Most people are not aware that everyday books, maybe even books you have in your house right now, are actually worth a lot of money! Not all books are valuable, but how would you know the difference? Until now, there was no easy way to tell.

I’ll give you the ‘inside’ story on how to setup your own business buying and selling certain used books that could earn you more now than you ever thought you could working from home!

I’ve been an information junkie, avid book reader and lover of books since I was very young. A few years ago I discovered that certain books are highly valued by collectors worldwide and that you could make a living, even $100,000 or more each year buying and selling …used books! I couldn’t believe it, until I discovered this ‘hidden market’ for used books in my local library.

I was in my local, public library one day looking for any information that I could use to make some money. I came across a book called, “Collected Books, A Guide To Values”.

Since I loved books I was curious about this book and what it was all about. I picked it up and started reading it.

I almost dropped the book on the ground, when I read that a certain book, in my own collection, was worth almost $3,500 and I NEVER knew it!

I decided to purchase a copy of this Guide and when I got it I went through my entire library of books to see if any of my other books were ‘valuable’….

It took me several days, but when I was done I realized had a Gold Mine on my hands. I had 22 books that were valued at $200 or more, and the total value of my ‘collection’ was $6,275!

The scary part was I didn’t even know how valuable some of the books in my collection was. Well, let me state that another way- I didn’t have a ‘collection’ at least I didn’t think they were a ‘collection’. I bought books because I liked them… I didn’t even know they could be VALUABLE. I had NO CLUE.

Over the next several months I read as much as I could about used and rare books. I also picked the brains’ every well known and respected book dealer in my area that I could get to talk. I tried speaking anyone and everyone in this business, but most weren’t willing to give up any of their secrets… except one old-time dealer.

Maybe he was ready to retire, or he just wanted to help me get started in this business. I don’t know. But he told me enough to get me started in this business and even make a small fortune.

That was over 10 years ago…

Today the market for used and rare books is HUGE and growing each year. The Internet has made it so much easier to buy and sell books. The market is huge and many are making a small fortune in this pleasant “gentleman’s” business.

It’s also a FUN business to be in, especially if you love books! I think it’s one of the easiest businesses to start, one of the most profitable and one of the most pleasant.

As an undergraduate and then a graduate student majoring in contemporary literature, I had the opportunity to read a number of Mark Twain books and short stories, including The Tragedy of Puddin’head Wilson and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. Next, as a college English instructor, I would include a lengthy classroom discussion of banned books, among them the work often removed from school library shelves and omitted from the lower grade curricula – The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and/or Huckleberry Finn. Then, just recently, I was called to help a student read one of the lesser known or less often academically included Mark Twain books: The Mysterious Stranger.

What a literary delight! The Mysterious Stranger was evidently the last of the Mark Twain books and is supposedly unfinished. Granted, the ending does not give readers closure, per se, other than to offer the ‘cop-out’ dues ex machine solution of all of the events and the visit by Satan having been a DREAM. But the subtext, the underlying themes, and the traditional and classic Twain humor are irrefutably wonderful. There is an implication of doubling – a device Twain perfects in numerous books – and concepts regarding power, hypocrisy, and the most metaphysical of all, free will and choosing.

Other Mark Twain books are equally involved and involving, are engaging narratives with subtle morality lessons, and still other Mark Twain books, which are STILL misunderstood, point the basest of human qualities and goals, such as friendship, love, justice, and fate.

I would be, however, hard pressed to recommend just one or two Mark Twain books, and will instead give you a short reading list so you and/or yours can decide for yourselves. While my list is incomplete, though, keep in mind you can go to a number of sites online where you can not only get a summary and/or a brief critiques but where you can find the full online text of many if not most of Mark Twain’s books.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

The American Claimant

A Burlesque Autobiography

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court

Carnival of Crime in CT

Curious Republic of Gondour

A Dog’s Tale

A Double-Barreled Detective

Extracts from Adam’s Diary

Following the Equator

The Gilded Age

How to Tell a Story and Others

The Innocents Abroad

Life on the Mississippi

The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg and other Stories

The Mysterious Stranger

The Prince and the Pauper

Roughing It

The Stolen White Elephant

The $30,000 Bequest

Tom Sawyer Abroad

Tom Sawyer, Detective

A Tramp Abroad

The Tragedy of Pudd’nhead Wilson

 

