Jim Coudal’s Greatest Failure
A quick quote for this icy Tuesday:
“If it’s a good idea and it gets you excited, try it, and if it bursts into flames, that’s going to be exciting too. People always ask, ‘What is your greatest failure?’ I always have the same answer — We’re working on it right now, it’s gonna be awesome!” ~ Jim Coudal
Your Fools are working behind the scenes this month to make something big happen. You may not see its effects for awhile but stay tuned!
(cc) Flickr user Tancread
Public Speaking Horror Stories
(cc) Flickr user Brendan Biele
Scott Schwertly of Ethos3 just launched a new blog, Stuff Presenters Like, filled with good stuff, bad stuff, lame stuff, and horror stories about public speaking. If you’ve ever spoken in public, you’ve probably got one to share.
Yours truly contributed a public speaking horror story to the inaugural “issue.” A snip from the middle:
When it’s finally my turn, I take the podium, wait for my first slide to appear, and jump in. I’m watching my pace and clicking my slides on cue. I’m making eye contact. I’m even getting a few giggles out of the crowd. But they’re not laughing at the right parts. In fact, they don’t seem to be paying attention at all. They’re whispering to each other and shifting around in their seats.
I begin to panic.
Click through to read more. Do you have any public speaking horror stories to share?
BookFool’s 100% Return Guarantee
It’s been a busy selling season here at BookFool.com. We strive to get all orders out the door in one business day or less, which means we’re usually shipping on Saturdays (and some Sundays) just to keep up with the demand. Students need their books and they need them fast!
(cc) Flickr user Plutor
A month ago, we took a hard look at our return policy and made a major change. In the past, anyone could make a return and receive a portion of their purchase price (often 100%) depending on the age of the order and whether we made a mistake or they did.
Well, this was confusing. Some even found it annoying.
We kept putting ourselves in the unfortunate position of having to ascertain who was at fault before every return, which seriously complicated our customer service efforts and more than doubled our load of emails. Of course we would always defer to customers who said that BookFool was at fault, but it still required more emails than it should have to resolve the situation.
So we simplified everything. Meet the Foolish Guarantee:
Within 30 days of purchase, if you return your book in the same condition as when we shipped it, we will refund 100% percent of your purchase price and reimburse you $3.99 for return shipping, for any reason! We only ask that you contact us for a Return Authorization before shipping anything back to us.
100% return guarantee + free return shipping. We want you to buy with confidence! What do you think?
WANTED: Marketing/Communication Intern for Spring-Summer 2010
If you’re ready to make a serious contribution to a worthy cause—rehabilitating the textbook industry—BookFool.com is offering real resume-building experience in Marketing, PR, and Event Planning.
BookFool.com is an independent, rapidly growing East Nashville textbook seller. Though not a large company, we do have a big impact, and there is still time to write yourself into the BookFool story in a profound way.
WHO WE NEED
We’re looking for a detail-oriented intern who can work independently and communicate professionally. This includes writing, which you will be doing a lot of.
Your official title will be Marketing Intern with a direct report to our Minister of Communication (Marketing Director), but like everyone at BookFool, you will wear many hats. Responsibilities include:
- Writing and distributing press releases.
- Helping establish and maintain our presence in social media.
- Researching and writing critical marketing reports.
- Making phone calls on behalf of the Fool.
- Compiling media lists and building media relations.
- Setting up new business relationships with schools and professors.
- Finding new ways to grow the Fool’s media reach.
- Much more…
Past marketing interns have created and curated a haiku contest for the Tomato Art Fest, painted a 15-foot mural of one of our favorite poems, written numerous blog posts, built media contact lists, and more.
APPLY
This internship pays $7.25/hr. You must have occasional transportation to our East Nashville location, though some of your work can be done from home. Please send resume with references and a writing sample to this email address.
Dormology Chapter 1: History of the Dorm
[Series Table of Contents: The Fool's Guide to Dormology]
Chapter 1: The History of the Dorm
By: David, Intern to the Stars
Let us begin with the most fundamental question: What is a dorm?
According to Dictionary.com, “dorm” is an informal version of the term “dormitory.” Gee, thanks! Let’s move to a more legitimate source of internet knowledge, UrbanDictionary.com, which defines “dorm” as:
A bedroom, living room, and kitchen in a space about the size of most walk-in closets. Roommate included free of charge.
