Top Mistakes to Avoid When Selling Textbooks Online

July 31, 2012 Posted by Jules Mariano in Textbook Buyback | on textbook buyback | 1comment

Selling textbooks is a common practice of college students who want to earn money and get rid of their used textbooks. If you want to sell online, make sure to avoid the common mistakes that will mean less sales for you.

Nowadays, lots of websites are offering to buy books at higher rates sometimes than what your neighborhood bookstore pays. If you want to sell textbooks online, make sure to avoid these common mistakes that might mean lower prices for your books or worse, no payment for them:

Leaving behind the supplemental materials – publishers are wise enough to include a lot of extras with books to justify their high prices. If you want to sell back your books for higher rate at the end of the semester, make sure you include everything that came along with your book. This way, the online bookstore can resell or rent out your book as a whole set, making everyone involved happy. Besides, what are you going to do with that CD or pamphlet anyway?
Selling at dubious sites – just like if you are to buy online, you would want to look for reputable sellers in order to avoid being scammed. If an online bookstore offers you a ridiculously high price for your book and this is a site no one has ever heard of, then beware. Instead of making money from your books, you might just see your valuable investment gone in an instant.
Selling books in bad condition – obviously, if your book is in horrible condition – meaning with stains, ripped pages and such – no one will ever want to buy it. There are some acceptable damages or writings on books – make sure you read the conditions set by the bookstore before you sell textbooks online. Otherwise, you are just wasting your and the bookstore’s time trying to sell a book they will never buy. Instead, you could’ve supported a charity and donated it instead.
Not packing books properly- if your book is in great condition now and you pack it loosely to be shipped halfway across the country, then say goodbye to your book and your money. Remember that your book will be subject to mishandling along the way, and make sure that it survives the trip still in great condition so you can still receive the full price for it.
Payment method – if you want to be paid online and instantly, don’t be stupid and get upset if there are deductions. There are transaction fees that accompany any online payment. Instead, opt to have the check mailed to you.

These are very simple things you need to avoid when you sell textbooks online, and in turn, you can then fully enjoy the money earned from your old textbooks.

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Why eBooks Can Hardly Kill Traditional Textbooks

July 26, 2012 Posted by Jules Mariano in eReaders, eTextbooks, and eBooks, Textbooks | on ebooks, textbooks, traditional textbooks | 4

eBooks are supposed to ‘kill’ traditional textbooks. But the advantages of printed books obviously keep it alive and widely used today.

The iPad, Kindle, and other e-reading devices are supposed to bring out the death of traditional textbooks. It is interesting how despite the undeniable advantages of ebooks, many students and readers prefer to cling to their conventional bound-paper tomes. Ebooks may have become popular but those still need to find a better way to be more widely used in classrooms.

Needless to say, there are still significant advantages of using and reading printed books instead of ebooks. These can be enough reasons for such books to still thrive and never go away for good. Here are some of those benefits.

Paper books are more visually appealing

As to be expected, many students will point out that the printed reference materials will still be more visually appealing than ebooks. This is despite the fact that ereaders can facilitate the use of interactive graphics, animations, and other modern visuals. To many people, nothing can still beat the sight of a physical book, which can be colorful and interesting aside from the fact that it can be touched, held, or experienced.

Paper books do not require power source

You can readily and instantly read traditional textbooks anywhere you are, anytime of the day as long as there is ample light to facilitate reading. eReaders are electric devices that have to be connected to an electric current outlet. The items have batteries that need frequent charging. Thus, printed books can be accessible anytime whereas ereaders/ebooks will not always be available especially when the battery has already drained. Fully charged ereaders can only be useful for about a couple or several hours before charging is required.

Some books are not suitable in electronic formats

There are specific types of books that can never be suitable as ebooks. Examples are coffee-table books. Ebooks and ereaders can provide great visual and reading experiences but those still cannot compare to the experiences brought about by reading printed coffee table books.

