So, I thought that the wording of my conditions was pretty straight forward, but with 3 declines in 3 days, I'm beginning to wonder.

They are: 

If this request is for a Hardback book:  I prefer that the book include the dust jacket as these are for my home library.  Thanks!

The declines have been "sorry this is a paperback".  For a website catering to what I thought was a literate crowd, why is this happening.  Any suggestions/insights would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks for listening to my vent.

Are you wanting a hardback and applying for a paperback? I'm not sure why they're replying back with that. I get requests all the time saying hardbacks needs their dust jackets.

I had the exact same thing on my conditions and ended up taking the conditions off. It's not worth losing the paperbacks you're ordering. People just don't understand you still want the book if you are ordering a paperback.

Thanks Carol!  I placed the condition after waiting a year and a half for an LKH book only to have it arrive without the dust jacket, and I guess I'm picky because the DJs just look prettier on the shelf.  I've only got a few more that I'm looking for as keepers so I guess I'll just keep my fingers crossed and then delete the condition once those are received.  It is sad though to get that email about a WL book coming up only to have it declined due to poor reading comprehension.

I would add if this is a paperback then disregard dust jacket request.  I had that same condition come up and accepted it when it was a paperback I was sending.  It said clearly that it was a paperback so I assumed the requestor only met that condition when they were ordering hb. 

I had a similar problem....

I changed my wording and things have improved tremendously.

The 1st line in your conditions should say that you have NO CONDITIONS EXCEPT  for 1 thing.

If I ordered a paperback, then disregard this condition.

My request applies only when ordering a hard cover, but not when ordering a paperback.

That condition is: Please don't ship me a hardcover book without the jacket included.

Reesa's solution seems like a great one. Anyone who still declines with "my copy is a paperback" is likely someone you wouldn't want to have to deal with anyway!

I'd word it:

For paperbacks, I have no special conditions. Pease send the book!

For hardback books, please include the dustjacket.

Thank you for your consideration!

I've had a related problem.  After I received a book with the wrong ISBN I added 'ISBN must match'  to my 'no smoking environment' condition.  Then I added 'no writing or highlighting' because I was going to be requesting books I wanted to keep, not just read once.  A title on my WL was posted.  In response to my request the posting member declined and I got this message:

The member who this book was ordered from had this to say.... "They seem a little high maintenance, don't want them complaining if, God forbid, one of the pages is earmarked."

That's rude, right?  It's not enough to decline? The poster needs to judge me? 

BTW, I rewrote my conditions, taking out the ISBN, since that's a rule, and rephrasing the no writing condition as no writing or highlighting in the text. 

thats a great way to word it Jane!  I may change mine.

I'm thinking about have a "no mysterious brown stains" condition. Sigh.