Amazon.com for Dummies

If you’ve surfed the Web more than once, you’ve probably visited Amazon.com. Originally you may have gone there searching for books, but Amazon.com is so much more than a bookstore. The author of Amazon.com For Dummies?, who has been involved with the site from its beginnings, describes it as a shopping mall/home improvement store/bazaar/travel agency/newsstand/car lot, but most importantly, a community of buyers and sellers—people like you.

Countless opportunities exist for those who join this community, and Amazon.com For Dummies? gives you a smorgasbord sampling of what they are and how to take advantage of every one. For example, you can

• Set up an account and buy things
• Bid on an auction
• Sell your items
• Personalize your shopping experience
• Open your own online “store”
• Join the Amazon.com community

Written by Mara Friedman, who has held several positions with Amazon.com including marketing communications manager, Amazon.com For Dummies? takes you from your first venture into the Amazon all the way to making money from your Amazon.com experience. Discover how to

• Find your way around the marketplace and scout out the best deals
• Get local movie showtimes, view restaurant menus, chat with other shoppers, send free e-cards, or sign up for a free reminder service
• Track orders and manage your account
• Browse specialty shops and check out international merchandise
• Take advantage of reviews from other shoppers
• Set up and use wish lists—for yourself and your friends
• Create your own online Zshop, set the right prices, and take photos that help sell your items
• Take advantage of the Amazon.com Advantage or become an Associate

Whether you’re a complete novice who’d like a guide to help you with your first online purchases, or a longtime Amazon.com shopper who wants to become an online entrepreneur, Amazon.com For Dummies? has what you need. Use it today to get started, and tomorrow to help you manage your own successful online business.

Now, let the record show that Amazon.com is not, in fact, for dummies. It's good to see that Amazon.com for Dummies has finally arrived on our virtual shelves. This book will introduce even experienced Amazon.com customers to some of the less obvious features of the online emporium, such as corporate accounts, travel services, and the super-fun Friends & Favorites area. Read and learn from Mara Friedman how Amazon.com can provide you with information and (through zShops and the Associates program) make you money.

Friedman briefly covers Amazon's collection of Web Services, which are utilities available to programmers who want to embed Amazon.com functionality (like book searches and popularity monitoring) in their own applications. What's here is clear and stylish (and sometimes funny), and will certainly make you aware of features you don't know about yet. Amazon.com is unusual as a business in that it rewards exploration and study. This book acts as your guide through the electronic aisles. --David Wall

Topics covered: How to locate and buy the things you want. How to advertise and sell the things you have. How to meet people and have fun on Amazon.com.