FAQs
- I cannot sign into my account
- A buyer did not receive the book. What should I do?
- The shipping fees are not correct. How can I adjust them?
- I do not understand the statement and payment emails. Where can I get an explanation?
- My computer crashed. How can I get back my inventory?
- Pricing Model Changes 2008
How can I register as a bookseller?
Sell your books
via AbeBooks!
Our mission at AbeBooks is to help people find and
buy any book from any bookseller anywhere. We provide you with essential
services and opportunities not available to booksellers through any other
listing service – AbeBooks is the best venue in terms of price and value for
selling books on the internet.
You will first need to set up an account on AbeBooks account if you do not already have one. If you have an account, please click [Sign on] at the top of the website to sign on to your existing account. After signing on simply click [Sell Books]
To create a new
account:
1. Click [Sell Books] located in the red bar at the top of our website
2. Read about the advantages of becoming an AbeBooks seller
3. Click on [SIGN UP NOW to become an AbeBooks Bookseller]
4. Go through the Registration Check-list
5. Click on [SIGN
UP NOW to become an AbeBooks Bookseller] at the bottom of the page again and
you will be directed to the Registration form
6. Enter the required information in the fields indicated by an asterisk
*
7. Click on [Save & Continue] at the bottom of the page
1. Bookseller Details
& the AbeBooks Agreement
2. Acceptable Payment
Methods
3. Banking Information
4. Shipping Rates
5. Credit Card
Information for fees
6. Welcome to AbeBooks
Step 1. Enter your Details & Read and Accept the AbeBooks Agreement:
Please enter your information in the fields indicated by an asterisk
‘*’.
This
includes your contact information, your preferred currency & terms of sale,
shipping terms and inventory management software. After entering your
information, click [Save & Continue].
You
will then be presented the AbeBooks Agreement, which has two components:
The Bookseller agreement and the AbeBooks
Guide, which has three sections:
- How AbeBooks Works - an explanation of how AbeBooks Web Sites work
- Code of Conduct - outlines the standards expected of booksellers
- Performance Standards - the criteria upon which your participation will be measured
We encourage applicants to read the entire agreement and review the “Fee Schedule” before clicking the [Yes, I Agree With The Above] button. You can now enter your VAT registration (click [Skip] if you are not VAT registered) and then move on to the next step to "Choose Payment Options".
Step 2. Acceptable Payment Methods:
In addition to Visa and MasterCard payments, which are processed by the AbeBooks Payment System, you can select other payment methods you wish to accept. These will be displayed as possibly payment options to buyers when they purchase from you. To select your Acceptable Payment Methods:
1. Enter your
company name in the Merchant Account Name field for any other credit or debit
cards you accept
2. Select other payment methods you accept such as cheque,
money order or PayPal
3. Click the [Continue] button at the bottom
of the page
Step 3. Enter Your Banking Information:
In order to facilitate timely payment of funds to our booksellers, we require current bank account information. There is no risk involved when entering your bank details as we will only credit you and never charge your bank account, as we do not have such facilities for direct debits. To add your bank details:
1. Select the [Bank
Country] from the drop-down list
2. Enter the [Sort Code]
3. Enter the [Bank Account Number]
5. Enter any additional banking information you wish to
provide
6. Select your choice of Payment Currency
7. Click [Add Banking Details]
Note: The sort code
and account numbers are located on the bottom of your cheques. If you are
unsure as to which information is required, please contact your financial
institution for clarification.
Step 4. Review and Accept the AbeBooks Shipping Matrix:
These are the rates that buyers will see
and the amounts that AbeBooks will reimburse to you. You will need to accept
these rates in order to complete your registration as a bookseller. Once your
account is opened the rates can be adjusted. Once you have viewed the AbeBooks
shipping matrix click on the [Accept] button.
Step
5. Credit Card Information:
On
the first Friday of each month, you will receive by email a statement from
AbeBooks detailing applicable fees. If a balance is owing, this will be charged
to the credit card you have saved to your account. (If you do not have a credit
card, please skip this section).
To enter your credit card details:
1.
