http://bookthink.com/wordpress BookThink NewsBlog Wed, 07 Dec 2011 11:41:28 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en "In the ongoing Internet sales tax wars, Pennsylvania’s Republican Administration has staged a surprise attack with potentially nationwide impact. In a bulletin issued last week, Pennsylvania’s Department of Revenue asserted that state law dating to 1971 requires sellers who have sales agents or use warehouses in Pennsylvania ... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BookthinkNewsblog/~3/PsWjInSAXtU/ http://bookthink.com/wordpress/?p=1274 From slashdot comes news of an evolved e-textbook: "Most of today's electronic textbooks are re-purposed versions of print books. Nature has published an e-text that departs from the traditional book format and business model. Their Introduction to Biology e-text was created from the ground up and consists of 196 modules rather ... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BookthinkNewsblog/~3/lsHbaKgn6Oc/ http://bookthink.com/wordpress/?p=1273 Great tribute here to the dragon lady: http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2011/11/pern-the-first-world-i-wanted-to-be-real/ A great loss - she made a major contribution to the evolution of women, as both characters and writers in sci-fi/fantasy, and is largely responsible for the dragon in Sci-Fi. Thank you, Anne, for many happy hours in another world. Karin Isgur Bergsagel, BookThink News ... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BookthinkNewsblog/~3/bnpuZLXfATU/ http://bookthink.com/wordpress/?p=1272 Amazon continues its hegemony. If this blog post in the LA Times is correct, Amazon now has its eyes (or is that just one Sauronesque eye?) on a Smartphone: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/11/amazon-smartphone.html As with the Kindle Fire, it will be a tool - a Trojan Horse - to bind buyers even more tightly to the ... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BookthinkNewsblog/~3/lRCuimyPiMQ/ http://bookthink.com/wordpress/?p=1271 Many sellers have been puzzled by a recent unannounced roll out of a new (and helpful) feature on their Amazon inventory page. Some items are identified as 'Active (with quality alert)' What it means is that the listing itself (not your description) is "...has missing, invalid, or poor-quality information. The tool highlights ... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BookthinkNewsblog/~3/9jb75bnxMb4/ http://bookthink.com/wordpress/?p=1270 Any help would be welcome, and perhaps this will reduce the number of duplicate entries for some titles: Dear Seller, We are writing to let you know about an upcoming change in the Books category. In the coming months, ISBNs or EANs (ISBN-13s) will be required when you upload listings for books ... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BookthinkNewsblog/~3/UVRtGl4OQO4/ http://bookthink.com/wordpress/?p=1269 Here is a cautionary tale in the caveat emptor vein. Please, when you are buying a collectible book, buy from a reputable dealer! I wrote this post awhile ago: In a recent purchase of fantasy books, I was bemused to find what appeared to be Robert Jordan's signature on the title page ... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BookthinkNewsblog/~3/W1W6Uf3ujIo/ http://bookthink.com/wordpress/?p=1268 Ever intrepid, your BookThink NewsBlog Editor enrolled herself in Amazon's new tax collection services the day that they were announced. Here's my experience so far. Initially, I was inexplicably confused - I didn't understand that the 2.9% service fee that Amazon charges is based on the TAX collected, NOT the item ... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BookthinkNewsblog/~3/YIYSuFhDxJY/ http://bookthink.com/wordpress/?p=1267 Amazon has instituted a $6.00 surcharge for Standard International Shipping: http://amzn.to/oWqouo Early reports indicate that it applies to books listed at over 1 pound on the Product Detail Page. Sellers have asked for more realistic shipping reimbursements for some time, but I am honestly not sure that this will be good for business. My ... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BookthinkNewsblog/~3/KHCFKAHt7TI/ http://bookthink.com/wordpress/?p=1266 As you must all know by now, the Kindle Fire is available for pre-order: http://amzn.to/pzkqYu There has been some buzz that this is a good opportunity for arbitrage - pre-order now at $199; sell for double or more on eBay or Craigslist when Amazon goes out of stock before the holidays (release ... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BookthinkNewsblog/~3/sGLCS2hOcR4/ http://bookthink.com/wordpress/?p=1265