I am running a deal in the BB - as many as 3 for 1 - but am not getting any takers. Why???

My shelf has a wide variety of books (all non-fiction - but several types though).

I think people have become jaded to deals.  I used to always get takers (on 5 for 2) and now I don't bother running one.  No one looks anymore.

It helps if your title specifies some books or genres--a wide variety (which I also have) isn't going to tell folks if you have what they want.  Pick the two biggest genres to highlight-it might help.

But I just think there are too many deals and too few people willing to comb through shelves to take advantage of them anymore.

Just some thoughts....

Because there are probably so many deals running that folks may be a bit overwhelmed going in there. The Book Bazaar used to be a place to highlight books on their shelves, start a thread about a particular trend, or just to generally reveal what genres they had posted. Now the Book Bazaar is full of members offering deals, and some times when you go to find deals, it becomes challenging to find members whose taste in books are comparable, or on large shelves it takes some time to go through and find books. Being that it is the end of a holiday week, lots of folks may be trying to cram 5 days worth of work into 4 days.

One thing that I find a HUGE help in the BB is if people list the genre's in the subject line.  After I've clicked into 5 or 6 and looked at their shelves only to find genre's I don't care for, I get bored and leave.  But if more people would list it in the subject line, then we can hone in on just the stuff we might find interesting.

Another helpful hint is to list your deal in your signature line, so folks see it whenever you post to the forums.

But it is hit-or-miss; I seldom manage to find shelves where I'm interested in more than one or two books.  I usually stick with 2 or 3 for 1 when I offer deals.

I was surprised to see your comment about "no takers" for your offer, because I placed an order the day your deal was first posted -- May 21st. And four other members placed orders, too, in the next day or so. I find that level of interest -- both the number of orders and the timing of them -- is about the norm when I run a special at the book bazaar.

My suggestion would be to quit bumping the deal (because most people probably looked at your shelf in the first day or so), and post again in a few weeks or so.  As was also mentioned, putting a deal in your signature line is a good way of drawing attention to what you have to offer, also.

Pam

yes, listing the genre's is very helpful...I don't want to wade through 2 or 3 pages of books to see if you have a genre I want.

I had better response when I had a deal offered in my signature then when I did one in the book bazaar.  Of course this only works if you post regularly on the boards. 

I'd check out your shelf but I'm moving cross country next month and don't trust media mail to get any books to me in time.  I already have my account on hold. 

Pamela, I guess I was getting a bit discouraged after going the past 2-3 days or so without any responses to my deal.  I appreciate all the responses to my deal and to the questions raised in the OP in this thread.

Hey Jason.   I saw your post in the BB and saw your bookshelf and didn't order because you had mostly nonfiction on your shelf..and I don't usually order nonfiction.

like the other people said...it's a good idea to put it in your signature line, post at a time of day when a lot of people are online, and definitely try to generally describe what is on your shelf

Michelle......NO, don't feel bad about just highlighting your shelf.  I almost always look at their shevles too.

I saw your offer here yesterday, and ordered a book :) (check your PMs)

I think a lot of it probably depends on what you've got on your shelf. I often check out the deals in the Bazaar only to find that the person offering the deal doesn't have anything I want.

If you've gotten 4-5 responses, that's pretty good in my experience.  Give it a rest for a month or so.  Maybe leave it in your sig/profile, but don't poke at it in the BB.   You won't empty your shelf with a deal, as nice as that would be. *

*Well, OK, if you offer a really sweet deal on your entire shelf you might.  But that's an even harder deal to find someone who wants it & has the credits than smaller deals are.

i agree totally with everything everyone has given advice about. Its very true, when people offer specials and I go and look and cannot find a thing in the genre I will read and like to read.

It gets very very frustrating to go to a bookshelf and find only what 99 other people is offering also what you do not want, do not read and have no desire to even read..

Look for new authors, because the members here like them. The members like to broaden their horizen, and not get bogged down with just one  or two authors.

One suggestion I can give you, ...... Look in the wish list, and put them onto your wish list and get them when they come out and then reoffer them as soon as you received the book, the person who wants it will look at your other books also.  When I order a book from another member, I always look to see what other books that I would like to read.

Another is look at people's wish list, and if you see it in a store or a goodwill buy it if it is in good condition and will pass the PBS standards. Then post it. The books will fly off the shelf.  Even if you do not read it, have no desire to read, buy it, it will fly off your shelf