Click [Credit Card Details]
2.
Enter your account details
3. Click [Add Card]
Step 6. Welcome to AbeBooks:
Once all of the above information is
submitted, we will review your application and send an email to confirm receipt.
Once we have received your application we will contact you to finalise the
registration.
Thank you for your application! We look forward to welcoming you to our online bookseller community soon.
What requirements need to be met to participate in your service?
Whether you are a professional bookseller with a shop or a private individual selling your collection you can list on AbeBooks. As long as you accept the bookseller agreement and adhere to the standards that we strive to keep on AbeBooks, we are happy to have you on board.
How much do we charge?
Monthly Subscription Rates:
For a reasonable monthly subscription fee, which is calculated according to the amount of books you list, your books will be listed worldwide on AbeBooks.co.uk, AbeBooks.com, AbeBooks.fr, AbeBooks.de, AbeBooks.it and IberLibro.com (our Spanish website):
| Number of Books | Monthly Fees |
| 0 - 500 | £ 17 |
| 501 - 4.000 | £ 25 |
| 4.001 - 10.000 | £ 28 |
| 10.001 - 20.000 | £ 35 |
| 20.001 - 30.000 | £ 53 |
| 30.001 - 50.000 | £ 83 |
| 50.001 - 100.000 | £ 120 |
| 100.001 - 150.000 | £ 175 |
| 150.001 - 500.000 | £ 250 |
| 500.001+ | £ 350 |
Transaction Fees:
Upon a successful sale via the AbeBooks shopping basket, a sales commission of 8% on the total item amount (book price + shipping + extra charges) is incurred. The minimum sales commission is 30p per book; the maximum sales commission is £22 per book. When processing Visa/MasterCard payments, AbeBooks will charge an additional processing fee a as follows:
For orders placed on the AbeBooks.co.uk and AbeBooks.com websites, a 5.5% fee is charged on any total item amount below £275. If the total item amount exceeds £275 a 3.5% fee applies to the remaining total item amount.* Orders placed on the AbeBooks.de, AbeBooks.fr, AbeBooks.it and IberLibro.com websites will be charged at 3.5% for the total item amount.
*E.g. For an AbeBooks.co.uk or AbeBooks.com order totalling £500:
- The first £275 of the total item amount incurs a 5.5% processing fee
- The remaining £225 of the total item amount incurs a 3.5% processing fee
Please Note: The prices quoted above do not include VAT. According to EU regulations, AbeBooks charges German VAT (19%) on sales fees and commissions. If you are VAT registered please enter your VAT registration number in the appropriate field when applying for a bookseller account in order to be exempt from the VAT charge.
How can I pay AbeBooks?
We are flexible in your payment method; we can accept Visa, MasterCard cheque or bank transfer. When you pay us via credit card you enter in the details online and we automatically charge your card each month. This is the quickest payment method. If you prefer you can also pay us via cheque or bank transfer. You will need to await the first Friday of every month and then send us the amount due on your email invoice.
If you wish to pay by Visa or MasterCard, you can set up your payments by entering your credit card information online via our secure server:
1. [Sign On] to your AbeBooks.com bookseller account
2. Select [Your Personal Information]
3. Select [Add or Update your credit card information (for fee payments only)]
To pay via bank transfer please quote your account number as a reference. Your account number can be found at the top of your AbeBooks statements. Our bank details are also contained in your AbeBooks statements.
To pay via cheque please quote your account number on the reverse, make payable to "AbeBooks Europe GmbH" and post to:
AbeBooks Europe GmbH
Ronsdorfer Str 77a
40233 Dusseldorf
Germany
Thank you in advance for your payment. Contact us if you have any questions about how to pay.
What are the benefits of becoming an AbeBooks bookseller?
The benefits of listing with AbeBooks are:
Your books will be listed worldwide - just one subscription and one upload.
With just one upload your titles will be listed on all AbeBooks web sites worldwide - AbeBooks.co.uk, AbeBooks.com, AbeBooks.de and AbeBooks.fr and IberLibro.com (our Spanish website) - thereby reaching customers worldwide in a very simple way!
