does that. She'll buy out of print backlist from used bookstores, then haunt B&N the second she knows a new book is coming out. Now if your books are selling for a few hundred on ebay, I'd be right in the fray, if I were you, selling them yourself

Shara

**Celine Chatillon** · #5 May 25th, 2007, 12:20 PM

Well, with a little less than 3 hours to go on the auction, my book is up to $8.65. But with the $3 shipping and handling fee added in--it's about the same cost as the $12 new one at Amazon!!

And Amazon will ship for free most of the time!

Soo... why couldn't they buy a new book and give the author a royalty, huh? Sigh!

But you're right--if my book is worth selling used, then someone out there thinks it's worthy and may buy my next books news someday.

April Martinez · #6 May 25th, 2007, 12:50 PM

And it has 7 actual bids, so that's at least 7 someones who think it's worthy!

**Celine Chatillon** · #7 May 25th, 2007, 12:57 PM

That's one positive way of looking at it, April.

(But is it worthy only at a "used book" level and not a "new book" level?)

April Martinez · #8 May 25th, 2007, 01:00 PM

Not sure, but I'd consider it free advertising either way. Well ... okay, not exactly FREE advertising. It's costing a royalty or two, but that's still pretty cheap advertising.

**Mike** · #9 May 25th, 2007, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Celine Chatillon

it's about the same cost as the $12 new one at Amazon!!

That's a well-known effect on eBay, that people end up paying more than the same product is available for elsewhere. "Bidding fever" or something

**Shara Lanel** · #10 May 27th, 2007, 09:23 PM

Yeah, a used book has to come out at a much better price with the S&H for me to NOT buy it new.

**Celine Chatillon** · #11 May 28th, 2007, 03:25 PM

Yeah, why buy used for MORE when you can buy NEW for LESS?

It did sell at just under the cost of a new book--by about forty cents!