• Traditional five points to include.
  1. Name of the author or editor.
  2. Full title, including the full subtitle(s).
  3. Name of the publisher.
  4. Place and date of publication. (Copyright)
  5. Discription of condition. Markings, names written in, rips and/or tears, missing dust jacket, etc.
• The following set of 18 points makes for an even fuller (and, therefore, better) description. I've also included notes for each item to explain why it's a good idea to include the information. The first 16 should be included in all listings or left blank only because they are not part of the book that is being listed. Not all books have an editor or translator.
  1. Title - You do want people to know what it is that you have for sale, right?
  2. Subtitle - The subtitle can be informative, especially in series and multi-volume sets.
  3. Author - This is who wrote the book (you knew that, right?)
  4. Editor - In some cases the editor is the only name given.
  5. Translator - Different editions may have been translated by different people and, in the world of academics and research, one person's translation may be looked upon as better than another.
  6. Illustrator - Some books are collected solely for the artwork contained in them. This can also be true of different editions of the same book; some editions are worth more because of the illustrator of the work.
  7. Published By - In listings of rare books (as opposed to run-of-the-mill used books), the place of publication should be added here because the place of publication can effect collectibility and price.
  8. Copyright - Usually given as a year, sometimes given as a multi-part date (ex. june 1900). In cases of a multi-year date (1900, 1901, 1947), the first and last year should always be listed. Again, date of printing can effect the collectibility and price of a used book.
  9. Edition and Printing - Different editions of a single book can be significantly different from each other. Why does this matter? A researcher may want a third edition because of information it contained, while a student will want the latest edition for a class they are taking, and a collector may want a first edition. The printing is the number of times a book was reprinted or put back on the press. This matters because once a print run is completed, the book block is broken down off the press. When the printer puts it back together for a second (or third, or whatever) printing, the book wont be exactly the same. To a collector a first/first is usualy the most desirable. It should also be noted here if a book is a book club edition and/or a library discard (exLibris).
  10. ISBN - International Standard Book Number, a number that identifies the book and is useful to include for database searches.
  11. LCCN - Library of Congress Control Number. It's like the ISBN that it identifies the book; was used like an ISBN before ISBNs became standard and it is still used by libraries.
  12. No. of Pages - The value of the book can often be effected by the number of pages, particularly in the cases of different editions or printings of a single book that may have differing numbers of pages.
  13. Cover - Hard Cover, Trade paperback (soft cover), Mass-market paperback (paperback)
  14. Dust Jacket - also called a wrapper or dust cover. It is important to note whether the book came with one or not and whether it is present with your copy of that book. To a collector, the dust jacket can be worth up to 40% of the book's value.
  15. Condition - The overall condition of the book and, if aplicable, the dust jacket.
  16. Extra / additional information about condition - Markings, names written in, rips, tears, etc., should be listed here.
• The point here is that the more information the seller includes in a listing, the better that seller establishes that he or she really has the book in hand. This can serve as a defense against suspicious buyers who have been burned by fraudulent used book sales listings.
• Besides the points that should be included with every listing, there are a few other things a bookseller may want add to their listings. This information is found more often in listings of new books rather than used books, but I've found that they come in handy if you are willing to take the time to fill them out.
  1. Synopsis - Or plot. In most cases, I use what the publisher provides on the dust jacket or on the back of a book.
  2. Reviews - Did you read the book? Did you like it? Reviews are not nessary but they can sometimes help. In most cases, the publisher supplies reviews from professional reviewers for new books. Or if you don't want to write one yourself you can get a customer or friend to supply one.
  3. Picture - A photo or scan of the front cover, title page, or illustration from the book. This helps consumers to identfy the book, and can also help support the bookseller's claims about its condition.

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