The world is your customer:
- AbeBooks is the worldwide number one among new, used and antiquarian book platforms and marketplaces
- In total, between 20,000 and 25,000 books are sold daily via AbeBooks
- A considerable amount of these sales are foreign customers ordering from British bookseller members
- The most important international markets for British booksellers are, amongst others, the USA and Pacific Rim as well as neighbouring European countries
- By participating in international trade you are not restricted to such profit limits as experienced at a national level
Secure credit card processing:
AbeBooks will process all Visa and MasterCard payments on your behalf and carry the cost of fraudulent purchases made using Visa and MasterCard. We will credit you weekly for these sales by Electronic Funds Transfer to your bank account. For this service we charge a 5.5% processing fee per transaction, which is included on your monthly invoice statement.
Access to the AbeBooks international affiliate network:
Alongside operating its web sites, AbeBooks has an ever-increasing network of partner web sites over which your books are sold as well. Known names such as Addall.com and WHSmith are just some to mention.
I am unable to sign on.
AbeBooks operates several regional websites for buyer usage. All bookseller accounts can only be accessed via AbeBooks.com as opposed to AbeBooks.co.uk
Also, the email address you registered with and your password are
both case-sensitive; please ensure that the CAPS LOCK is not on when
you are attempting to sign on.
If you continue to experience difficulty please check the following:
To enable Browser Cookies:
1. Open a browser window
2. Select [Tools] from the menu bar and then [Internet Options] from the drop down menu
3. Select [Advanced]
4. Select [Cookies]
5. Tick the "enable" box
To enable JavaScript:
1. Open a browser window
2. Select [Tools] from the menu bar and then [Internet Options] from the drop down menu
3. Select [Advanced]
4. Select [Microsoft VM]
5. Tick the "enable" box
If you have a Firewall and/or Anti-Virus software installed you may need to adjust the privacy control. The option for enabling web browser privacy needs to be switched off. Should you need assistance, we have provided links below to major providers. As some website do charge for technical assistance, please check for charges before requesting support:
Click here is you use: Microsoft - Windows XP Firewall, ZoneAlarm, Norton AntiVirus
How can I update my Personal Information?
Your personal information can be updated at any time. It is
important to keep your personal information up-to-date so we can contact
you easily. Some of the information such as terms of sale and
shipping terms
can also be seen by buyers and will help to promote your business. Your
personal information includes:
- Your name and address
- Your address and telephone number
- Your email address and website URL (if you have one)
- Your county
- Your terms of sale and shipping terms
All of your account information can be easily updated from the Members Menu:
1. Sign on to your AbeBooks account
2. Select [Your Personal Information] in the Members Menu
3. Click [Update your account information]
4. Scroll down the page to locate the field you'd like to change
5. Delete the old information and replace it with the new information
6. Click the [Update] button at the bottom of the page
Your updated information will be online within minutes or up to 2 days later, depending on which fields you have edited.
If you enter in your county code abbreviation in the state/province field of your address, your bookstore will then be searchable by county. This can be done by clicking [Bookstores] in the red bar on the top right hand side of every AbeBooks web page.
If you are not sure what to
enter in the fields or you would like some further advice please do not
hesitate to contact us.
How can I change my bank account and credit card information?
AbeBooks uses electronic fund transfer (EFT) to make payments to you for your AbeBooks orders. EFT is available for booksellers with bank accounts in the following countries: Austria, Cyprus, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain,
Sweden and the United Kingdom for booksellers who have signed the European Agreement.
To add or update your banking information:
1. [Sign On] to your AbeBooks.com bookseller account
2. Click [Your Personal Information] in the Members Menu
3. Click [Add or Update Your Banking Information] in the Personal Information menu.
4. Select a location from the Bank Country list and enter bank account details
5. Click the [Add Bank Details] button
Notes:
- Please enter in the first 4 characters of the BIC code in the Bank ID field.
- AbeBooks cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions so please ensure that your banking information is correct.
- If a payment has already been generated but not sent, it will be sent to the banking information that was on your account when the payment was created.
