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Amazon Marketplace Instructions UIEE Only


Please read these instructions very carefully before contacting Support. If followed as described then the process does work. These instructions are long, Amazon does not make it easy to support listing on their system.

Changes at Amazon.com are subject to change on short notice, but for now these will work.

This tutorial is for direct upload of UIEE files for Amazon.com only. 

I'm going to assume that you will use the Dealer Price to upload to Amazon. You should "Process and Upload Records" before doing the following, to clear out your database of records to upload. Otherwise when you modify records for Amazon they will get sent to the other services as well.

I'm also assuming you have set up your Pro Merchant account with Amazon.com..

IF YOU DO NOT INCLUDE SHIPPING/MARKUPS IN THE PRICE THEN YOU CAN IGNORE STEPS 1-3 AND JUST USE THE SAME Upload_1.txt file that goes to the other online services like ABE. This can be found in C:\BTPro\Transfer. Go to Step 5 to create the first upload file for zShops, after this you just browse for the daily Upload_1.txt file found in BTPro > Transfer. If you are doing Marketplace also then you must do step 4 first.

Go to: Alibris help and scroll down below the instruction links to see the Help for doing Alibris uploads for examples of what you will be doing in the following instructions. They are very similar.

Before getting started with setup for Amazon you need to be aware of several problems Amazon now has with displaying condition in Marketplace. Many listings will not display the condition for reasons unknown. But I have found some patterns in uploading both Softcovers and Hardcovers.

Setting up BookTrakker for Amazon:

1. Set up the Export of a file for zShops. This is only if you want a separate file for Amazon. If not, goto Step 4 for Marketplace, or Step 5 for zShops.

Do File > Export > UIEE/Online
Click the Export Setup button.

A. For Windows 95/98: If you have Windows ME, 2000 or XP then see B. below:

In the second or third line (depending on whether or not you upload to Alibris a marked up file) in the field labeled "Online File Name and Path", copy the following:

C:\Windows\Desktop\Amazon_1.txt 

OR 

C:\Win98\Desktop\Amazon_1.txt 

Depending on your system. To find out which path to use do Start > Programs > Windows Explorer. Look in the list of folders below the C drive, if you see a "Windows" folder then use the first path, if you see "Win98" use the second. 

Select Dealer Price in the field under "Online Price" to the left of the Online File Name and Path field you just copied into.

This will place the zShops upload file in your desktop folder for easy access when you upload to Amazon. 

B. For Windows 2000, ME or Windows XP use this address for the Online File Name and Path field:

C:\BTPRO\Transfer\Amazon_1.txt

Windows 2000, ME and XP 'remembers' where you browsed to, so it always displays the Transfer folder for easy selection of your file.

Look at the bottom of this form. You will see "Condition Format" o VG    o Very Good. Click on the Very Good. We supply the word "dust jacket" for the DJ; change this if you want something else. This will allow Amazon to attempt to translate your condition format to match theirs. It doesn't always work.


Close this form. Close the Export form.


Skip step 3 if you are not going to raise prices.

3. Modify these records for upload to zShops. To account for zShops charges and postage I marked up my Retail price by about 33%. I'm not sure it matters much how high you go, Amazon's customers are much different than the online services. I think they see what they want and buy. Obviously, as competition increases on Amazon, I may have to lower these prices. But at least I have room to maneuver.

You might want to make a copy of the Ubixdata.mdb file in the BTPro/Data folder to be safe, if you make a mistake it's possible you may not be able to correct it. Close BookTrakker. Open windows Explorer. Below the System (C:) in the left frame you will see a list of folders, click on the + next to BTPro, click on the Folder named Data. Over in the right frame you will see a file called Ubixdata.mdb, select this, do Ctrl-C, then Ctrl-V. If you look at the bottom of the list of files you will see "Copy of Ubixdata"

Using the same Hit List as before click on the Action Tab, all the way to the right, upper corner. In the left frame, labeled "Action", click on "Multiply". To the immediate right is a frame labeled "Fields". Select Retail in the top and Dealer in the bottom. So it should read: Multiply Retail, Put Result in Dealer. Below this is a frame labeled "Values". Type in 1.33 or whatever multiplier you want to use. Click Execute, answer Yes to the question.


4. If you are going to also do Marketplace then not only do you have to include the correct ISBN number in the record but you have to change Export Mapping so both the ISBN and full Condition show up in the listing. If you do not plan on doing Marketplace then skip to Step 5.

