Oy! It's been a while!

You'd think summertime is the time to relax - to fiddle with leftover projects.... to keep up with a blog.

Yeah, right.

Not this year.

But I'm back now.  And right off the bat, It's into book stuff.

And now, for the beginning of the school year (at least around here it is), here's what I did on my Summer Vacation:

I was the lucky (and very grateful) recipient of a CABS faculty scholarship to the Colorado Antiquarian Book Seminar. The Seminar was held in Colorado Springs, CO from August 5th through August 10th, 2012.  This year, there were 41 attendees from all over the US and Canada and Switzerland. Together, we 41 dealers-- from brand-spanking-newbies to those who've been in business for quite a while -- got to pick the brains of some of the most dynamic book dealers, librarians and scholars currently inhabiting the world of collectable and antiquarian books.

I have to say the seminar definitely did the job of pumping me (clap clap) up!

I've already started tinkering with the way I work, the way I think about work (work being the buying and selling of collectable and rare books), and the way I project myself via my online presence, book fairs, and my stock.

There's TONS to do -- but if I break it down into smaller bits to work on, it will all get done.

There are a couple of things that I've done right off the bat:

1)  I'm in the process of updating my website -- it is still a work in progress, but I'd love to hear comments and ideas.  Here's a link to website, just in case you'd like to see it: S. Howlett-West Books .

2) I'm updating my email newsletter list.  I've started an account with an honest-to-goodness email list compiler which will help me send out professional looking emails, AND will be a way that customers can join my list that much more up-to-date and professional than what I had done in the past.

3) I'm once again working through my customer database to get more specific information  -- and ways I can access it so that I can USE the information to quote new stock to people.

I know there's more, but for right now, this is definitely enough to be working on... while still doing a complete purge of my old stock AND listing the new stock I've gotten in the last month or so.

Thank you CABS faculty for a wonderful seminar and for the scholarship I received that made it possible for me to attend.

If there's anyone out there who has been contemplating attending this seminar, but has shied at the price, the week away from home, or was worried that you might feel like a rank beginner next to all the other seminar attendees ....

Pffffftttt!!!

GO ANYWAY.

No matter what you're level, this seminar is definitely worth every penny.

Here's a link to the seminar's website -- just in case you'd like to start saving your pennies for next year.    CABS Website


I'll get into more detail at a later date.  Right now, I'm just glad that school's back in session and that I've got LOTS of new ideas to dig into.


Oh, and one more thing....

here's a link to add yourself to my newly updated email list :S. Howlett-West Email List