- Payments are created every Friday, and then are released to your bank the following Friday for deposit into your account.
If you reside in an EFT-eligible country, bank information is required for payment; AbeBooks will not pay booksellers in these countries by cheque.
You can find the required information on the bottom of your cheques. If you cannot find the required information, you could print the page then take it to your bank to have them provide the information. Once your bank has provided you with the required information, enter it online as instructed above.
If you need to make any changes to the credit card that we use to charge you for your monthly subscription fees, or if you need to provide us with an entirely new card, you can do so by using a link on the Members Menu.
To View Your Credit Card Information:
1. [Sign On] to your AbeBooks.com bookseller account
2. Click [Your Personal Information] from the Members Menu
3. Click [Add or Update Your Credit Card Information](for fee payments only)
To update the Account Information:
1. Enter the last four digits of your credit card
2. Click the [Continue] button
3. Type your credit card information in the appropriate text boxes and select the expiry date from the lists
4. Select a [Payment Status] option
5. Click the [Add Card] button
To Remove the Card:
1. Click the [Remove This Card] button
2. Verify that you would like to remove this card by clicking the [Remove This Card] button
You will then have the option to add a new card.
To Add a New Card:
1. Enter your credit card number (with no spaces between the numbers) in the space provided
2. Select the expiry month and year from the pull down lists
3. Enter the Card holder name
4. Click the [Add Card] button to save the information
Your credit card information is entered through our secure server and is encrypted for security. You must be signed on in order to use this function.
How do I set up or edit my shipping rates and speeds?
Your Shipping Matrix:
The shipping matrix contains the recommended shipping rates that a book buyer is charged on an order. The rate charged depends on the book buyer’s country and the shipping speed that the book buyer selects. The recommended shipping rates can be increased or decreased. The rates are based on a 1kg or 2.2 lb parcel for the first item and 0.5kg or 1.1 lb for each additional item.
The priority and standard shipping speeds are primarily an expectation of the time it will take for an order to get to the buyer from the time you ship the parcel. Different jurisdictions use various terminologies to describe fast and slow shipping methods. We leave it open to you to select the method of shipment, as long as the order reaches the buyer within the stated time-frame for the stated shipping cost. We do notify book buyers that delays from customs processing are not included in the shipping time estimates.
While the shipping rates in your matrix can be altered for an entire country, you can still reduce shipping rates or request additional charges when you process an order. For instructions on adjusting the shipping rate while processing an order, Click Here.
Adjusting Your Shipping Matrix:
International orders will have your generic "International" rate applied unless you add specific countries to your matrix.
To add a country to your shipping matrix:
1. [Sign On] to your AbeBooks.com bookseller account
2. Click [Adjust Shipping Rates] in your Quick links menu
3. Select a country from the list in the top-left corner of the matrix
4. Click the [Add to matrix] button
To adjust the rates and speeds in the shipping matrix:
Buyers see your shipping rates and speeds in the search results and shopping basket.
1. Locate the country you would like to adjust rates or speeds for.
2. Select your desired rates and speeds from the appropriate lists*
3. Click the [Save Changes] button
*The values entered cannot exceed the maximum defaults. Please enter only numbers, decimals or commas (for example, 1.00 or 1,00).
How to offer free shipping with your books! 
Shipping rates and speeds play an important role in many buyers' purchases. In order to attract more buyers to our website, AbeBooks offers a Free Shipping Room where buyers can search the inventory of booksellers who offer this discount.
Booksellers who have set their domestic shipping rates in their shipping matrix to zero will automatically be included in the Free Shipping promotion within one week of updating their matrix.
To set your shipping rates to "0," please use the AbeBooks Shipping Matrix using the instructions below:
1. [Sign On] to your AbeBooks.com bookseller account
2. Click [Adjust Your Shipping Rates]
3. Locate the country you would like to adjust rates or speeds for. Select your desired rates and speeds from the appropriate lists
4. Click the [Save Changes] button
As soon as you update your matrix, buyers will see the new shipping rates and speeds in the shopping basket. However, the [Shipping Rates & Speeds] link in the search results may take up to 2 - 3 days to reflect the changes. When the search results update, the orange Free Shipping logo will also appear in the search results with your books.
