I don't understand how, for example, I can be in position 74 on my wish list for a book, and then end up 75 or higher the next time I check the standing...especially when the book has a number of swaps each week.  This happens all the time.  Shouldn't my position keep getting closer to a swap rather than falling farther behind?

It might be one of several things making this happen.

If I have the same book on my wish list and my list is on hold, then I unhold it, it affects everyone in the wish list behind me.  A lot of us put our shelves on hold for months for one reason or another and then take them off.

If I get a wish listed book and I have to RWAP, I go back in the line to get another chance at it.

A good reminder for this time of year.  Many schools are on spring break, so we'll see our wishlists move around a bit as other members put their accounts on vacation hold and take them off again when they return home.

Another possibility is a requester being moved back to the front of the list due to a RWAP, I've had a couple of those lately   Timed-out transactions and books lost in the mail can also cause your wishlist position to fluctuate.

*hugs* frustrating tho 

Also if a book shows 7 copies posted that doesn't mean that 7 copies were mailed out.  They might have timed out with no response from the sender.  Also I think if a book is turned down for RCS it'll show up as a new request under the # of copies posted. So if someone posted a WL book and the first wisher had RCS that the sender declined-it would show up as 2 copies being posted.  (someone correct me if I'm wrong on this).

That's interesting Mary, I'm interested to have this confirmed.  I've noticed several books on my wishlist lately, that suddenly show 3 copies posted last week...but either the wishlist hasn't moved at all, or significantly less than the number indicated.

No Mary, that would not be how it works. One book posted would only count once no matter how many RCs it went through. If a book times out with no response from the sender, it will also be removed from the count so only those mailed would stay in the count.

Denise I would guess you are just seeing a weird timing thing where 3 were posted, but 3 people in front of you also came off of hold or went back into the WL line for some other reason or the 3 were directly posted to someone behind you. Books going to people not in the front of the line may happen more often with Gold Key in plae.

To the OP, the Wish List is merely a lining up of the Wishes by the wished on date. o one will ever get in front of you unless they had wished for the book before you. From the Help Center:

Why did I move *backward* on my Wish List?

I'm one that keeps a lot of books on my wish list on hold until I want them.  I have about 250 books on my WL, but over 100 of them are on hold.  And for about 50 of the ones on hold, I'm in 1st position.  So, if I decide I'm ready to receive one of these books, I'll take the hold off.  That'll have the effect of pushing everyone behind me back a notch on the WL for that book. 

I also have about half my wishlist on hold, and take some books off and put them on hold a few times...some books I have on my library wait list and here, and if I can get it from the library without using a credit, I usually prefer to do that unless I'm looking for a Keeper copy. So as I get closer on one of the wishlists, I'll move books on and off hold.

Also, I wishlist a lot of books many months in advance of their release date, quite often being #1 in line, and because of that, have had some problems in the past with getting ARCs of these books posted to me a few weeks or sometimes months in advance of the release...I've been able to catch most of them and PM the sender to verify that it is not an ARC (it usually is) and stop them sending it, thus avoiding an RWAP, but have had a couple where the person printed label and marked mailed immediately, thus causing problems. So I have a lot of those books on hold until very close to or right after their release date to avoid that issue. I have seen people post, "Hey, I was at #1 on the WL for this book for weeks and now someone's ahead of me and I'm #2, the book's just been released so how does that happen?" Oops. Sorry. :)

Cheryl