The last couple of days I’ve had some success posting some special deals to my Twitter account (@briancassidy), but in the interest of not annoying those friends and followers who would prefer their tweets without commercial interuptions, I’ve started a new account: @cheepreads. (Tweet+cheap, get it?). So a couple times a day or so I’ll post inexpensive copies of good reads. No Danielle Steel here. Early offerings include Dave Eggers, Jim Thompson and Richard Ford. I’m thinking of it as a place for avid readers to pick up quality reading inexpensively, like @amazonmp3 but for books. The goal is to provide the least expensive copies of the particular books being offered currently available online.

The hope is between the ease of posting, relatively quick turnover, and side-stepping the commissions of listing sites, it will be a worthwhile venture. At the same time, however, I like the way the shorthand Twitter requires recalls earlier days of bookselling: of quotes to Bookman’s Weekly or the inscrutable abbreviations of mimeographed book catalogs. So while on the surface this may seem a slightly gimmicky bookselling tactic, I like to think of it as just another extension of venerable trade traditions.

Some basic info:

1) What you see is what you get: All prices INCLUDE postage (within the US via USPS media mail). Elsewhere and/or via other methods would require additional cost.
2) No scruffy books here: Unless noted, all books are in Very Good or better condition
3) Act fast: All books are subject to prior sale. Reply or direct message via Twitter to reserve.
4) Keeping it simple: Paypal payment preferred (to books@briancassidy.net), though checks, credit cards, moneys orders all acceptable as well. Please await confirmation before sending payment. And as much as possible, books and their respective tweets will be deleted as they sell. So if you see something you like that’s still listed, even if an older post, it’s probably still available.

SOME FREQUENTLY USED ABBREVIATIONS:

HC = Hardcover (no DJ)
HC/DJ = Hardcover with dust jacket
PB = Trade paperback
MMPB = Mass market paperback
BCE = Book club edition
1st = First edition
VG = Very good condition
NF = Near fine condition
F = Fine condition
NF/F = Near fine hardcover in a fine dust jacket (or VG/NF, F/F…you get the idea)