Please Contact Us once you have changed your shipping rates so that we can add your books to any current promotions we are doing.
Notes:
- If you would like to offer free shipping in any country, simply adjust the first item shipping rate and the extra item rate to 0.00. Then please do Contact Us we can ensure that you are included in free shipping promotions when we advertise this to AbeBooks buyers.
- If you no longer wish to participate in the free shipping promotion, we suggest that you add the shipping rates to your shipping matrix on a Friday and then Contact Us so we can ensure that you are removed from general free shipping promotions.
How can I adjust my accepted payment methods?
All books listed for sale on AbeBooks are available for purchase by Visa and MasterCard; we accept these methods of payment for you. You can easily add additional payment options for your buyers from the Members Menu:
1. Sign on to your AbeBooks account
2. Select [Your Personal Information] in the Members Menu
3. Click [Acceptable Payment Methods]
4. Select the types of payment you accept and click [Submit]
If you process other credit cards like American Express or Discover, please make sure to provide us with the Merchant Account Name and the Currency.
Buyers see your acceptable payment methods on the Listing Details page for each of your books, as well as in the shopping basket.
AbeBooks provides fraud protection against chargebacks for Visa and MasterCard orders. Please make sure to carefully check the buyer details before you ship your orders, and only ship once you've received payment.
How can I create my own Storefront on Abebooks?
Our bookseller storefronts provide you with many options for promoting your unique store to buyers:
1. Click [sign on] and enter your Email Address and Password
2. Click [Your Storefront] in the Members Menu
3. Click [Create a storefront] in the Your Storefront menu
4. Select the contact information you would like displayed, catalogues you would like to feature, and images for your storefront
5. Click the [Save & View Storefront] button to finish your storefront
6. Your storefront is displayed for review. If you would like to make any changes, click on the "Edit this page" link at the top of the page to return to the storefront wizard
Your new storefront will be displayed to buyers within 24 hours.
Remember that you can update your storefront at any time to feature different catalogues. Promote your newest books, holiday books, or even your most unique ones.
AbeBooks Bookseller Agreement
The AbeBooks European Bookseller Agreement can be viewed at page 3 of the online registration form which can be accessed by clicking on the [Sell Books] tab on the red bar of our website.
If you wish to print and read the agreement and proceed with the registration at a later date you may of course do so. After registering, we will email you a copy of the agreement and once we have opened a bookseller account you will be able to view the agreement at any time via your bookseller account.
The Bookseller Agreement can be terminated at any time. Please contact our Customer Service with your reasons for the closure request. We will then review your account and address any of your concerns. If you decide that the account needs to be closed, we will confirm this by email and close the account at the end of that calendar month. You will receive a final invoice at the beginning of the following month.
AbeBooks Guidelines
To ensure that both booksellers and book buyers can trade on our website to their satisfaction AbeBooks has issued some guidelines. Being familiar with our policies will assist you in making your AbeBooks experience and that of your customers a successful one [Click here].
What information and format for book data is required for your service?
Book data information and format:
We can handle just about any file format to upload and display your books on our web site including Access, Excel and FileMaker Pro. We recommend that you use our own inventory free management software HomeBase. However, if you have your own book list already or you wish to use your own inventory management system we can set this up for you. The data must be tab or tilde (~) delimited, and must be saved as a text file (file type = .txt).
There are 3 things that we require in order to convert your books to our format:
1. The data must be consistently arranged in a file. All book records must contain exactly the same number of fields, in exactly the same order; each field must be separated with the same type of delimiter. If you are using a database or spreadsheet package then this is quite easy to accomplish.
2. It is essential that each book record has a unique identifier. These can be numeric or alphanumeric, as long as they are unique. When you delete or sell a book, it is necessary to "retire" the associated ID number and use only new numbers for your new books. AbeBooks cannot guarantee the accuracy of a listing if a book number is re-used. A re-used book ID is any ID number that was previously assigned to a different book. Re-using book ID numbers may result in discrepancies. If you have more than one copy of a single you can include a quantity field in your book data to state how many copies of the title you have.