Though UrbanDictionary slightly overstates the dorm’s amenities (in particular the use of the word “kitchen”), I find this definition to be satisfactory. The standard dorm room will generally come equipped with a leaky sink, cracked mirror, two beds, two desks, two chairs, and maybe a closet or two. If you get lucky (or maybe unlucky, as we will discuss in a later chapter), there might be a bathroom attached to your dorm room. Dorm rooms are probably most comparable to prison cells but dirtier and with doors instead of bars.
Just when did dorm become a four-letter word?
(cc) Flickr user Randy OHC
The tradition began centuries ago with monks, who referred to their dorm rooms as “cells,” hence the similarity between dorm rooms and prison. (Both would develop out of the monastic tradition). As in modern universities, monastic dormitories consisted of a single building containing many cells. Amenities such as the kitchen and lavatory were shared by the monks. Due to their focus on solitude, monks usually did not receive a free roommate with admission to their dorm. (Bummer!)
Higher-level education developed out of their monasticism and brought with it the tradition of “dorm cells.” Over time, schools would begin packing as many kids into each cell as could possibly fit. And that is where we’re at now. A bunch of college kids pretending to be monks.
Some schools today, such as the University of Oregon, do not have “dorms,” but instead have “residence halls.” A residence hall is a more uppity version of a dormitory, which provides not only a place to live, but also a place to grow. Oregon’s website describes the difference as follows:
Monk's have the best dorms. (cc) Flickr user Ivan Marcialis
The terms “residence hall” and “dorm” are often used interchangeably; however, there is a difference between the two. An important objective of residence halls at the University of Oregon is to provide not just a place to sleep, but also opportunities for personal and educational growth. Highly trained Residence Life staff and Hall Government officers support this objective by creating engaging activities and programs in each hall or complex. At the University of Oregon, we are proud to say you’ll be living in a residence hall.
Though the opportunities for personal and educational growth offered through Oregon’s “residence halls” are clearly more desirable than the mere living space offered in the “dorms” of most schools, the analysis of “residence halls” will not be discussed in this course. For more on residence halls consider taking Residence Hallology 101. It’s sure to be a thrill.
That’s all the time we have for today, but stay tuned for Chapter 2: How to Be a Roommate.
And unless you live in a “residence hall” in Oregon, remember to thank the early monks the next time you walk into your dorm. For more on the history of the dorm, check out Time Magazine’s Evolution of the College Dorm Photo Essay.
Fancy residence halls at the Univ. of Oregon
Welcome, Belmont Vision Readers
This week’s Belmont Vision features yours truly spouting off about textbooks. It’s a great article that lays out the problems with the industry and what we’re doing to address them.
When Erin contacted us to discuss our side of the story, I put some thoughts on paper about how we do what we do. It’s a little long, but it may be a view into BookFool that you haven’t seen before. First, her questions. Then, my PR-ey responses.
1) How does BookFool work?
BookFool’s model is unique in that we cut out the wholesalers and middlemen altogether. We set up shop inside local small businesses and buy our books directly from students, selling them on the national used market at the beginning of the next semester. This means that we don’t care if the book is being used at your campus again. If it’s still used anywhere in the world, we can probably buy it from you.
At Vanderbilt last year, we had a student bring us 100 old, out-of-date textbooks to price. The bookstore would not buy them and the local wholesaler had offered him $76 and three free burritos. His jaw hit the floor when we told him we could offer him over $400 for all of them. Alas, we couldn’t give him any free burritos, but I don’t think he minded!
2) How do you determine the asking price? Generally, what are your mark ups?
Because we do not have to satisfy a gauntlet of middlemen, we can pay very close to a book’s current value on the national market. Many students find that once they factor in the cost and hassle of selling online (including 15% marketplace commissions and multiple trips to the Post Office), they can actually get a better deal from BookFool than if they sold it online themselves. And they get it in Cash!
When it’s time to buy your books, our site, BookFool.com, will show you the cheapest used copies at all the major used marketplaces. If we can’t give you the best deal on a used book, we want to empower you find the best price yourself.
3. What sets you apart from a traditional campus bookstore? Why might you be the better option?
Your campus bookstore is only concerned with buying books for your campus. If they don’t need a book next semester, they will either refuse to buy it or will offer you an insultingly low “wholesale price” and pass the book along to a wholesaler.
At BookFool, we buy for ourselves and sell on the national used market, not to some middleman who takes a cut. We partner with local small businesses to host our buybacks, which means these local shops get increased foot traffic, students get a better deal on their books, and the local economy gets a much-needed cash infusion. It’s a win-win-win!