Printed books are not easily ruined

Ereaders are electronic devices that can be destroyed when not properly and carefully used. Those should not be dropped, sat on, or exposed to moisture. It may also not be safe to stuff the device in any bag. In comparison, traditional textbooks can be dropped, sat on, or exposed to moisture without affecting its usefulness. Even if it gets soaking wet, the book can still be useful when dried.

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5 Reasons Why You Should Sell College Textbooks Online

July 24, 2012 Posted by Jules Mariano in Textbooks | on college textbooks, used college textbooks, used textbooks | Reply

Indeed, college education requires a lot of required readings. In addition, most of the requirements given by professors are taken from textbooks. Buying textbooks is inevitable since such will dictate your progress in a specific course. As the number of courses and subjects you finished increases, there is also a big chance for those textbook that you have bought to be piled up in you desk, bookshelf, or cabinet. Isn’t it such a nuisance and sort of a waste? Though they say that books are investments on knowledge, they failed to say that purchasing textbooks can also provide monetary returns. Do you want to sell college textbooks after using it in a course? This is easy especially through the use of the internet via online stores or markets.

If to sell college textbooks would seem to interest you especially with what you have invested; surely another person would extremely be pleased to get a course textbook at a lower price. Online markets such as BookGator would be the perfect venue for you to post all the college textbooks that you want to sell. Potential buyers will buy your textbooks with more competitive price. Hence, you’ll get the bang out of you buck from the books that you have used. When the they’re in extremely good condition, you can sell your textbooks just below the market price or at least 50% but make sure that your price is competitive enough with other individuals who sells pre-owned college textbooks.

In order to sell college textbooks at a better deal, try to bundle similar textbooks that you think will benefit the buyer. As an example, if you have several books about nursing education, business, and accounting; try to package the ones that are related. Buying brand new books isn’t always practical that’s why many students opt to buy used college textbooks online. Not only do they save time in trying to bargain hunt for a book, they sometimes get it delivered to their home via courier. Regardless of the book’s edition, certainly there’s always a market for a specific book. As long as the book contains the necessary information, getting it to a new owner is never a daunting task.

If the market has high demand for a specific textbooks, your act of trying to sell college textbooks would be trouble-free. Selling it online will be the best option since it saves you the time of making calls and even posting in some college bulletin board. Try to write a list of the college textbook that you have, it will be the start of getting great returns from what you have invested.

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10 Books Every College Student Should Read

July 22, 2012 Posted by Jules Mariano in Books | on books | Reply

College textbooks teach students about history, physics, and other academically related lessons. But there are lessons in life that can only be taught by writers and authors who can stretch their imagination to the limits and understand life in another plane. These ten books educate students not with messages from college textbooks, but from life itself.

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (Stephen Covey). This self-help book gives people advice on how to reach one’s goals through self-mastery, interdependence, and self-renewal. This is something that students rarely read from thei college textbooks.
Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom). The book is a recollection of the author’s time spent with his old sociology professor who was dying of Lou Gehrig’s disease.
The Last Lecture (Randy Pausch). A professor dying of pancreatic cancer (Pausch) writes of things he said he wants his children to learn before he dies.
The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho). The readers follow the adventures of the protagonist Santiago as he journeys to find a treasure prophesied by his dreams. In the book, it is stated that “when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
The Life of Pi (Yann Martel). The novel tells the story of a young man who lived afloat a boat on the ocean for 227 days following a shipwreck. It is a story of survival, spirituality, and different truths.
The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini). A story of two boys and the friendship they had across time and amid dreams, violence, and confusing realities of a war-torn country.
The Catcher in the Rye (J. D. Salinger). A fiction meant for adults but has become popular among teenagers because of it touches on things adolescents usually go through: confusion, alienation, anxiety, and rebellion.
The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery). The storyteller narrates of a young prince he met in the desert and his stories of the various planets he has visited, and his rose which he loved so much. The book tells of life realizations which are often forgotten as people get older.
To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee). A story of young Scout and his brother Jem as they understand that a man’s race and color does not necessarily prove the good or the bad in them.
Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck). The novel is about the story of two migrant workers who unintentionally tangle themselves in trouble. Set in the Great Depression, the book captures the atmosphere of the era as the men escape from the troubles they got into.

