For a long time, I’ve been trying to find software that would let me catalog my books AND help me to sell them.  I finally found one that does pretty much everything I need and for under $50:  Book Collector by Collectorz.com.

It allows me to just type in the ISBN of the book (either the 10 digit or 13 digit version), and it checks multiple sources to bring in the information on the book, such as title,  author, number of pages, publisher, year published, plot and much much more. It even brings in a photo of the cover(s) if available.  It also then allows me to override any of the fields, which is a good thing, as publishers have a habit of reusing some ISBNs, causing the information on some older books to come up wrong, including covers/dust jackets which can change frequently. You can also add some of your own custom fields if needed to cover anything they hadn’t already thought of.

The software then allows me to export my “collection” completely or 1 book at a time to HTML, helping me create quick and easy code for a website or my eBay listings.  If you’re handy with XML/HTML, you can even tweak the templates or create ones from scratch to change the output into whatever layout you need. (Check out my eBay store for some examples of listings where I’ve used the software to create the ads: Books-For-All-Reasons)

If you need something to help you catalog your own book collection, whether for your own personal enjoyment or because you also sell your books, I recommend you check out Book Collector.  They offer a free trial version to help you decide: Automatically Catalog Your Book Collection. Free Trial.

And if you’re an avid collector of other things, such as comic books, DVDs, video games and more, why not test drive their other software for free?:

Automatically Catalog Your CD Collection. Free Trial.

Automatic DVD Database Software. Free Trial.

Automatic Comic Database Software. Free Trial.

Automatically Catalog Your Video Game Collection. Free Trial.

Another artist whose book cover art I really like to collect is fantasy and sci fi illustrator ROWENA (full name Rowena A. Morrill). Most of her work, like Boris Vallejo’s (see that blog entry), features photorealistic characters in brilliant color paintings that jump off the page and catch the eye, with sexy and alluring women and men, menacing dragons, famed storytellers and wicked wizards among the many characters she has brought to life.

To me, her style is instantly recognizable, and the books her paintings grace have a favored, facing-front position on my shelves. I love to enjoy the detail and care that appear to go into each one. (Plus it doesn’t hurt that her art features prominently on many of my favorite authors’ books: Anne McCaffrey, Piers Anthony, Terry Brooks, and more…. A double bonus!)

Here are just a few examples of my favorite works of hers, both book cover art and posters (not to mention she does gorgeous fantasy trading card art, too):

FOR LOVE OF EVIL – Piers Anthony
(Book Cover Art)

ON THE SURFACE…

(Painting/Poster)

Her black and white illustrations are just as striking and almost step off the page (this one reminds me of Vargas’ airbrush work with its perfect skin rendering and amazing face and hair detail):

SCHEHERAZADE
(Pencil/Pen on Paper Drawing)

You can check out more of her work and buy signed posters & paintings of your own at her official website: ROWENA

Find books with Rowena Morrill art at Amazon.com
Find posters & books with Rowena Morrill art at eBay.com

Not everyone is a dyed-in-the-wool book collector or quite as rabid a reader as I or my mother (a fact I don’t truly comprehend, but acknowledge as a remote possibility. =) However, most people I know enjoy a great read and would love to be able to have a chance to read more if only it didn’t cost so much to buy books nowadays or take so much time to find a good book, not to mention not having enough room to house all the titles they’ve read/want to read. Just as Netflix and Hollywood Video have made life a LOT easier for avid movie buffs in the U.S. to access and watch a huge library of films without spending a lot of money or time driving back and forth to the store, there’s now a similar service for book lovers, whether you prefer holding a book in your hand as you read (in paperback format) or you need to have your stories read to you (ala audiobooks) because you can only ‘read’ during your commute or long family drives. Booksfree.com is a great new service now available for the rabid reader with unlimited rental plans starting as low as $9.99/month. Why Booksfree?
Providing reading and listening enjoyment to thousands of satisfied customers since 2000, Booksfree offers unparalleled value to its members. Nowhere else will you find the savings, selection, and convenience offered by Booksfree. Some of the benefits of a Booksfree membership include:
• Largest selection of paperback and audiobooks • Convenience of home delivery • No due dates or late fees • Entire audiobook shipped regardless of the number of discs • Convenience of selecting your books online • Numerous plans to fit your reading or listening habits • Saves you from having to store books you’ve read or listened to • Book ratings and reviews • Ability to keep books at a discount (if you choose) • No commitments, cancel anytime

Another neat thing is to be able to ‘try before you buy’ for book collectors. You get a chance to ‘test drive’ an author’s newest title(s) before you decide whether to add it to your collection permanently in a more expensive ‘collectible edition’ such as 1st Edition Hardcover. (As we probably all know, not EVERY title an author writes is up to his or her normal standards, so unless you’re a ‘completist’ – someone who collects everything an author writes in all formats regardless of each item’s writing quality – I prefer to keep only the best of each person’s works… It’s being able to identify them as such before investing a lot of money that I like about this service!)

So if you’d like to Rent unlimited paperback books or Rent Unlimited CD or MP3-CD Audiobooks, then definitely check out Booksfree.com

And right now, get
20% off your first month at Booksfree.com. Use coupon code: CJ86