4. In your mission statement you talk about how being recent students affects the way you do business. Can you elaborate on that?
As students ourselves, we felt how powerless we were in the face of the mega-conglomerates who run campus bookstores. Because many campus bookstores had no competition until the online used market matured, their buyback attitude was often “take it or leave it…NEXT IN LINE!” BookFool is using technology to put power back in the hands of the students.
For students, just having BookFool as an option causes your campus bookstore to reevaluate their prices. We also never pressure students to sell if they’re not comfortable with a price. Students are always free to compare prices online, at the bookstore, and elsewhere, and we welcome them back if they decide we can offer them the best deal.
5. How have you marketed to students?
Word of mouth is our best friend. We use Social Media and traditional advertising methods to alert students to our coming and then let them take it from there. Once the word is out, it’s all about giving students a great deal.
6. In general, what effect do you see the price of textbooks having on students and the textbook industry?
Textbooks are expensive, no doubt about it. Many publishers look to digital textbooks as their savior, but we have yet to see a digital solution that actually costs less and put students’ needs first.
Having options is at the heart of our Capitalist economy. As long as students need books, BookFool will work to empower students with options. This means engaging with professors, student government associations, and students themselves to find solutions that respect everyone’s needs.
7. When will you be back by Cosmic Connections again this December?
Cosmic Connections is an amazing place to hold a buyback. Katherine and her staff have welcomed us there for years, and we plan to maintain this partnership for many years to come. This semester’s buyback at Cosmic Connections happens on Dec. 9-12 and 14-17, from 8am to 6pm. After buyback season, we’re always buying online at http://bookfool.com/sell
Thank you for including us in the discussion, Erin.
The Fool’s Guide to Dormology
Introduction to Dormology
By: David, Intern to the Stars
Welcome to Dormology 101 with the Fool. In this series of posts, you will learn everything you need to know about dormology. But first things first: What in the wide world of academics is dormology?? Think of it this way:
- Biology: The science of life or living matter in all its forms and phenomena.
- Psychology: The science of the mind or of mental states and processes.
- Sociology: The science or study of the origin, development, organization, and functioning of human society.
- Dormology: The science or study of origin, development, organization, and functioning dorm life in all its forms and phenomena.
- NOTE: Biology and Dormology overlap in that they both deal with lots of spiders.
Recipient of the 2008 "Dormologist of the Year" Medal (cc) Flickr user besighyawn
So there you have it. Through this blog-tacular series, readers will receive a top-of-the-line education in the basics of dormology. Upon graduation, some of you may even move on to become professional dormologists (see: Residence Director, or RD), and will look back fondly on your inaugural education you received from the Fool.
Now, I know what you may be thinking: Why should I believe that this PhD-less guy is an expert in dormology? What am I doing learning dormology from some quack with no credentials whatsoever? Please, let me set your mind at ease.
First of all, I am a college student, and there are no better credentials in the world of dormology. Not only this, but being your standard college student, I literally know everything (or at least think I do, and I’m sure that counts for something). Aside from being a college student, it is also important for you to know that I have a vision: to inform, to educate, to mold. Not only will this course in dormology make an expert of you, but–with dedication on your part–you will be molded into the perfect “dorm-user.”
So now that you’ve had your introduction, let me give you a preview of what is to come:
- Chapter 1: The history of the dorm, including its monastic roots.
- Chapter 2: A close look at what it takes to be a roommate.
- Chapter 3: Real-life case studies regarding crazy roommates.
- Chapter 4: Hilarious dorm pranks which, of course, we would never advocate.
- Chapter 5: An in-depth discussion of the dorm bathroom.
- Chapter 6: Some great recipes that have helped dorm-users to survive with only a microwave and a mini-fridge.
- Chapter 7: Dorm décor ideas that will help you turn your prison-cell of a room into a cozy den of man- or womanliness.
Stay tuned, get pumped, you are about to be educated.
Standard 90s dorm room. (cc) Flickr user OctopusHat
Manager Training Fall 2009
We want to say a big Foolish thanks to our managers who made it out for manager training this Saturday. You are now prepared to free students from the monopolies that pay them so little for their books!
Here are a few shots from the day:
The night before, everything ready for your arrival.
The big screen.
Some of us had to attend live via Satellite.
Trying to get the hang of these signs.
The view from the stairs.
And finally, a short clip from the day:
Victims of the Corporate Assassination Squad
[This is the story of what happens when a Monopoly feels threatened by a competitor. They resort to Lies and to what Umair Haque calls Artificial Competition. They send out their goons to assassinate your reputation.]