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Tips to Recycle Your Textbooks

July 18, 2012 Posted by Jules Mariano in Books | 2

If you are finally looking to clean up your apartment and get rid of those old textbooks lying around, then clean them up and recycle them! There are many different options to choose from when you are looking into finding other uses for your old books:

Go online – there are now dozens of online bookstores to choose from if you are looking into selling old books. The advantage of these sites versus your neighborhood bookstore is that online stores have wider and bigger variety of books they buy. Before considering donating or giving away your books, it makes sense to check if you can still make a buck or two on them.
Donate them – there are many different groups that will accept donated textbooks. First of all, go to any local library or public school that might be able to use them as reference materials, since these are textbooks, not novels. Second, try approaching charities that may either sell those books and donate the profits, or can use them in their own programs like literacy programs. There are also international NGOs that are looking for used books to use to improve literacy rates in developing countries. Try approaching hospitals as well. There might still be people who will not just want your book, but need it as well.
Swap them for other books – swapping is a great way to both get rid of old books and get new ones without spending any money. Nowadays, there are sites that connect people who want to swap books. There are also ones that receive old books for points that can be saved to purchase other people’s books. Some people opt to just have a book swapping party with friends.
Give it away – you can always just put all the books in one box and label it “free” or join Book Crossing – a service that will put a tag for your book so you can leave it in a public place and you can track where the book goes.
Go green – if the book cannot be used anymore, you can recycle it or give them to groups that would do the recycling. Book materials can still be used for other purposes. Let your imagination fly when thinking of how to recycle your books.

Don’t waste textbooks by throwing them away – they might still have some value or might still be useful for some other person. Remember, every book that gets reused saves trees.

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How to Create an Awesome Summer Reading List

July 17, 2012 Posted by Jules Mariano in Books | 2

Book enthusiasts are always excited for summer – because they have more time to read. Make your summer unforgettable by finding out ways to make your summer reading list nothing less than awesome.

School’s finally out, and you now have the time to catch up on your reading. But don’t be fooled – those summer months can pass by so quickly. Make sure you maximize your break and make it meaningful by creating an awesome summer reading list.

With literally thousands of books you can pick up, it’s tough to really put together your reading list. Here are some tips to help you:

Start with what’s required – if you are required to read a certain book the next school year, then you can already start during the summer. After all, if you want to read, then start with what you need to. When school starts and you become busy with schoolwork, you will find yourself wishing you started reading in the summer. Get some ideas with what Oprah listed in her Summer reading list.
Read about what interests you – if you are interested in a certain country or culture, or are planning to take up a hobby, then broaden your knowledge through reading about them. If you are interested in the subject you are reading about, then you are sure to finish that book!
Remember your old lists – if you had books left over from last semester, or there are books you have always wanted to read, then clear up that backlog and start crossing them off your list.
Look for other works by your favorite authors – you are sure that you enjoy reading his or her works, so why not just read their other works? This is a great way to also expand your knowledge of your favorite authors
Go for the classics – they are called classics for a reason. These books are certified to be timeless and memorable. Classic literature is also full of history and gives you a glimpse of life from another time and place.
Go for shorter reading – there are also compilations of short stories and poems that you can bury yourself in. These are perfect for those with little time, also great for curling under the tree after a picnic and relaxing.
Spice it up – look at the bestseller lists, and pick a book or topic you have never read before. Who knows, you might discover a new favorite genre! Also, try reading biographies, great stories of people who made an impact in the world. Don’t stick to what you are used to reading and instead, try something new.
Join a book club or do a book swap – meet people with the same interests in books, and swap your existing books. This is a great way of finding new authors of the same theme that you might love.

Make your summer extra special by enriching it with books! Even if you are staying at home, you can still travel to different places and meet different people through the wonderful world of books.

