How to Describe Used Book Condition When You Sell a Book
As a bookseller, when you're listing a used book for sale online, you must give a detailed description of the book condition. It can be overwhelming if you don't know how to describe book condition. Here are some tips to help you describe book condition when you sell a used hardcover or paperback book online or in a catalog.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Examine the book you are selling and note the size of the book. The two most common sizes for paperbacks are mass market paperback and trade paperback. Standard sizes for hardcovers are more complicated and can be found at the link in the Resources section.
-
2
Note when you sell a book if the book has been signed or inscribed by the author. This will increase the value of the book. See the Warning section for cautions about booksellers selling a book that's signed.
-
-
3
List the book's edition when you sell a book. Is it a first edition? Second edition? First printing? Later than that and just call it a reprint. The edition can often be found on the verso of the title page - the copyright page. Quite often, the edition is not obvious or easy to discern. For example, a reprint is never a first edition, but reprints are not always marked as such. First mass-market paperback does NOT necessarily mean first edition. Become familiar with the publisher's publishing practices and the history of the book to figure it out.
-
4
Note if the book is a book club edition. Book club editions typically do not have prices on the dust jackets. They may look slightly smaller, or they may be indistinguishable from the original edition. If you have no dust jacket, it may be impossible to tell the difference between a first edition and a book club edition. Err on the side of calling it a BCE.
-
5
Mention when you describe book condition if the book is a remainder. Look at the book's page edges. Are there any stamps or marks, even just a dash by a magic marker? These suggest the book was a remainder.
-
6
When you sell a book, note the appearance and list all the flaws, if space permits. Using one of the standard terms of book conditions, identify the book's condition - New, As New, Very Fine, Reading Copy, etc. For more details, see my two articles, How to Identify a Book's Flaws and How to Rate Book Condition.
For more information on how to describe book condition when you sell a book, see the Tips and Warnings section.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Some booksellers simply rate the book according to the standard rating system and don't describe book condition in detail. It depends on where you sell your book - at your own online bookstore or at a bookseller like Amazon.com, ABE Books, Alibris, eBay, or somewhere else.
Never list a book as a first edition unless you're confident it really is a first edition.
Be careful with supposed signed copies of books! In some cases, what looks like an autograph or inscription may actually be just a printed signature. You can sometimes tell the difference by looking at the back of the page and seeing if the pen used to sign the book dug into the paper at all. Also, some autographs are forged. Be sure you know what the signature looks like or the provenance of the book before putting a high price tag on a signed book or even calling the book signed.
Resources
- Photo Credit http://www.flickr.com/photos/umjanedoan/497322109/
