What are the most popular authors?

[Former_Member]

In your experience, which authors are the most popular in your shop?

[Former_Member]

I'm not sure I've ever sold two books by the same author!! I'll have to go back and check. :^)

Great question!

[Former_Member]

By far, Fitzgerald and Hemingway. Faulkner is the most used keyword that lands people, but doesn't sell very well. Also, anything Alice and Wonderland or Lewis Carroll.

[Former_Member]

The books that keep landing people in my shop (from outside Etsy) are:

Disney's Johnny Appleseed (but nobody's buying it; maybe I should re-price);
Principles of Helicopter Engineering by Jacob Shapiro (which is a sold item);
How to Make Great Coffee by Maxwell House; and
1001 Uses for Diamond Crystal Salt.

:^)

[Former_Member]

It's crazy - most of my hits from google are for books that are already sold. Also, I would have to add Ayn Rand and Anais Nin. They always sell.

[Former_Member]

I agree re: hits from Google for sold books. Sometimes 5 or 6 in a day.
Years ago I sold a vintage print from an old medical book illustrating the nerves of the hand & I think I get a hit from Google for that at least once every two weeks.

[TheWeeShed]

the ones that land people are Harper Lee, JD Salinger and William Faulkner....that's not the same as selling them mind you!

[LinniR]

I get lands, not for any particular author, but for Penguin book and Penguin paperback.
I also get many lands on sold books, particularly Neils Book of the Dead (Neil from The Young Ones)

[Former_Member]

I agree that Penguin books sell really well, especially the orange and white ones. Whenever I put sets of childrens books up they sell really well, especially A.A. Milne.

Anything by a "classic" author sells pretty quickly.

[SmallWorldVintage]

Interesting findings!

In my experience, I have sold almost every children's book I have ever listed, so it seems vintage children's collectible books sell fairly well. I had a 1977 vintage fairy tale book once listed that sold within a day or two of its listing.

I have noticed that The Catcher in the Rye does sell a lot, as Dave above mentioned J.D. Salinger.

[ProsperosBookshelf]

I wonder if people have any ideas about subject matter. I emphasize some great books (I think), but my subject is theater (worldwide and all times) and within that subject I concentrate on pre-world war I American drama. Granted, that is very limited, but I add a few other things from time to time. It would not appear that I am destined to make a fortune. People have to be looking for most of my books--and occasionally, they do.

[SmallWorldVintage]

PB~I sold some old playbooks a while back and they sold fairly quickly compared to other items like tableware, etc. that has been sitting around for a while. It seems when something is rare enough or not so common in the book world, there will often be the right buyer out there somewhere looking for it who will buy it from you if they haven't had any luck finding it anywhere else, or if your price is right for them.

Do you have a blog that promotes your subject(s)? This may also help build you a reputation for offering books on certain subjects.

Also, I've been off in Pinterest land lately, and I see how using it may also bring some attention to your subject.

[DragoninKnots]

I actually like theater books, but more 17th and 18th century French theater - Racine and Marivaux and those guys.

[Former_Member]

Interesting! So far, for us- Sylvia Plath, Stephen King, Nancy Drew books, Ayn Rand