I’ve always been a big proponent of business carving out their own space online, in the form of a website, storefront, ProStore, whatever your fancy. Often, it is difficult to see the advantages of this type of efforts because of the difficulty of drawing organic hits into your online space (aka marketing). Thankfully, eBay is continuing to help its sellers promote their own space on the site with the development of new marketing tools accessible through “My Ebay”. For them, both sellers and eBay it is a win-win initiative - I look forward to the continued development of this strain of thought on the site.
In back through some archived posts from fellow bloggers, I noticed an interesting article from this Monday entitled, “eBay Booksellers: Do I Give Away Too Many Secrets?“.
The jist of the article was a response to some curmudgeon criticizing Elaine for giving away too many trade “secrets.” Particularly irksome to said lover of protected markets was how Elaine shared the top collectible books and their prices because it only served to further “collapse” the market.
While all can agree that the bottom falling out on our book prices is quite bothersome, it is also this type of price competitiveness that makes independent online selling a viable market. Without competitive pricing we’d be nowhere against the bookselling titans.
Bottom line is good for Elaine (who I do not know) for feeling confident enough to be able to compete in the online bookselling market, even with giving her “secrets away so freely.”
And a free tip for the curmudgeon: Stop whining. If you cannot compete in this intensely (and admittedly annoyingly) competitive market change your business plan and practices to make it so you can. Innovate, step outside the box, be flexible - Elaine sure has done so. This is how the business world works - ceaseless innovation and reassessment, I suggest you take heed or else you’ll be chasing random bloggers fiscal year after fiscal year.
Alibris announced a neat program offering a scholarship to one of its sellers for the Colorado Antiquarian Book Market Seminar. The scholarship will cover not only tution costs, but also travel and related expenses.
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To apply please submit an application under the following guidelines:
Write a one-page letter (1,000 words or less) describing why you wish to attend and should be awarded the scholarship.
Include your 8 character Seller ID on your application.
E-mail your application (preferred) to scholarship@alibris.com or send it to Alibris, 1250 45th Street, Suite 100 Emeryville, CA 94608
All entries must be postmarked no later than July 7, 2006.
