If you want to learn how to sell books on Amazon, you’ve come to the right place.
62% of all book and music sales now happen online. You can make a few dollars to several thousand monthly by selling well-curated books online.
How do you start selling books on Amazon? Can I resell books on Amazon? What kinds of books can you sell?
In my article, I answer these questions and discuss with you step-by-step how to sell books on Amazon.
I’ll cover everything from creating an individual or professional account, using the Amazon seller app, working with an Amazon fulfillment center, improving your product listings, and more.
Types of Books You Can Sell on Amazon
Reselling books on Amazon or selling your own books is an excellent way to earn extra cash. You can make money selling books in days, whether it’s a few books or a large book publishing operation.
What kind of books can you sell on Amazon?
Here are the common types of books you can sell on Amazon.
New Books
You can sell new and profitable books by well-known authors on your Amazon bookstore. You can get brand new books from wholesalers, distributors, or publishers and offer them on your Amazon seller account.
You might need to buy books in bulk for this venture to be profitable. You can start with just a few books from proven authors and build your collection with time.
You can resell non-fiction books, popular fiction books, and more.
Used Books
Purchasing books for personal use is rewarding. If you’re a bookworm with piles of old books you’ve finished, you could get some of that money back by reselling them.
You can also go around neighborhood used bookshops, garage sales, and thrift shops to look for used books to flip online. When selling used books on Amazon, the book’s condition is essential, so look for books in excellent condition.
Not all categories sell well online. Choose the most well-known genres and look for books in those categories. It’s also good to choose categories with lesser competition.
Graphic novels are popular, but the category already has too many sellers. Meanwhile, mass-market paperbacks don’t sell well online.
Don’t stock up your online bookstore with these categories.
There are also online book marketplaces, local library sales, and neighborhood yard sales or estate sales where you can find used books to resell for a markup online.
When flipping books on Amazon, sellers often resort to flipping used books.
Selling used books entails locating priceless or uncommon books and maximizing pricing and sales with Amazon’s tools and data.
Children’s Books
Do you love children’s books? You can turn your passion for these titles into a great side hustle or business by selling them online.
Be wary of creative rights when learning how to sell children’s books on Amazon. Ensure you have permission to sell these books.
College Textbooks
Wondering how to sell textbooks on Amazon? You can make some money by selling college textbooks on Amazon that are in good shape. Many sellers sell used textbooks on Amazon.
When listing a book, competitive pricing is crucial because you have a limited audience with these niche books.
A college book sells because it’s necessary for students who purchase books for school requirements.
When learning how to sell college books on Amazon, you’ll find that some times are better than others.
The spring and fall semesters are often ideal for selling used textbooks on Amazon.
Books Without an ISBN
Self-published books, old or rare editions, and other notable publications may not have an ISBN (a book’s registration code).
Even though it can be harder to sell books without an ISBN, you can still reach potential customers through ecommerce sites like Amazon by producing a thorough product listing and concentrating on a particular niche audience.
Collectible Books
Comic books, limited edition books, and autographed books are collectible books.
Ebooks
With millions of titles accessible in numerous categories, ebooks are becoming increasingly popular online.
Authors and publishers can reach a larger readership by selling ebooks online and profiting from the accessibility and ease of digital reading through e-commerce platforms like Amazon.
Are you planning to sell ebooks online? If you do, consider selling your books in ebook form because you’ll have fewer issues.
You can publish books through Amazon and offer them in hard and soft copies.
How To Sell Books on Amazon
If you’re on Amazon, selling books online might feel complex.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you start your bookselling business.
1. Decide What Type of Books To Sell.
What kinds of books do you want to sell?
Look at what other sellers are offering online. You can also check other online marketplaces, see what books go on sale well there, and offer them on Amazon as an alternative.
You can increase your inventory by purchasing wholesale to acquire new publications in larger quantities from distributors or publishers.
Another option is to make bulk purchases at discounted prices online or during shop closings.
2. Create Your Amazon Seller Account.
The next step is to create your Amazon seller account.
