Times is still hard

[cleolinda]

Okay, so. We're going to be able to beg, borrow and steal the money we need by April 15--more like "borrow, charge and scrape together"--but then of course we'll have to pay it back and/or off. But we're not immediately screwed. Also, I went and found my cache of hardback 15M books, and there's only six--even fewer than I thought. Woe.

I need to put them on eBay--let the market decide the price, basically--but I'm kind of terrified of eBay. I'm scared of Doing It Wrong somehow. I've bought things there before, but never sold anything. I keep trying to remind myself than I can just pull the auction (can't I?) if I screw something up. This is, in fact, why I've had a handful of things for about five years now that I've never sold--I'm too chickenshit, basically. I'm also trying to remind myself that complete morons manage to sell things on eBay everyday, so surely I can't get myself into too much trouble. (Can I?)

Anyway.

2008 Pulitzers Announced; Bob Dylan receives honorary Pulitzer Prize; Washington Post wins 6 Pulitzers.

Tibet protesters hoist banner on Golden Gate.

Yahoo Says Microsoft Bid Too Low.

Facebook to Settle Lawsuit Over Its Origins.

In Today’s Shocking News, Bloggers Are Revealed to Be Unhealthy Obsessive Nerds.

Nora Roberts Inspires Indy Bookstore.

Margaret Atwood on Anne of Green Gables.

what, ceiling cat? kill dem all?; Round up the hounds, Edmunds!; And den she comes outta da tv like dis…; Basement Cat VS. Ceiling Cat.

Is Sweding a Corporate Plot?

New Quantum of Solace Photos; The Sun Says 'Quantum' Singer Is Amy Winehouse.

More Cloverfield DVD Exclusives.

First Look: Rachel Dawes Supports Harvey Dent.

Rupert Grint Attends Opening of Jack the Ripper Experience in London. If you're like me, and I know I am, your primary reaction to this was, "THERE'S A JACK THE RIPPER EXPERIENCE? OMG!"

WALL-E Previewed.

Orlando Bloom is 'The Prince of Persia'!?; Orlando Bloom Not the Prince of Persia.

More Bad News for Tom Cruise and 'Valkyrie'; Bryan Singer's Valkyrie Gets Moved to 2009.

Toni Collette Joins Mendes Comedy.

Exclusive Clip: Uma Thurman and Evan Rachel Wood In ‘The Life Before Her Eyes’

Emile Hirsch Promises Audiences Will Drink ‘Milk’ Up.

Official 'Repo! The Genetic Opera' Site Launched.

Uwe Boll Claims He'll Quit Movie-Making After 1 Million Complaints ...and they've already got 50,000 signatures.

Comments

[cupcakery.livejournal.com]

If you're brand-new at setting, eBay will walk you through the entire process, with helpful pictures! :D

And OMG, a Jack the Ripper experience? I am SO there.

[sneaky-minx.livejournal.com]

OT: Your current song is one of my favs. I also enjoy going around saying "Mischief, Mischief!" in the Beggar Woman voice.

*more hugs* I'm glad to hear there is at least some type of game plan. You should be fine with eBay. Do you have the time or have you thought about, I don't know, doing commissions for something. I know it's probably a silly idea, but your snark is valuable.

I hope everything comes together for you guys.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've come to really love that song. It's also one where you can really hear the David Bowie comparisons all the reviews were making.

[minoriko.livejournal.com]

My suggestion would be to put a couple of things up at a time, just so you ease yourself into the entire thing (that's what I did).

And yes, you'll be able to pull off the auction, however you'll still need to pay the listing fees eBay charges when you list an item. Also, you can't end the auction 12 hours before the auction ends either.

[cygnus.livejournal.com]

Selling on eBay is pretty easy. Remember, you can edit the crap out of your auction until someone bids on it. I know the "fear of eBay" thing a little myself, afraid of fucking up, afraid of not packing whatever-it-is well enough, but as much mostly-useless (IMO) stuff eBay has tacked on to their site over the years, it's still pretty user-friendly. Good luck. I'm sure if you get stuck, there's plenty of people on your f-list here alone who'll help you out.

[spectralbovine.livejournal.com]

Orlando Bloom is 'The Prince of Persia'!?; Orlando Bloom Not the Prince of Persia.
Ha ha ha ha.

I hope you're able to resolve your tax woes. It's never fun to have to come up with wads of cash on short notice.

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

Tax stuff...You have my sympathies. Bills like this are so very terrifying because the IRS, thems scary people.

And while I have never sold anything on ebay because of my fear of it, I hope your sales go well.

[sweet-pessimism.livejournal.com]

I, too, am about to embark upon a journey through Ebay. I have an old game console that I haven't used in for ever, and finally decided to put it up there. I skimmed over Ebay's rules and such, then pretty much just handed everything off to my dad and said, "Give me the synopsis." So I'm essentially skipping all the hard work by making him do the reading and figuring-out, before I actually put up an auction.. Which I hope to god you can pull if you make a mistake, because I know I will.

Anyway, I have a couple of friends who have expressed interest in buying a copy of your book, but who are a little leery of ordering it from the UK, so I'll definitely send them the link when you post it up!

