The Vancouver-based new and used online bookseller, AbeBooks.com, has launched a new sales site called Gojaba.com to serve bibliophiles and booksellers in Sweden and Russia. The site, which will facilitate the sale of used, rare and out-of-print books, was launched today and is intended to branch out to serve other emerging bookselling markets, the next of which will be Brazil.
Gojaba, which will charge a subscription fee to users, is intended to serve the expanding market for online bookselling in these countries. With the flat monthly fee customers can list up to 20,000 books on the site, which does not charge buyers a fee. The site, currently in beta, also does not issue commission fees on any transaction.
Speaking to the new site, AbeBooks CEO Hannes Blum, who called Gojaba's approach a "simple no-frills" one, said the company hopes to "help buyers find books in markets where the online book trade is developing."
I have mixed feelings about the international market. It is, at the same time, easier and harder than ever to sell books overseas. USPS has made customs issues, packaging, rates, and online tracking easier than ever. On the other hand, credit card verification, email scams, and other pitfalls make it tougher to know your books will arrive in safe hands. We ship overseas everyday, and 98% of it goes wthout a hitch. It's that 2% can hold up an order for weeks.
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