Head to Amazon and make a regular user account.
Then, head to your username and click the Start a selling account button.
Sign up for a seller account and choose the type of account you want to use.
Once your account is ready, you can access basic listing and order management tools. The Individual Seller Account is a decent option for those new to online selling.
Amazon will ask you for some basic information after you have your account.
A valid ID (Passport, Government ID, etc.)
Your tax information
A bank account to send proceeds to
Phone number
How much is an Amazon seller account subscription?
You’ll have to pay either a per-item sold fee or a monthly fee to start your bookselling business on Amazon.
Two Amazon seller accounts are available: 1) the Individual Seller Account and 2) the Professional Seller Account.
Here are the price points of Amazon’s seller tiers.
Individual Seller Account – You pay $0.99 per item sold for up to 40 units monthly.
Professional Seller Account – You pay a monthly fee of $39.99.
If you start selling books in large quantities monthly, you can save more with the monthly subscription fee option.
3. Decide How You Will Fulfill Your Orders.
You can choose to manage your inventory, packing, and shipping as an Amazon e-commerce merchant, or you can hire Amazon to undertake these duties on your behalf.
As an Amazon seller, you have two options for completing orders.
Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), where Amazon manages every part of the process, including storage, shipping, and returns
Merchant Fulfilled Network (MFN), where you independently store and distribute merchandise.
If you plan on selling books on Amazon FBA, you’ll have to send your books to an Amazon Fulfillment Center ahead of time. You can use Amazon’s discounted shipping when sending to an Amazon Fulfillment Center.
Books are one of the best products to sell on Amazon FBA since people always buy books on Amazon.
If you use the MFN option, you’ll have to watch the orders and be ready to ship them out as soon as possible.
4. Set Your Book Pricing.
Setting your book price is a crucial part of the process, especially if you’re selling a popular title or used book. Several variables come into play here, like the type and condition of the book.
Since you can always go back and change the price, it’s crucial to keep an eye on what other booksellers are asking for and adjust your prices accordingly.
Consider how much other sellers charge for the same book. People will generally go for the lowest price.
You can implement strategies to help you create more price flexibility, like offering special edition books or selling them in bundles.
When you price your books, don’t forget to factor in costs like your Amazon seller account fee, referral fee paid to affiliates, and shipping cost.
5. List Your Books on Amazon.
Listing books on Amazon is your next step.
Here’s how to list a book on Amazon.
Head over to your Amazon Seller Central account. Go to the Inventory tab and choose Add a Product to create a new listing.
Add the necessary details and other content, including product photos and a description. Don’t forget to include a price.
Select the Match Low Price button to get a suggestion on pricing for the book according to what Amazon’s system might find in the marketplace.
Select your selling price, input the total quantity (the default is one unit), and choose the book’s condition.
Be honest about the book’s condition to avoid customer complaints that could impact your bookselling business.
6. Promote and Market Your Books
Amazon offers sellers helpful tools to improve their online book business. Use the free training videos on Amazon’s Seller University to learn the fundamentals of sales, selling tools, advertising, and promotions.
Here are some ideas you can try.
Use Amazon Advertising to increase sales.
Research high-volume keywords that people type on Amazon’s search bar.
Promote your online book business on social media. Find out which social media sites your audience loves and go there.
Create an informative article or book review on a blog site and add a link to your store.
Create an email newsletter and update your subscribers on titles you might have.
7. Pack and Ship Your Books.
Properly Packaging your books for shipping is critical to satisfy customers and promote repeat business. Using Amazon FBA to sell books or another fulfillment method will affect the shipping procedure differently.
If you’re using FBA, make your shipment using your Amazon Seller Central account and pack your books carefully, following Amazon’s packaging and preparation specifications.
Check the specifications for new products sold through FBA and accurately label your packages. You can choose to cover shipping costs to attract more buyers.
Selling Books on Amazon: Tips and Secrets
Here are excellent ideas when learning how to sell books on Amazon.