Do File > Export > UIEE/Online

Click the Map Export Fields button. This will bring up the Export Mapping form. Assuming you are using the default mapping as supplied with the installation you will have the following mapping for Book, DJ, Defects and ISBN fields: (scroll down to see this)

Book Condition
DJ Condition
Defects Notes
ISBN Notes

Click into the Notes field across from Defects, click on the "v" button and select Condition.

You will end up with this:

Book Condition
DJ Condition
Defects Condition

The combination of Book/DJ and defects should not exceed 77 characters. If it does then none of the Condition will display with the listing.

ISBN may not even show up in the left side, if it doesn't then you need to scroll down to the bottom, click into the blank field to the right of the * , click the "v" button and select it from the list. Do the same on the right side, but this time select Comments.

So you should end up with the following mapping for Marketplace:

Book Condition
DJ Condition
Defects Condition
.
.
ISBN Comments

This will add Defects to the Condition field that Marketplace uses as a qualifier, and also make it easier to find the ISBN number in the UIEE file.

An example of what will appear on Marketplace:

Condition: Very Good in Very Good- dustjacket; Spine of DJ sunned, couple of edge tears. 

A word to the wise on getting your complete descriptions on Marketplace. Amazon allows for 1000 characters that go into their "item note" field, distributed over five fields in the listings on Marketplace. Amazon reads the UIEE file in this order to determine what displays and what doesn't: Publisher, Date, Edition, Binding and Condition. Amazon includes the 3 prefix characters in front of these fields as well, for the first four fields this is 12 useless characters plus however many lines are needed for Condition, with 3 junk characters per line. This adds up to at least 15 characters against the total of 1000, and may be a few more than that. Best to count on only 980 characters to include any combination of Publisher, Date, Edition, Cover and Condition. 

If you want to do an end-run around Amazon completely, then you need to map all relevant fields into Condition only, thus allowing yourself 980 characters for description. Map, in this order, into Condition, like so:

Book Condition
DJ Condition
Defects Condition
Publisher Condition
Date Condition
Edition Condition
Cover Condition

Your results will look like this:

Condition: Good; Academic Press; 1975; First Edition; Hardcover; Bottom of pages stained throughout book. Large bookseller stamp on endpaper & pages 65, 113, 235 covering text. 

This is all the buyer will see, no other information will be added on by Amazon.

If Publisher and/or Date is not important, then leave them off to make more room for Defects. Amazon generally knows the Publisher and Date. Problem is, the other services need this information as well.

To make sure Amazon translates the Condition properly, Book must be the first in line that is mapped into Condition. You also need to make sure that the upload is in long format:

File > Export > UIEE/Online > Export Setup

Look at the bottom of this form. You will see "Condition Format" o VG o Very Good. Click on the Very Good. We supply the word "dust jacket" for the DJ; change this if you want something else. This will allow Amazon to attempt to translate your condition format to match theirs.


Make sure you reset the mapping for the other services if this matters to you. I do this once a week, using a hit list of Available records created in the last week, with Status set to Available, on the Action tab. Then I do File > Export > UIEE/Online Start to create just a file for Amazon, using the above mapping.

You can also save different mappings for the different services. Use the default to manage changes in the inventory, including Add/Modify and Delete. Then set the Amazon mapping for new records listed on Amazon.

If a Hardcover never had a DJ or there is some possibility it didn't then use the Blank field after NONE in DJ on the Inventory Data Entry form. This will save upwards of 19 characters in the description.

Close the Export Mapping form. 
Close the Export form.


See the end of these instructions to see how Amazon matches the condition of the Book to their system of Conditions.


5. Create the initial upload file. If you did mark up prices then skip this step and go onto 6. If you did not mark up prices then you need to set your records for upload. Do the following:

Click the Hit Lists tab along the left side of the Inventory screen. Click New. When the Name form appears, click OK. Notice the cursor blinking in the upper left under Search Field. Click on the dropdown button v and select Status. Click Execute. You will now be in List View, check the Red Navigational Bar at the bottom to see if your Available record count is correct. Next, click the Hit Lists tab again, look over to the upper right for the Action tab. Click this. Select Status from the choices on the left side. Click Execute. Confirm. Now your records are set for Online. Click on the Red Hit List button at the top of your screen to Exit Hit Lists.