Rupert Grint Attends Opening of Jack the Ripper Experience in London.

The first time I saw this on Mugglenet, I didn't even notice the Rupert Grint part [though this is partially due to the fact that I'm not the biggest fan in the world of him], I just saw the Jack the Ripper Experience bit and was all over it. I was most upset when the article didn't go more into what the whole Experience was.. Just that Grint had been there. I so want to go see it!

[word-herder.livejournal.com]

Two most important eBay tips learned from experience: pay for the gallery picture and write a good title. The former is because people who don't see a picture in that list generally don't click on the listing; the latter is because of the way eBay does its keyword searching. If you have the time, look up other book listings, find the ones that sold well, and model your listing after theirs.

[claddagh812.livejournal.com]

Actually I think with the recent price changes they made the gallery picture free...yeah, they did. (http://pages.ebay.com/sell/update08/basic/index.html) They also lowered insertion fees but majorly jacked up the final value fees. *grumbles*

But other than that, I agree wholeheartedly with this comment -- good picture and good title = very important.

Also, Cleo, eBay requires you to have at least a Premier-level account with Paypal if you accept money that way, so you'll wind up getting hit with fees from both eBay (for the auction) and Paypal (for the payment itself). Just be aware of that.

[roseredhoofbeat.livejournal.com]

Just remember during all this that there IS no debtor's prison. *hugs*

[biomekanic.livejournal.com]

Ebay selling is fairly easy, be aware that you need to pay some fees up front.

Also be aware that there are assholes who steal user IDs and bid on things, then you don't get paid and have to fight eBay to get your fees back. :/
That's happened to me twice in about 13 auctions I've had.

[captainsblog.livejournal.com]

Not that I would EVER give out legal advice outside my jurisdiction, but. In general:

If the fam is not able to raise the full amount by the filing deadline, file on time anyway- the return itself, or at least the extension form, and keep proof that you did. The failure-to-pay penalties are nasty, but it's the failure-to-FILE penalties that really compound the situation.

[lostieborden.livejournal.com]

Only 50,000 signatures, you say?

To Facebook!

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=11559438786

[kosher-jenny.livejournal.com]

It had already gotten over 75,000 when I signed. :D

[scornedsaint.livejournal.com]

Ugh, I'm sorry about the tax woes. But just keep in mind that --since my original hardback copy of M15M was in tatters from being loaned to friends by the time I loaned it to my friend who tends to lose things, including the book--I will totally pay however much you ask for a new hardback copy.

[scaramouche]

Although I've had good experience selling on ebay, I found it difficult to bring the price of the items up unless I made the effort to get attention, i.e. got people to competitively bid on it. This is why people tend to promote what they're selling off ebay, in forums and on lj... Although it's annoying for those who don't care, it brings attention to the item and helps bring the selling price up.

I never paid for the picture option, which I feel is more important for items that aren't as easily identified by their title/name. I feel that for DVDs and books, the picture isn't as crucial as, say, household items or clothing.

You could also try pushing the angle of your copies being "signed by the author", which would set it apart from other copies being sold on ebay, if there are any.

So... yeah. Just some thoughts. :)

[valancy-s.livejournal.com]

Could you please change the link of "Margaret Atwood on Anne of Green Gables" to the actual article? Because what it links to now is 1) not work-friendly, and 2) gross.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Whoa, what the hell is that? I've never seen that in my life before. Try this until I get the link itself fixed:

http://books.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,,2268948,00.html

[foresthouse.livejournal.com]

...Ok, now I kind of want to know what it was linking to before. Heh.

[valancy-s.livejournal.com]

I don't quite know what it was, but it involved a number of non-scientific terms for female anatomy.

[foresthouse.livejournal.com]

O_o On The Guardian's site? Weird.

[valancy-s.livejournal.com]

The link actually was on that page. But what you had to scroll down through...

[lady-moriel.livejournal.com]

All I really know about eBay is that you don't want to put up something that you just want to get rid of, because if people aren't interested, it'll just sit around until it expires and you'll have still paid the listing fee. Half.com is the way to go for any books, music, or movies, generally speaking.

[chaneen.livejournal.com]

In my experience, DVDs sell extremely well on eBay. You can pretty much sell any movie for $5 on Buy It Now, especially popular films (you could probably get more depending on the movie/extras), and I've made a pretty good chunk of change selling season box sets of TV shows by starting an auction at $9.99 (fees go up at $10). Even those shows that have TONS of listings.

I wouldn't try with books, though. I just don't trust people to actually bid on them. Or clothing, unless it's something really awesome.

And whatever you do, if you're not willing to ship outside the US/Canada, and you're selling something expensive (especially electronics), make sure you set up your account so people without US addresses can't bid. I had to relist my Sidekick II twice before I got an actual bidder and not someone trying to convince me to send it to their nephew in Nigeria. Yeah.

[aymaera.livejournal.com]

I don't think you'll have too many issues with screwing up the listing, because whatever happens, as long as you link it here a measly six copies will get bought up like that!