3. You will need to remove the books when they are sold (through other venues). You can do this by sending a file containing only the books you want to remove, by using a link on our Members Menu, or by adding a status code or a quantity field to your database or spreadsheet. For example: you can indicate that you have a book for sale with the number 1, and then when the book has been sold you can update the quantity to 0.
If your book records had the following field structure:
field 1: Book ID
field 2: Author
field 3: Title
field 4: Publisher
field 5: Illustrator
field 6: Publisher Date
field 7: Publisher place
field 8: Edition
field 9: Book Condition
field 10: Description
field 11: Jacket Condition
field 12: Binding
field 13: Catalogue
field 14: Keywords
field 15: ISBN
field 16: Price
field 17: Signed (“y” or “n”, or “yes” or “no”, etc..)
field 18: Quantity (to determine if the book will be put online or removed from the web site - use a “1” to indicate that the item is available, and a “0” when the item has been sold)
You may wish to use an Excel template that we have already set up for you:
For Mac users please click [here] to view an example.
Note: If you decide to use the template to catalogue your book with, please remember that before you send your book list to us to save the file as tab delimited text (.txt) format:
1. Open the Excel sheet
2. Select [File]
3. Select [Save as]
4. From the [Save as type] menu select “Text (Tab delimited)(*.txt)”
We can manipulate your data just about any way to fit into our database, so please feel free to set up your database to suit your needs. We will make your data fields flow in an appropriate fashion when viewed on AbeBooks.
Book terms and attributes:
If your book data does not have separate fields for attributes and only use the description field then AbeBooks searches this field of the book data you send to us. This is known as parsing. We check for the specific attributes that can be searched for using the Advanced Search function. This helps buyers to find your books on AbeBooks! These attributes and their various abbreviations are listed below. If you are not sure if parsing is switched on or off for your account please contact us.
Note: If you are using HomeBase to manage your inventory, you have the option of including attributes in the description field or by using the drop down menus. Please do not add attributes using both the description field and drop down menus. Adding information to both places may result in the attributes being displayed incorrectly. If you use the description field then we will switch on parsing for your account.
The description field of your book data file is checked for the following terms:
1. Jacket Condition: New, As New, Fine, Very Good, Fair, Poor
2. Book Condition: New, As New, Fine, Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor
3. Book Type: Hardcover, Paperback
4. Edition: First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth or later
5. Inscription Type: Signed by Author, Inscribed by Author, Signed by Illustrator, Inscribed by Illustrator
Note: It is necessary to distinguish between signed books and inscribed books as both will be searchable using the Signed attribute. If you do not wish to have inscribed books displayed as signed by the author, we kindly ask that you reword the book description to either “inscription in ink” or “hand-written note” instead
of “inscribed” or “inscription”.
Please review the AbeBooks Glossary for help with book terms.
How can I list my books on your platform?
Depending on your specific needs, AbeBooks offers many options to help you list & upload your books:
1. Online Inventory Management - Ideal for beginners who would like to enter their books directly online. ISBN Look-up feature is also available. Example
For further information see Using Online Inventory Management.
2. HomeBase - Our free inventory management software for cataloguing books, maintaining a customer database and creating invoices. Technical support included. With HomeBase you can keep a detailed list of your inventory, print your catalogues and easily export your book data. Features exclusive to AbeBooks member booksellers: Use of ISBN Look-up and Price comparison tools! Example [Download HomeBase]
For further information see Using HomeBase or download our HomeBase 2.3 User Guide.
3. Individual conversion of your book data - Should you already have a customised inventory system such as MichaelCole, Booktrakker, Amazon, BookRouter - or use a program such as Excel, Access or Filemaker to list your books, we can create a conversion specifically for your data format. Simply send a copy of your first file together with a field description (1 = book ID, 2 = author, 3 = title, 4 = publisher etc.) to conversions@abebooks.com - please remember to mention which software you use. We will check your data and get back to you if we have any questions. Example
For further information see Using your own data format.