The Back Story
They think they look like this; (cc) Flickr user flexgraph
Yesterday we published our list of buyback Locations for this semester. Today, predictably as ever, we started getting dozens of hits from a certain part of the South. You see, we have this one competitor there (we’ll call them MegaTextbookCorp5000) who just HATES that we exist. They watch us like hawks. Before us, MegaTextbookCorp5000 had the textbook monopoly on hundreds of campuses.
Now, they will do anything to stay on top. They don’t care who they hurt.
In the early days of BookFool, one of their vice-presidents came to visit us and try to sell us their software for pricing books. We asked what happens if we want to expand into a town where MegaTextbookCorp5000 already sponsors the local bookstore. With a sly grin, vice-president said that we could expand wherever we want, just as long as we didn’t tell anyone that we were using MegaTextbookCorp5000’s software.
When really they're about as threatening as this! (cc) flickr user machoroboraza
They’re not even loyal to their own bookstores! They just want as many books as they can get. And yet they still ask their bookstores to do their dirty work.
Send in the Goons
This week MegaTextbookCorp5000 went looking for a hitman in each town where we’re holding a buyback. They sent their bookstores in those towns a list of lies about us and told them to visit each of our Locations with that list, trying to turn them against us.
Our locations were all told the same thing. That MegaTextbookCorp5000 would pay more rent, would keep the books locally, and more. But guess what? They saw right through it! Chiefly, our locations found it ironic that MegaTextbookCorp5000 suddenly cares a lot about their small business, whereas before BookFool came along, MegaTextbookCorp5000 didn’t even know they existed.
Lies, Lies, Lies
Here are some of the lies they spread, followed by the Foolish Truth:
Lie 1) We hurt the students.
Foolish Truth: If it’s hurting students to give them a second opinion on their used book values, then I guess we’re guilty.
BookFool will make it rain!
Lie 2) We hurt the local economy.
Foolish Truth: Again, if it hurts the local economy to inject thousands of dollars of cash into it every semester … guilty! We also hire workers locally, pay rent to your favorite local shop owners, and help drive more business to them.
Lie 3) MegaTextbookCorp5000 will pay you more in rent if you kick out BookFool.com.
Foolish Truth: Our shop owners told them, “Good luck with that! Will MegaTextbookCorp5000 also bring in hundreds of happy students every semester? Will you advertise my shop to thousands of students for me? And just how long will this relationship last? Until BookFool has moved to another location? No thanks! I’ve made my choice.”
MegaTextbookCorp5000 doesn’t want a relationship. They didn’t even care that our shops existed until we showed an interest in them.
Lie 4) The books they buy don’t even stay in this town.
Foolish Truth: Well, neither do yours! Did you know that 99% of “local” off-campus bookstores have partnered with a wholesaler who takes the books they buy back to their Headquarters (i.e. out of your town) to sell from there?
They act like textbooks are really hard to come by these days. Have they ever heard of the internet? Would you rather buy your book today and pay $120, or have it arrive in two days and spend only $72? I know which option MegaTextbookCorp5000 would prefer!
Lie 5) We’re a HUGE company with locations everywhere.
Foolish Truth: Actually, there are five of us. Well, nine if you count the babies. We are buying back at over 20 locations this semester, but we come by that growth honestly. By keeping our own costs low and selling back online, we’re able to pass those savings along to you in the form of more money for your used books.
Why so scared?
Why are they so scared of us? Don’t they know the sure-fire trick to beat us every time? It’s not silly shenanigans. It’s simple: GIVE BETTER PRICES!
It's a textbook revolution! (cc) flickr user seven_resist
MegaTextbookCorp5000 is scared because they know they can’t give better prices. They’ve built a giant network of wholesalers and middlemen who all get a cut of your money. They have to pay rent on all those stores. And they don’t understand the internet and how smart technology can lower prices for everybody!
They’re so scared, in fact, that their actions might just be illegal. Defamation. Anti-competitive behavior. It’s artificial competition, and it’s shameful. (Did I mention they once snuck into our warehouse to spy on us? We found them wandering the stacks, taking notes.)
Students Unite!
Students, it’s time to unite against Tyranny and drive out the liars! There’s only one way to overturn a monopoly: Options, choices, and the freedom to choose.
Help us continue to be your second opinion: Tell your friends there’s a new way to buy and sell your books at BookFool.com