[elizardbits.livejournal.com]

Re: eBay - make sure to set a reserve price for your auctions (http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/reserve.html), so you get at least the minimum price you'd like for anything. Otherwise you can get screwed like whoa when the bidding for your item doesn't go as well as you'd hoped and you end up contractually obligated to sell it to someone for like, $12, when you were hoping for $150.

[octopusdog.livejournal.com]

I know there's a Jack The Ripper tour, which was AMAZING, but an Experience? Fancy.

[gwynnywonk.livejournal.com]

I was in London a couple of weeks ago and there were LOADS of advertisements up promoting the new "Jack the Ripper" section of the London Dungeon. I had read up on the London Dungeon before I went and unfortunately it sounds like a study in anachronisms. Imagine an enlarged Madame Tussaud's Chamber of Horrors with all the historical accuracy of The Other Boleyn Girl (film). As neat as the Jack the Ripper experience might sound, it's more likely to be an awful tourist fright attraction without any historical detail.

Bummer. :(

[foresthouse.livejournal.com]

I'm scared of Doing It Wrong somehow. I've bought things there before, but never sold anything.

Hello, me! Hah. I am the same way. I actually had my cousin (who'd sold stuff before and says it's sooo easy) put up a listing for a watch I needed to sell, because I was afraid of Doing it Wrong. *sigh*

[pygmymetal.livejournal.com]

Cleo, I want to help. I also want a book. :) Signed, if possible. Post in my LJ what you feel a fair price is and I'll send you a check on Friday when I get paid.

PS I don't do ebay. :(

[supersyncspaz7.livejournal.com]

Good luck with eBay! And I mean that in a non-sinister way.

The Sun Says 'Quantum' Singer Is Amy Winehouse REALLY?! YUSS. Oh please, please let it stick this time.

[akakat.livejournal.com]

EBay isn't very difficult. Like, if you can work LJ you should be fine with the eBay interface. I spent 18 (rather soul-sucking) months as a professional eBay lister for a We-Sell-Your-Stuff-On-eBay-Store and I'd offer the following advice:

- Use a long, descriptive title.
- Setting a higher starting price (the amount you start your auction at) is almost always more effective than setting a reserve price.
- Always opt to use a picture, even for simple items like books. People want proof that the item exists and is in good condition.
- Don't ship anything until payment clears.

Good luck!

[foresthouse.livejournal.com]

ETA: You! Evil! I've just spent the last hour and some reading up on Jack the Ripper and now I won't be able to sleep. EEEEE. (why am I horrified-yet-fascinated by serial killers?)

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

How interesting that Margaret Atwood likes the juvenile Anne--I actually didn't start liking the series so well until Anne grew up, and then I loved it. Actually Rilla of Ingleside is one of my favorites. So sober. (To be honest, I still prefer the Emily series--I think anyone who writes can't help but feel Emily inside and out.)

[derangeddarling.livejournal.com]

Eeee! I LOVE the Emily series. I have never read Anne, but I adore Emily.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

They're such a satisfying trilogy, aren't they? There's mystery, odd twisty romances, and best of all, the true experience of what it's like to be a writer because you can't help but write. I sound so sober about them but, like you, yes, I squeefully adore the Emily books!

[fxchip.livejournal.com]

Include a signature and a picture?

Okay, I guess the picture's asking for a bit much. Hehe.

[miccie.livejournal.com]

If you're afraid of doing it wrong on ebay, you could always consider doing a sale/auction manually on your journal- I know a lot of BPAL people do that sort of thing. You get a large enough volume of traffic that I bet people would be willing to buy to help you out even if you marked stuff up a bit. Good luck either way :)

[delirium9.livejournal.com]

Hi, Cleo!

I'd love to help and I'd also love to have a copy of your book. I was re-reading some of your M15s the other day, after "Van Helsing" came up on cable and I remembered how much funnier it was after reading your version! ;)

So, anyway... The thing is, I don't do e-Bay (as someone above said). And I don't do PayPal either :( I'm not in the U.S., so those two don't work here. Well, I'm not sure about eBay, but I know PayPal is not available here, nor MoneyBookers or any of those e-money sites.

So... I'm willing to buy your book, but you'd have to tell me how to go about it.

==
[fangirling]
Ohhh I have also been reading your LOST recaps because I FINALLY (after 4 years) decided to buy the DVDs and have a viewing marathon! I'd never seen ANY episode, and now, after two weeks and a half or so, I along with three friends have seen every episode from the first to the third season. Can't wait for the 4th one to come out on DVD. ANYWAY... what I wanted to say was that after each night of watching, I'd come here and read your recaps and have a blast! :D
[/fangirling]

[leeca99.livejournal.com]

Do you use Paypal, and what email address do you use, if you do.

Didn't you use to have a cafe press site before?

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

I do, but it's all for charity--no one's bought anything in about a year, I think. My Paypal's dailydigest at yahoo.com, why?

[leeca99.livejournal.com]

You should have an email there, if I sent it correctly.

[soleta-nf.livejournal.com]

I have been scared to put anything up on eBay for the same reason. :S