[View list of possible formats]
You may wish to use an Excel template that we have already set up for you:
[Download Template.xls] 
Note: If you decide to use the template to catalogue your books, please remember that before you send your book list to us to save the file as tab delimited text (.txt) format:
1. Open the Excel Sheet
2. Select [File]
3. Select [Save as]
4. From the [Save as type] menu select "Text (Tab delimited)(*.txt)"
Note for Mac users: You can use Filemaker for spreadsheet structure.
4. XML-Interface (API) - For those with a high volume of sales we also offer a special XML-interface (API) that allows direct communication with the AbeBooks Server. The system ensures seamless integration of your AbeBooks-Business into your own order and inventory management system. Please contact us directly for further information on this service.
Details on how to upload your book data can be found on our online help. Read our data format recommendations.
How can I update my inventory on Abebooks?
The method in which you regularly update your AbeBooks listings depends on how you provide us with your data. Please use the appropriate link below to find further information on updating your inventory:
1. Online Inventory Management - Ideal for beginners who would like to enter their books directly online. ISBN Look-up feature is also available. Example
2. HomeBase - AbeBooks free inventory management software, makes it easy to list and maintain your books, clients, invoices and wants.
3. Individual conversion of your book data – For booksellers who already have a customised inventory system such as MichaelCole, Booktrakker, Amazon, BookRouter - or use a program such as Excel, Access or Filemaker to list your books.
4. XML-Interface (API) - For those with a high volume of sales we also offer a special XML-interface (API) that allows direct communication with the AbeBooks Server.
Using Online Inventory Management
If you do not have your own database or do not use inventory management software such as HomeBase, you can use our Online Inventory Management facility to easily add, update and categorise your listings via your AbeBooks bookseller account.
Adding a Listing:
1. [Sign On] to your AbeBooks.com bookseller account
2. Click [Your Books] in the Members Menu
3. Select [List and maintain your books]
4. The “Inventory Management: Find Listing” opens. Click the [Add listing] link located on the upper right corner of the screen
5. Enter the ISBN into the ISBN field and click the [ISBN Lookup] button. When the ISBN Lookup has been successful, you will receive a confirmation message. Note: Please verify all information automatically entered when using the ISBN lookup feature
6. In the mandatory fields (those fields marked with an red asterisk *) that are not automatically filled in, enter the appropriate book details
7. Click the [Add] button to add the book to your inventory
You will see a confirmation message when the book was been added. If you would like to see how the listing will appear in the search results, click the [Preview Listing] link.
Editing a Listing:
Once you have clicked [List and maintain your books], you can search for the book you would like to edit. This can be done by using the criteria in one of the 3 blue boxes titled ‘Online inventory’, ‘Deleted or Recently Modified Items’ or ‘Inventory by book number’.
1. Located the listing you wish to edit
2. Click the [Edit Listing] link below the listing
3. Edit your listing using the fields and drop-down lists available. Ensure that all of the required fields (those marked with an asterisk) are filled in
4. Click the [Save Changes] button
You will receive a confirmation message when the changes have been saved. If you would like to see how the listing will appear in the search results, click the [Preview Listing] link.
Deleting/Restoring a Listing:
Search for the listing you would like to delete using the instructions above.
1. Click [Delete/Restore]
2. Review the screen that shows which books will be deleted
3. If the selections are correct, click the [Yes, Delete] or [Yes, Restore] button
Adding a Catalogue:
You can add new catalogues to your inventory the same time that you add a new book into that catalogue. Follow the instructions to add a new book, above. On the right side of the screen, enter the new catalogue name in the "Or New Catalogue" field. When you add the new book, the catalogue will be created at the same time.
Editing a Catalogue Name:
1. From any of the List and Maintain screens, click the [Manage Catalogues] link in the top-right corner
2. Click the [Edit] link for the catalogue name you would like to update
3. Edit the name
4. Click the [OK] button
Viewing online inventory:
To view your complete online inventory:
1. Without entering any details select "100" from the "Results/page" drop-down menu
2. Click on [View Items]
Using HomeBase
HomeBase is our free inventory management software. You can work with it offline to catalogue and mange your books. Click here for information on installing HomeBase. Everything you should need to know about how to use HomeBase can be found on our HomeBase 2.3 User Guide. This includes how to add and edit books, how to manage catalogues, how to send your data to AbeBooks and much more. Below are our FAQs for HomeBase.
