These are easy to understand suggestions for how to sell more books on Ebay.  I've had excellent growth in my first 18 months on Ebay--you can too. This guide assumes that if you are selling books, you like books and have some basic book knowledge.  So before you consider the list, consider this: If you don't know books, aren't willing to do the research and don't like books you ought to be selling something else.

1.  Be selective about your inventory, what you sell and don't sell.  Initially, I was less selective and made mistakes becaues of it.  Since I've become a lot more discerning about  what I sell, my sales have increased. Pick gorgeous books with great illustrations, and clean dustjackets whenever possible.  Make sure vintage books are in at least good condition  (I make exceptions only for very collectible books).  You can find a lot of books at garage sales, thrift stores, etc., but so often these are not good quality.  Be careful.  Develop reliable sources of attractive, sound, saleable books.

2. The more good stuff you list the mores sales you'll make.  I found that when my inventory topped 750 books my sales increased dramatically. List, list, list. Store fees are much lower than auction fees, so you'll need a store. I can't stress enough how important it is that you get more good books and get them listed.

3.  Select your auction items for the purpose of driving business to your store. Only list auctions that you are almost certain will sell (because you've done reseach).  You can locate deeply discounted popular new books at places like Sam's Club and Coscos, then resell these, if not for profit, to at least break even.  But more importantly to get new customers into your store. Ebay and Amazon are both good places to find books for resale that will drive more customers to your store.

4. The store again. If you don't have a store, open one.  If you have a basic store, upgrade to a featured (premium) store. You really will get more exposure on Ebay.  Don't depend on auctions alone to make your bookselling profitable.

5. Keep your prices fair and competitive but don't underprice, it makes you look suspect to many of us who are serious about book-buying. Research prices not only on Ebay but also Amazon and check out Addall as well. Before setting a price find out what the book is selling for on-line at other outlets as well as Ebay.  Book Collectors claim that they can get good quality First Editions on EBay for 50 percent less than they would expect (and are willing) to pay at other places. We need to raise the bar a bit.

6. Guard your feedback and provide outstanding service. Go the extra mile even when you know you're right. This means careful packaging and double-checking details. When you make mistakes (and you will), be quick to resolve and be gracious.

7. Take advantage of Ebay specials to list items at auction for reduced costs. You'll need to check your message folder daily to get in on this in time but it can be very profitable.

8. Describe your books accurately and thoroughly.  Don't forget to mention if there's a name in the book, if there's a scuff, if the binding is tiny bit loose, people want to know if the book smells like smoke or has a musty smell.  Descriptions matter because pictures don't always tell the whole story, be sure to mention if your picture is an accurate depiction or not.  Don't gloss over flaws and don't hesitate to emphasize the positive points. Learn some basics on book description terminology (boards, hinges, foxing etc.) so that you know what is actually considered "very good" condition and what is "fair." There are no hard and fast guidelines, but if you adhere closely to accepted standards your higher-end customers will appreciate it.

9.  Establish a work schedule for yourself and stick to it.  Know what you want to accomplish and take those goals seriously.  Your expectations for selling as a hobby, would of course, be different. But, if you mean book selling to be a profitable business you'll have to treat it that way.  On-line bookselling is not free money, it takes a lot of hard work to succeed.

10.  Spread the word, talk to people you trust, pass out cards with your store URL on it, develop a list of books that people can use to go to your store and place orders.  Send bulk emails out to your friends and family in your address book (make sure that they'll actually be interested, you don't want to be off-putting either).  By the way, while spreading the word, you will also get leads on collections of books for sale, estate sales, etc.

11.  Be prepard for typical business costs. This is one of the things that is most likely to put  newbies out of business.  Have a few hundred dollars set aside for fees, postage, supplies and book purchases.  Before you balk at this idea, remember, you're competing against folks like me who always have a set amount ready for business expenses.  Do you want it to work or don't you?

12. Use the tools that Ebay provides to create more sales.  The markdown manager and other tools provide great ways to increase your sales.  Get to know the tools and use them creatively and smartly.

13.  Pay attention to the time of year, current events and trends, seasons, etc. when you list books.  Save your Christmas books until the end of October and you'll get more for them.  Do you have a lot of books for kids with a spring theme?  List them in February.  Timing and current trends are both very important to creating new sales.

14. Most important, so I'm repeating it:  LIST, LIST, LIST. As your quality inventory increases, your sales will also.