Check a Book’s Best Seller Ranking
A valuable tool for determining a book’s popularity and potential demand on Amazon is its Best Seller Ranking.
You can optimize your listings for the most visibility and sales by tracking a book’s rank over time and changing your pricing and marketing tactics accordingly.
Always Fulfill Orders On Time
Aim to fulfill all your orders on time to maintain positive feedback on Amazon and guarantee customer happiness.
Offering your consumers timely and dependable shipments will help you get repeat orders. Practice open communication throughout the order fulfillment process and quickly respond if your customer follows up.
Start a Book Club or Community
Wondering how to sell a book on Amazon more effectively? You can enhance engagement with your brand on Amazon by establishing a book club or other online community.
You can foster community, stimulate repeat business, and boost word-of-mouth advertising by providing a forum for book enthusiasts to connect and exchange their opinions and suggestions.
Fulfilling Orders when You Sell Books
Here are a few things to consider when fulfilling books you sell on Amazon.
How Amazon Receives Your Inventory
Amazon’s fulfillment centers receive and handle your stock according to their unique protocols when you deliver it to them. This process may involve labeling, checking, and keeping your goods at their warehouse.
To ensure a quick and easy process, adhere to Amazon’s specifications and instructions when packaging and shipping your merchandise.
Buy Shipping Services
Using your professional seller account, you may manage your orders and buy shipping labels through Amazon’s Buy Shipping services.
These services can save you time and money compared to other shipping options.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can I Sell Used Books on Amazon?
Yes.
Here’s how to sell used books on Amazon.
To sell used books on Amazon, you must first register as an Amazon seller, add the books to your catalog using their ISBN or UPC numbers, select a price, and specify their state of preservation.
Ship the book to the purchaser immediately after they place an order, then check Amazon to confirm delivery. You’ll receive payment via your seller account (less Amazon’s commission).
Use resources from Amazon, such as Fulfilled by Amazon for simple shipment and Selling Coach for pricing suggestions. To keep your listings competitive, monitor and update them frequently.
Can You Sell Books to Amazon?
Yes. You can sell books if Amazon is taking buyback bids.
Here’s how to sell back books on Amazon.
If Amazon is taking buyback bids, check the book’s ISBN or title to determine whether you may sell it back. Mail the book to Amazon for free with a supplied label. You can sell books on Amazon for credit.
Amazon accepts books from independent authors through its marketplace and provides a trade-in program for some titles. Thus, it would be best to learn how to trade in books on Amazon.
How Much Does It Cost To Sell Books On Amazon?
Amazon charges sellers a referral fee for each item sold (depending on the category). This fee ranges from 6% to 45% of the item’s retail price.
Closing Fee Media products, including books, DVDs, CDs, and Blue Ray, have a flat fee of $1.80 per sale.
Furthermore, sellers can pay more for paid services like Fulfillment by Amazon or Amazon Ads.
Can I Sell Books on Amazon for Free?
Can I start selling books on Amazon for free? No. You will have to pay fees when selling books on Amazon. Amazon will also automatically deduct this from your book sales.
If you want to sell books for free, you can try selling on free listing sites like Facebook Marketplace.
Can I Make Money Selling Books on Amazon?
Learning how to make money on Amazon selling books is one thing. Executing what you know is another.
Books sell when you put in the work.
Is Selling Old Books on Amazon Possible?
It is legal to sell used books on Amazon. If the books adhere to Amazon’s condition standards, individuals and organizations can sell new and used books on the site.
Can I Sell My Own Books on Amazon?
Wondering how to sell self-published books on Amazon (if you even can)?
Yes. You can sell self-published books on Amazon. If you’ve already written a book, I recommend selling it on Amazon to earn money.
If you haven’t written your book yet but want, you should know more about the best writing tools to help you create and edit your book.
The Bottom Line
I hope my guide taught you how to sell books on Amazon.
Don’t hesitate to use the information in my guide when starting your business venture. Follow my advice and set yourself up for success.
If you plan on selling books on Amazon, software such as the best Amazon seller tools can help you.