How do I send my book data to AbeBooks?
Enter your User ID & Password into HomeBase:
Once you have you have registered online and your bookseller account has been opened, you will need to enter your User ID and account password into HomeBase before you send your first book list to AbeBooks. If you are not sure what your User ID is, you can check by signing onto your AbeBooks account and selecting [Your Personal Information] and then [Update Your Account Information].
To enter and save your User ID and password in HomeBase:
1. Select [View] from the grey menu bar at the top
2. Then select [Options…]
3. Enter your User ID and re-enter password to ensure that it is correct
4. Click [Apply]
5. Then click [OK]
Once you have done this you will be able to send your book data to AbeBooks and update your online inventory.
Sending a full file to AbeBooks:
The first file that you send to AbeBooks should include all the books you have added to HomeBase. To send a file that includes all your books:
1. In the grey menu bar click [File] and then [Import/Export] and then [Export/Send to AbeBooks]
2. In the Send Data to AbeBooks box, select [Upload Books]
3. Clear the [Changes since last load date] option*
4. Select the [All Books] option*
5. Click the [Send] button
6. Click the [Save] button. A summary of the number of books sent to AbeBooks is displayed
7. Click [OK]. The data is exported to a saved file
8. Click [OK] in the export summary box
9. Click the [Connect] button.
A message is displayed stating that "Connection to ftp.abebooks.com successful"
10. Click the [Send File] button
11. Click the [Exit] button when the message "Transfer complete, closing connection" is displayed
* To send only your updates, ensure the [Changes since last load date] option is ticked and skip step 4 above.
* To purge your books follow the steps above, during step 4 also tick the box “Purge”. This will ensure that the full file you send us replaces everything that you have online. This will correct any discrepancies and help keep your data up-to-date.
Once you have uploaded a file to AbeBooks, you will receive an email confirming the file has been received and additional details about the file. If you find that the number of books is not exactly as you uploaded, this may be due to the fact that our system counts the lines in your file as opposed to the books. With certain file types this may cause the number to be inaccurate, so please do check the changes online.
To check the details of your file:
1. [Sign On] to your AbeBooks.com bookseller account
2. Click [Your Books] in the Members Menu
3. Select [Yesterday's billable listings]
As you can see below, you can use this page to check that we have received your file. You can see how many books were in the file and when the file's status was last updated. Additionally, you can review your current book count and your book count history.
How can I manage sold books in HomeBase?
It is important to ensure that your online inventory is up-to-date, especially after your first orders have been processed. A book ordered via AbeBooks will automatically be removed from your online inventory. It is however; very important to update this also in HomeBase, marking that book as sold to ensure that in your future uploads the book is not accidentally re-uploaded.
Managing Sold Books:
To remove books from the AbeBooks online system using AbeBooks HomeBase, you are required to change the status of your sold books to [Sold] and then send these changes to AbeBooks.
Note: It is very important that you do not delete books in HomeBase. Your books will only be completely removed from your AbeBooks inventory if you have marked them as [Sold].
When you send a file of sold books, AbeBooks matches those book numbers against the ones already online. When our system reads that book #1234 is marked as sold it removes the listing from the AbeBooks websites. It is imperative that you send your sold book records to AbeBooks on a regular basis.
To mark books as sold in HomeBase:
1. Click [Books] in the red bar. The [Find Books] screen is displayed
2. Select the book you wish to update
3. Double click to open the book record
4. Select [Sold] from the Status list
5. Click the [Save] button and then click [OK]
Note: There is a shortcut for marking books as sold. On the [Find Books] screen, select the sold books. Right-click and select [Mark Selected Books as Sold].
The best way to keep track of sold books in HomeBase is to create a "Sold" catalogue and move all of your sold books into it.