- What information and format for book data is required for your service?
- How can I list my books on your platform?
- How can I update my inventory on AbeBooks?
- How can I use your free software HomeBase?
- Bookseller Catalogues vs. AbeBooks Categories
- How can I upload pictures?
- I am going on holiday. How can I remove my books during this time?
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 free inventory 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 book data 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.
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.
If you do not yet have an inventory management system, you may wish to use the AbeBooks Inventory Template that we have already set up for you.
[Click here] to see a description of the file and a link to download it.
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.
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.
Tip: You can use the [Compare Prices] link located below the book price field. A new window will open and you will see our Price Comparison page, which will display the 10 highest and 10 lowest priced copies of that title on AbeBooks, allowing you to price your copy competitively
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
Deleting Multiple Listings:
From the main screen, "Inventory Management: Find Listing", you can use the 3rd blue box: 'Inventory by book number' to easily delete up to 100 books at a time. Simply:
1. Enter the book id numbers (one per line or separated by commas) for the listings you would like to delete and click [View Items] to see a list of those books
2. Click [Select/Deselect All] and then [Delete/Restore]
3. Confirm that you wish to delete these items by clicking [Yes, Delete]
Please Note: If any of the books that you have listed are already deleted, then this process will not work. Simply remove the book number of the listing that has already been deleted and try again.
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]
Associating Your Listings to the AbeBooks Categories
While many buyers use the search function to find the books they looking for, many buyers also use browsing to find books. You can categorise your listings to make them browse-able by AbeBooks buyers:
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. Enter criteria to search for some of your books and click the [View Items] button
5. Select a book (or several) and click the [Categorise] button
The category list is displayed on the right side of the page. You can click any of the [+] symbols to expand the list to view sub-categories, or click the name of a sub-category to assign it to your listing(s). If you already assign catalogues to your listings, you can map each of them to one of the AbeBooks Categories. In step 4, above, select one of your catalogues from the drop-down list when you do your search. Use the [Select/Deselect All] button to select all of the listings in that catalogue, and then categorise them to the corresponding category. You could use a similar system to categorise all books by a specific author, or listings with a particular keyword.
To remove a category from multiple listings, you can use the Remove Categories tool:
1. Locate and select the listings you would like to update
Tip: You can use the categories refinements on the left side of the page to find the listings assigned to that category.
2. Click the [Remove Categories] button
3. Select the category you would like to remove
4. Finally, click the [Remove Selected Categories] button. You will receive a Success message at the top of the page.
If there are no other categories shared with the listings, you will see a note on the right side of your screen.
Further information on the AbeBooks Categories.
Using HomeBase 2.3
HomeBase 2.3 is our free inventory management software. You can work with it offline to catalogue and manage your books. It is easy to install HomeBase 2.3 and everything you need to know about how to use HomeBase 2.3 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 2.3. We also have HomeBase 3.0 Beta online help available. How do I send my book data to AbeBooks? 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 2.3 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]. Entering your User ID & Password into HomeBase 2.3: 1. Select [View] from the grey menu bar at the top 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 2.3. 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 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.
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]
2. Click [Your Books] in the Members Menu
3. Select [Yesterday's billable listings]
How can I manage sold books in HomeBase 2.3?
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 2.3, 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 HomeBase 2.3, 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 2.3. 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 2.3:
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 2.3 is to create a "Sold" catalogue and move all of your sold books into it.
To create a Sold catalogue and move books into it:
1. Click [Catalogs] in the red bar. The [Catalogs] screen is displayed
2. Click the [Add] button . The [Add Catalog] box is displayed
3. Enter the catalogue name as "Sold" and enter a description (optional)
4. Click the [Save] button
5. Click [Books] in the red bar
6. In the Tools menu, select [Move all sold books to]
7. Select the "Sold" catalogue from the list. Click the [OK] button
All books marked "Sold" will now be moved into your "Sold" catalogue. You can now send your books to AbeBooks as you normally would.
Note: There is a shortcut for marking books as sold. On the [Find Books] screen, select the sold books. Right-click and select [Move all Sold books to] and complete step 7.
If you would like to find out more read the HomeBase 2.3 User Guide.
Associating Your Listings to the AbeBooks Categories
While many buyers use the search function to find the books they are looking for, many buyers also use browsing to find books. If you assign categories to your listings, your books will be more visible to those buyers who browse. If you do not, our system will attempt to match your books to the appropriate category. Please note that when you assign your own categories we will not add further categories to your listings
HomeBase 2.3 does not contain the AbeBooks Categories, however, you can easily categorise your listings via our Online Inventory Management system.
An alternative option for categorising your listings would be to use the latest version of HomeBase 3.0, where each book can be assigned up to 10 AbeBooks Categories.
HomeBase 3.0 uses different technology than HomeBase 2.3, so it is not an upgrade. This means that if you would like to download and install HomeBase 3.0 to take a look around before deciding whether to use it, it is safe to do so.
Further help with categories in HomeBase 3.0.
Using your own book list
It is important to ensure that your online inventory is up-to-date, especially after your first orders have been processed. If you are using your own data format you can update your AbeBooks listings by sending us a file containing the changes to your stock. Please ensure that the file is in your usual format.
You can easily upload your files through your Members Menu:
1. [Sign On] to your AbeBooks.com bookseller account
2. Click [Uploads] from the Members Menu
3. Then click the [Upload your book file now!] button
4. On the Upload and List Client Pending Files, you will see the following: "What file would you like to send us?" Press the [Browse] button - this will allow you to search your computer and select the file you wish to upload
5. Choose the file to send
6. Finally, click the [Send File] button to transfer a copy of your file to our system
If you have any trouble using the AbeBooks Web Upload Facility there are other upload options, some of which have been listed below:
Netscape Web Upload
WS_FTP
Fetch (For Macintosh Users)
Removing Sold Books
A book ordered via AbeBooks will automatically be removed from your online inventory. It is however, very important to update your inventory management system by marking the book as sold. This will ensure that in your future uploads the book is not accidentally re-uploaded to AbeBooks
a. If you have a status or quantity field in your database or spreadsheet, you could send a file named delete.txt and include exactly the same fields as you do when you upload a regular (for sale) file. The books included in this file will then be removed from your online inventory.
b. Alternatively, you can send a file simply containing a list of the book numbers you want to have deleted. Each book number must be on a line by itself and the file should be named delnum.txt or delnum.tab. The file's extension should match the custom conversion we have set up for you.
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.
Associating Your Listings to the AbeBooks Categories
While many buyers use the search function to find the books they looking for, many buyers also use browsing to find books. You can categorise your listings to make them browse-able by AbeBooks buyers:
To categorise your listing to the Abebooks categories, you can simply download a copy of the Browse Categories list and then use the Category IDs in a Category field in your inventory program.
Important: Ensure that you contact us prior to uploading a file with the new field!
1. [Sign On] to your AbeBooks.com bookseller account
2. Click [Downloads] from the Members Menu
3. Then click [Download Abebooks Browse Category List]
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to download the file
The file includes the following fields in this order: Abebooks Category ID, Parent ID, Category Name, Category Path, BISAC code, Muze code, and "is leaf." You can't assign listings to top-level categories, so "is leaf" will be False (F) for these categories.
You can assign up to 10 Category IDs to each of your listings.
Further information on the AbeBooks Categories.
