REAMS OF EALITY

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are the questions I know I'd want to ask if I were a visitor to this site, so I hope they're a representative sampling of the questions you want to ask, too. If I've left something out that you really want to know, just e-mail me, and I'll be glad to give you a personal answer. :-) Sincerely, Kyriel

1. So, Kyriel, how does this thing work, anyway?

   I am basically acting as a referral service for Amazon.com. My job is to pick out the books I think my readers will like, give them whatever pertinent information I can on those books, and then link them to the proper page in the Amazon site where they can place their order.

2. And what page is that?

   Amazon.com keeps a separate information page for each book they carry. On it you'll find pricing, copyright information, how long it usually takes to ship out, and whatever other descriptions are available. Sometimes you'll find a reviews by readers--I've got a few of those in there, myself. :-)

   Once you read over the information, all you have to do to make a purchase is click a button. Amazon will guide you through a few quick steps, and your book will come to you by mail.

3. Okay, if I buy something at your bookstore, am I purchasing it from you or from Amazon.com?

   You are purchasing it from Amazon.com. I'm only a go-between.

4. How will that affect the price I pay for a book?

   It won't. You'll get the same discount rate you'd get if you went through Amazon.com directly, without the hassle of searching through a bunch of screens to find what you want.

5. And what do you get out of this?

   Amazon.com pays me a small referral fee for each sale that comes through my site.

6. If I decide to make a purchase, will you, Kyriel, see any of my personal information (address, credit card number, etc.)?

   No, you'll be ordering directly through Amazon.com. All they'll tell me is the name of the book they sold through my site.

7. What if I don't want to use my credit card?

   Amazon also accepts orders by fax and by mail, but trust me; ordering by credit card is much quicker and just as safe.

8. How safe is it to purchase anything over the net?

   If you go through a reputable company like Amazon, it's as safe as buying from your local bookstore. Their security programs and encryption codes are first-rate.

9. Have you, personally, ordered any books from Amazon.com?

   Several.

10. How did you pay for them?

    By credit card.

11. How satisfied were you with their service?

    Very. I've received in-stock books from them in less than a week, and hard-to-find, out-of-print books in a month or less. I've never had a problem with delivery or book quality.

12. How did you get to be an associate of Amazon.com in the first place?

    GeoCities has gone into partnership with Amazon, and offered all its members the chance to apply for associate positions. I took them up on the offer and was accepted.

13. How can I become an associate?

    Go to this address on the Amazon site and fill out the application, then see what happens! The only warning I'd give is that setting up a bookstore takes a lot of work.

14. Why have you chosen to include books in your bookstore that Amazon says are out of print or out of stock?

    Many out-of-print/out-of-stock books are still very easy to find. Jo Clayton's "Diadem" series is a prime example. Just because a company has stopped printing new copies of a book, that doesn't mean they don't have a warehouse full of perfectly good, unsold copies they'd love to get off their hands. Amazon also checks used bookstores for copies of the book; then, if they find it, they contact you by e-mail and tell you what condition the book is in and what the seller is offering it for. You always have the option to turn down the sale.

15. What, exactly, is a turtleback book, anyway?

    If I ever find out, I'll let you know. ;-)