6. Do: File > Export > UIEE/Online

Click Start. A yellow bar will march across your screen, when it is done, you file is ready. Close this form.

7.For all uploads to Amazon.com, go to:

https://secure.amazon.com/exec/panama/seller-admin/catalog-upload/catalog-asinate?fmt=uiee  

For Amazon.co.uk:

Amazon Book Loader

Login.

Select your Program: zShops only, zShops & Marketplace, Marketplace only.

Select your Upload Option: "Add/Modify/Delete" or "Purge and Replace".

Place a check in the box if you want Amazon to assign ISBN numbers to your listings.
Place a check in the box if you want to enable Expedited mail.

Click the Browse button, look for either Amazon_1.txt or Upload_1.txt. Select the file, click the Open button on the Choose File form, then click the Upload button at the bottom of the Amazon upload page. Wait for the upload to finish, Amazon will post a message on your browser indicating it has arrived.

For future uploads to Amazon just do your daily uploads to your other services. If you are only doing Amazon then do File > Export > UIEE/Online. Start. After the yellow bar is done moving across, close this form. This creates an upload file for Amazon.

Whenever you update your other services an identical file is created for zShops in your Desktop/Transfer folder for upload to Amazon, unless you use the same Upload_1.txt as you do for ABE, in which case it's in the BTPro/Transfer folder. If BookTrakker puts the file on your desktop, then each time you do an upload it will rename the previous file to Amazon_2.txt, Amazon_3.txt, etc. These are copies of old upload files, it will stop at Amazon_10.txt You can delete these if you want.


8. For future markups of your data, go to Tools > Options > Sales and set Dealer to equal 1.33 times Retail, or whatever markup you use. Make sure the "Use Markup factor" is checked, bottom right. Also make sure in your Tab Order setup that Dealer and/or Store follows Retail. Tools > Tab Order. Right side.

9. If you want to optimize prices for Marketplace listings, then you search on Marketplace for each and every book that qualifies, check the prices listed (lowest if in print, any price if not), as well as what others may list for, and set your Dealer price accordingly. (100% or less of lowest listed price, no limit if out of print or unavailable) This has to be done before these records are listed on Marketplace, otherwise you have to do a purge/replace to get them changed.

Any questions, you all know the form. Please read these instructions before contacting me. If you haven't, I may not be able to help you. Please also refer to the Alibris help on our web site for examples of the markup and hit list process, as well as setting up the file export. Alibris help .

Thank you,

Andy



How Amazon matches their Condition to ours, Amazon first, then BookTrakker:

Condition: Like New - 
Condition: As New; Volume 1 Only. Pristine condition. 

Condition: Like New - 
Condition: Fine+ in Fine+ dustjacket; Inscribed and signed by second author on endpaper. 

Condition: Like New - 
Condition: Fine; Includes unopened floppy in rear pocket. 

Condition: Very Good - 
Condition: Near Fine in Near Fine dustjacket; Gift inscription to previous owner on endpaper. 

Condition: Very Good - 
Condition: Very Good+ 

Condition: Very Good - 
Condition: Very Good in Very Good dustjacket; Owner's name on endpaper. 

Condition: Very Good - 
Condition: Very Good-; Label residue on spine, corner fold to rear cover. 

Condition: Acceptable - 
Condition: Good+; Front cover curled, pages 181-210 have corner folds. 

Condition: Acceptable - 
Condition: Good; Bottom of pages stained throughout book. Large bookseller stamp on endpaper & pages 65, 113, 235 covering text. 

Condition: Good - 
Condition: Good- with no dustjacket; Bottom of spine chewed (?), ripped. 

More information from Amazon about UIEE files:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/537996/ref=br_bx_c_2_1/002-9446621-9240829


Amazon zShops contacts:

Amazon help desk:
1-800-201-7575 

Buying and Bidding:

buyers-support@amazon.com

Selling:

sellers-support@amazon.com

Billing issues:

billing-support@amazon.com
zshop-sellers@amazon.com

Unresolved purchases:

backout-buyers@amazon.com

Resolving disputes:

sentinel@amazon.com

General feedback:

auction-zshop-suggestions@amazon.com
(if you don't need a response)

Email bulk loading:

bulk-support@amazon.com
bulk-help@amazon.com

Amazon.com Payments:

payments-support@amazon.com

 

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Last Modified:  March 31, 2013