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Maximizing Cash from College Textbook Buyback

July 13, 2012 Posted by Jules Mariano in Textbook Buyback, Textbooks | on college textbook buyback, textbook buyback | 2

As a college student with a desire to put cash back into your pocket at the end of the semester, you may have probably asked this question quite a number of times already: “How can you get the most cash from your textbooks?” Fret no more because here are some ways on how you can engage in the challenge of maximizing cash from college textbook buyback.

To begin with, aim to find out if the textbook will be readopted by the school for the same class for the coming semester. If it is, you can bargain to sell the book to other students who may be enrolling for the course. Additionally, with consent from the university, you could utilize a flyer and advertise it anywhere on campus. One of the best sites to post it may be in close proximity to the bookstore, along the registrar office, or within the campus refectory. Weigh up the places where you can obtain the interests of various students.

Another way is to delve into other textbook buyback stores within the location to find out where you can get the most hit for your cash. If you are not engrossed to the idea of store hopping, then make use of the internet. There are quite a lot of websites that buyback textbook, give you a head’s up as to where you can advertise your book for sale that also present you a cost comparisons online. In addition to these cost comparisons, you can also catch sight of what the available rates are and consequently settle on which company gives the best offer.

Another advantage of such websites is the numerous cover postages. As a consequence, all you need to do is print out the postage label using a laser printer since some of these websites appear to hold incredibly good and fair rates. For that reason, if you have collected heaps of textbooks over the semesters, it is about that instance to start off cleaning out and check if you can spin books into ready money.

Lastly, go get your books posted on some of the online bookseller websites. A number of college students pay particular attention to these websites to get hold of the lowest price tag for the edition they essentially must have, thus, adding your books to the list can give you an extra edge in selling your books.

So, if you want to put some of those textbooks on the market back, these may possibly be some fantastic steps with regard to generating an income.

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Cost of Textbooks from a Student’s Perspective

July 12, 2012 Posted by Jules Mariano in Textbooks | on college textbook, textbook | 3

No one can argue about the importance of textbooks, every student needs it and includes it in their school purchases. For students, these expensive books just do not sound fair or even rational when compared to other products that can be bought online as well.

Digital textbooks, or popularly called eTextbooks, are much cheaper alternatives to printed books. After all, the book exists in digital form, with no trees harmed to produce paper to print that book. Your digital book didn’t cost anything to print – and thus, costs only a portion of a printed textbook.

It is important to note, on the other hand, that if you buy a printed book – you actually own it, whereas you are only “loaning” eTextbooks. Once the semester ends, you can resell your book, but you can’t do the same for eTextbooks. Therefore, if you really compare it, the cost isn’t really that much cheaper than buying your own printed book.

It is universally known, that school textbooks are almost ridiculously expensive – whatever form the book comes, digital or printed – especially if you compare it to other products. For example, a digital version of your textbook costs $18.49 per month (or more than $100 for a printed one). For less than half that amount, $8 per month, you can already watch up to 20,000 movies and shows.

One can rationalize that movies are not as important as school textbooks – after all, books and education are your investments towards the future – to get a degree, a diploma and a better job. Also, books, even in their digital form, costs money to write and update.

Still, this does not make the cost of textbooks easier to absorb for these students. Students who cannot afford to really spend the money for expensive books, have no choice but to take out bigger student loans just to be able to have money to have books for class. After all, the high prices of textbooks add to an already huge cost of a college education. On the other hand, entertainment is not a need.

Anti-textbook groups believe that publishing companies are abusing the importance of textbooks in class – they know that professors require it and students need it to study. These publishers then, find it beneficial for them to charge high prices for textbooks. Not only that, but come up with new editions (to rationalize printing of new books to be purchased rather than students buying used books) even if the changes are very minor.

In truth, to a students’ perspective, the huge gap in prices between what a movie costs versus a textbook, makes them feel cheated and abused. If they had the choice, they would much rather spend their hard-earned money on something more cost-effective, but they are continuously having to funnel all available funds to very expensive books for school. And in this economy, and lack of good job opportunities, they aren’t getting their money’s worth or a return on their investment in their education.