Creating a strong, solid resume involves several steps, which, when taken together, prove fruitful for an improved resume. Simple enough in themselves, it is important to actually go through and check that all the elements needed for a strong resume appear. First of all, an aesthetically clean, grammatically correct, and clear resume is a must. This indicates a well-educated and polished individual. The resume must be well organized and focused to be considered. In other words, include only previous employments that apply to the new job which you want in most relevant order. In the process of polishing up your resume, be sure that it stays interesting to the perspective employer. Your resume should be specific to each job to which you are applying, and your resume should speak for you as to why you are the right candidate. Your resume represents you, so the impression your resume makes is the impression that you have made. With these points in mind while writing and revising your resume, you shall end with a strong, attention-grabbing resume.

Language is indispensable to us and we use it constantly, but grammar, spelling, and writing style have taken a back seat for the majority of us thanks to computer technology which corrects for us. All too often though, these corrections leave much to be desired. In other words, it is still up to the writer to ensure that what he has written is well written. Any blatant spelling or grammar errors jump out at the reader, and your strengths and talents take a far back seat to the minor spelling mistakes. Revisions must be done on resumes, and the first revision should check for correct grammar and spelling. Many executives find that typos and grammar mistakes are the most common oversights writers make on their resumes ( http://www.jobweb.com/resources/Library/Interviews__Resumes/Typos__Grammati_270_1.htm ). Having someone else proofread is wise, as it is always easier to see others’ mistakes rather than our own. Resume builder websites specializing in optimizing and improving resumes are also a great idea to help you avoid the pitfalls of resume writing. These specialists will view your resume objectively and will notice mistakes, both of grammar and good resume form.

Clarity and conciseness are also important in the resume. The fewer unnecessary words and the more direct your phrases are, the easier it is to read through your resume. Keep in mind that resumes are not read, they are merely read through. They are glanced at, or at best skimmed, so the clearer and more concise you are in expressing yourself, the larger portion of your resume will be noticed. One page resumes are preferred as they are concise and help you focus. This focus forces you to choose and include only your most important jobs and achievements.

When writing a resume, never lose focus. Remember the point of the resume: the key to securing interviews. Thus, make sure that every point included in your resume indicates to the resume reader why you are the one who should get the interview and, eventually, the job. Don’t include extras in your resume. If they have nothing to do with the skills and talents you will need for the job you want, they do not belong on the resume. Again, keep in mind that resumes are only skimmed over, and so should contain only that information which applies. If you have a life experience that is so unique and interesting that you have to put it on your resume, tie a skill learned from it with the job you hope for. The unique activity will be noticed, and the fact that you learned from it in a way that will help you at future jobs will be viewed as a plus.

In keeping organized and focused, state your work experience in relevant order. Hopefully, and most likely, your most recent work experience is most relevant to your future job. If you are fresh out of college, you will likely want to prioritize your education, as presumably you will not have a meaty employment section at this point. On the other hand, if your college graduation is an old, fond memory at this point, start your resume with work experience.

Following the above tips will help keep the attention of your prospective employer. Keeping the interest of those reading your resume is vital, since these are the people who will be contacting you for an interview. Clearly indicating your career goals is a wise choice. It is an immediate indicator if yours are compatible with and conducive to the company you are applying to. The use of words indicating action, initiative, and energy is an intelligent move. Such words will help you focus on what you have done personally, and make your resume specific and unique.

It is wise to have a template resume from which you format specific ones for each job that you apply to. This way, you will never have a generic resume, which will naturally impress potential employers. When you take the time to personalize your resume, you show that you want the job more than others who are not willing to input this time and energy into theirs. A specific resume will wax the interest of the resume reader, and give rise to questions they will want to ask upon meeting you. In other words, the reader will want to interview you. There are resume builder services that you can utilize on the web to help ensure your resume is polished and professional. Shop around to find one that best suits your needs.

Investing time into your resume will lead to an investment of time by those reading it. The resume is the first impression you make on a potential employer, so use it to your advantage, and compose it carefully to separate yourself from other applicants. While it is important to use a standard resume format, it is not important, and even discouraged, to base your resume on the ‘standard’. The only result will be an average resume, and you want anything but. So focus your resume on your personal achievements and goals in a well-written, organized, focused, and interesting presentation. Once you send out this well-prepared resume, make sure your phone stays on as those phone calls start coming in.