Today I picked up a book and when I really looked at it I noticed on the back it says "Promotional Copy Only. Not For Resale" It is definitely not an ARC, but released after the book went into print. Is this postable?

I have searched through the help documents, but can't find an answer...does someone out there know? Thanks in advance for any help you can give me!

My feeling, Sally, is that it is like an ARC because it specifically says "not for resale."  But please let us know if you find a definitive answer!

Well, I bought an Anne Rivers Siddons book one time that was a new paperback edition of her latest hardcover.  It was shrinkwrapped along with an older paperback novel of hers.  This book also said "Promotional Copy, Not for Resale" on it.  It was sort of like a gift for buying her new paperback plus promoting the author's other work.  I think the verbage is more for retailers so they can't split the books and sell them individually.  IMO, this would be fine to post.

Check the ISBN on the book.  If it's not on the outside of the book, try the page behind the cover page.  It's not an ARC, it's just a free copy of the book.  I think it's fine to post.

I would request clarification from the folks at Feedback (using the "Contact Us" link on every PBS page).  The fact that it is labeled "not for resale" may present a legal issue; I know Swap-A-CD does not allow discs labeled "promotional copy" for that reason.

Cheers,

Catt

If it says on it  "Not for resale" it cannot be traded here. You can offer it as a freebie with order off your shelf in the book bazaar if you like.

A publisher cannot enforce a "not for resale" claim on a private owner--the situation is different with the retailer.  But as an individual, if you own it, it's your right to do with it as you wish.

<<A publisher cannot enforce a "not for resale" claim on a private owner--the situation is different with the retailer.  But as an individual, if you own it, it's your right to do with it as you wish.>>

Regardless of whether or not this is true, using PBS is not the same as selling/trading it as an individual, hence the potential legal issues making "not for resale" copies unpostable on all the PBS sites (Swap-A-CD, Swap-A-DVD, etc).

Cheers,

Catt

Thanks for all of your input! I think  the answer is that a "Promotional Copy Only. Not For Resale" is not a postable book.

Wow, I'm really not sure.  My initial reaction when reading your first post was that no it's not postable, since it says not for resale.  However, IF these books are being sold in conjunction with another book (shrink-wrapped, as was mentioned) and they are just trying to prevent individual selling of the book, then the book is in it's complete form, and (as long as it has the correct ISBN) then it would be postable.  Technically.  Like some I have looked at the HC for more clarification and this seems to be a gray area.

My suggestion, Sally, would be to send in Feedback asking for help on this and see what they say.  Cuz if you can get a credit for the book, why not try!?  :)

I had a book like this--a complimentary promotional copy--and asked a tour guide at PBS (who guessed it was unpostable) and then went to the PBS big kahoonas.  They said it *WAS* postable and is not an ARC.  I'll paste their message here:

Dear Genevieve,
 
Yes, you may post a complimentary copy of a book. This does not sound like an ARC, which could not be posted.
 
Thank you for being a Charter Member of the best book club in America. Please tell everyone who enjoys reading about our club, because the more members we have the more books for everyone to trade!
 
Have a great day!
The PaperBackSwap Team

Genevieve - was your book marked Not For Resale? I cannot imagine anything with those words on it as tradeable here. I wouldn't have thought it an ARC, but I would seem to me that it would fall into the same category as books with the cover removed, illegal to "sell".

I agree with Melanie - I always thought "not for resale" books were not postable.  So now I'm wondering why an ARC is NOT postable but other "not for reseale" books could be.  What's the difference?

In this particular case I have decided not to post the book -- the biggest reason being that when I looked for the ISBN on the page with all the other publishing information, it is totally missing. If it had had an ISBN, based on the conversations here, I would have listed it, but realizing that there is no ISBN, that's it -- I will not post it.

Sally, you can certainly offer it free with an order, or just offer it for free if you like. I'm sure someone will be interested. :)

ARCs may not be the finished book, or may not have been proofread yet. They often don't have cover art or blurbs on the back.   All of the "Promotional/Not for Resale" books I have ever received have been finished copies of the book, they've just been used as part of an advertising campaign (such as buy these two products, get this book free).

Sounds like a good call, Sally.

I have run across at least one instance where there was an edition that a promotionl edition.  It was was a partial copy of the book, although it had the same ISBN.  You need to be very careful in these cases.

Aren't Scholastic books marked not for re-sale, too?  Or something similar?  I can't imagine that keeping them from being posted.

Authors also give out not for resale books. A few weeks back we had a load of books donated by an author that were all stamped "Not for resale".  From what I understood when asking an author about this is, they do not get paid for these copies or they have donated them from their own  shelves/stash.

I've never seen a Scholastic book marked 'not for resale', Jo.  Are you talking about the ones that come from the book orders and book fairs?  We order those all the time through the school....the only thing I've ever seen on them is something to the effect of "This edition created exclusively for Scholastic" or something like that.

I couldn't remember the wording... so I found one I have.  What it actually says is "This edition is available for distribution through the school market only."  ::shrugs::  I wouldn't have a problem posting Scholastic books that meet PBS standards, but it seemed similar to me.

Jo, I think that Scholastic offers some freebie books to schools when certain sales goals are met. Those are marked free and not for resale (they have bunches printed to give away).

(Hoping I'm remembering this correctly...)

When we have had book faires they give you so many books for having it, then so many more if you make alot. SOME of these books are marked Not for Resale and they seem to be those they use for display.  Most of them say they are just for the school market.  Sometimes to cover art is little different.