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Seamless Reader with E-readers

July 11, 2012 Posted by Jules Mariano in eReaders, eTextbooks, and eBooks | on eReader | Reply

E-readers, are they really necessary? If you are a book-lover, magazine junkie, or a news enthusiast; having one would surely making you love reading more. Most publishers nowadays circulate books, magazines, and newspaper in digital format. This is an excellent reason in purchasing an e-reader.

In retrospect, purchasing books and the likes before is troublesome and expensive. You have to go to a bookstore and painstakingly search for the title that you want; this is not the case anymore. Purchasing reading materials such as ebooks and magazines is made stress-free with online stores. With a tap on the screen or a click of a button, ebooks instantly will appear in your device; ready to be read.

The market is saturated with e-reader, from high-end tablets to basic e-readers. At the top of the e-reader pack is the Amazon Kindle. They were the first to innovate readers back in 2007, when they first released this device as a substitute for books. Reading in this device is not far from reading a printed book since the screen does not have glare. Its vast library made it a worthy contender for other e-readers out there; not to mention it can hold around 6,000 books.

The Barnes and Nobles e-reader is also catching up with the Amazon Kindle. With this device, lending a book is possible through its LendMe feature. Sharing books has never been this easy. For those who like to read on the go, e-readers can lighten the load; no need to carry bulks of books and bundles of newspapers.

If you want to get an e-reader, you should compare the units first to know which one suit you best. There are a lot of websites that offers comparisons of e-readers. By doing this, you will get accurate information of the devices such as the formats that it can handle, battery life, and sturdiness.

Since e-reader is a long-term companion, do not hastily choose one; always check whether it can keep up with your lifestyle. If you are always on the go, get an e-reader with an extended battery life. Considering high-level computing at the same time an e-reader? Select a tablet and e-reader in one.

Try to assess each feature of the reader that you want. This is crucial since it is not advisable to get a device with features that you would not normally use. Try to look at some online shops; you can get e-reader at a cheaper price.

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Simple Steps in Selling Second-Hand Textbooks

July 10, 2012 Posted by Jules Mariano in Textbooks | on Second-Hand Textbooks, sell used textbooks, used textbooks | Reply

Unused textbooks are piling up in your house and you want to get rid of them. Selling your old textbooks return you a few cash from buying those expensive books.

One of the shared problems of college students are rocket-high prices of their textbooks. And after a few moments, these pricey textbooks would just pile up in one corner. How would you get rid of these expensive books? You wouldn’t want to just throw them away. The solution to their problem is easy. Sell these textbooks! You have removed some clutter and even earned cash—it’s a win-win situation!

Now the only question is, how will you sell your textbooks? It’s quite easy! Rush to your nearest local or campus bookstore or turn on your computer! The internet offers a huge market for these old textbooks. Simply follow these steps and tips in order to have a good selling experience.

Separate the used textbooks you no longer need. Make sure that they are in good condition, without notes, and removed markings before you sell them.
Drop by campus and local bookstores. These are usually the first market of students who sell their old textbooks. Make sure that you visit these bookstores ahead of time to fetch higher and better prices. If you are selling your previous semester’s textbooks, these bookstores will only give you a low price. The same goes for outdated textbooks.
Visit the branches of Barnes and Noble, Borders, and Hastings or BookGator. They offer reasonable prices for second-hand textbooks. If you don’t have the luxury of time and consider this as hassle, try selling these textbooks online.
Check online sites for the prices they offer for your books. Narrow down your search and mention the version or edition of the book. Newly-edition books guarantee more.
List your textbooks honestly in online sites. Add a short description of the condition of the book for the possible buyers. Choose the best offer and wait for the payment. But if your textbooks aren’t purchase in a matter of weeks, go sell these in online bookstores.
Online bookstores purchase used textbooks and sell them online again. If you are satisfied with their offer, pack your textbooks properly and ship them to company. Once they have received your textbooks, they will send the payment. The payment may take some time but at least you secured a good price for your textbooks.

With a little effort, time, and patience, you can earn money from these old textbooks of yours!

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