How to Sell Books on Amazon: The Complete Guide for 2024

It’s crucial that every book you sell on Amazon satisfies these two criteria. This ensures that you’re able to sell your books quickly and that you make enough profit to sustain your book-selling business. Let’s now talk about where you can find books to sell on Amazon:

1. Sell Your Books

Perhaps the simplest way to sell books on Amazon is to sell the books you have at home. It’s likely you have tons of books you have already read. Rare books, textbooks, and old comic books are particularly valuable. 

2. Library Sales/ Thrift Shops

There are several places where you can purchase used books for sale. Thrift shops and library sales are just a few options.

Bring your book scanner to these sales so you can find books that will get a big payout on Amazon. The scanner will help you identify books that will bring a profit. 

You can also use scanning apps to tell you how much you will earn from your sale after product costs and seller fees. Here are some apps you may consider using:

• Amazon Seller App: This app is free for all Amazon sellers. It tells you things like product category, FBA fees, approximate profit, best sellers rank, and the number of competing sellers. 
• ScanPower Mobile: This app is one of the more expensive scanner apps, but it provides you with a wealth of useful features. It will tell you if a product is selling, it will create listings and print barcodes automatically, and it offers advanced inventory features.
• Profit Bandit: This less expensive premium app will connect with your central seller account so you can create listings on the go. It integrates with Keepa and CamelCamelCamel. It also allows you to see which offer has the buy box. 

3. Online Arbitrage

Online arbitrage works like retail arbitrage with one crucial difference. You don’t buy books offline; you buy them on other online marketplaces like eBay. Here’re some examples:

• eBay
• Craigslist
• Facebook Marketplace

Simply purchase a book on one of these sites and sell it on Amazon at a higher price to turn a profit. 

Here’s a great article about Online Arbitrage. Check it out if you are considering this seller strategy. 

4. Wholesale Purchases

Wholesale and bulk purchases allow you to buy books for less. You can sell them individually at a lower cost. Many eBay and FaceBook sellers offer bulk purchase options.

If you choose this option, ensure that you purchase books that haven’t been sorted or scanned. Otherwise, you might end up buying books that other Amazon sellers have discarded as unprofitable.

5. Estate Sales

People often get rid of their book collections when they move. Look around your area for estate and closing sales. You are bound to find plenty of low-cost books that you can resell on Amazon. 

What Kind of Books Sell Best on Amazon?

Obviously, it’s important to sell books people will want to buy. So which books sell best on Amazon? Here are a few categories to consider. 

• Niche Books: Niche books have low print runs that make them rare and therefore, in demand. Books that are part of collections tend to be rare as well. 
• Comic Books:  Comic books sell well on Amazon. You will do especially well if you have comic books with first appearances and limited runs. 
• Collectible Books: First editions, autographed books, and other rarities may qualify as collectibles. Make sure you are allowed to sell your collectible on Amazon before you list it. 
• Non-Fiction: Non-fiction tends to do better than fiction on Amazon. Fiction will sell, but non-fiction is a safer bet. 
• Hardcovers: People tend to prefer hardcovers because they are a durable choice. Sellers can also price hardcovers higher and hopefully turn more of a profit. 
• Textbooks: These are a great Amazon seller items because they are always in demand, especially in the fall and spring when kids are going back to school. However, be aware that some publishers may “brand gate” their books to prevent non-certified sellers from selling new or used books online. Do some research to determine if you can sell a certain textbook before listing it.

What Type of Books Don’t Sell Well on Amazon?

• Fiction: As stated earlier, fiction books tend to not do as well as non-fiction books on Amazon. This is because fiction books typically have larger print runs than non-fiction books so they are not as rare. Additionally, people usually get rid of a fiction book after they read it, whereas they will hold on to a nonfiction book and reference it when necessary. 
• Children’s Books: Children’s books are difficult to sell because of their lack of staying power. Children outgrow their books quickly so they are not worth much to buyers. Children’s books also tend to be priced lower so they won’t generate as much of a profit. 
• Popular New Books: Popular new books won’t do as well older rare books. Sellers will even have trouble pushing new hardcover and non-fiction books. Why? Because it’s likely Amazon is also selling the book and you will have a tough time beating their prices. 

How to Get Started Selling Books On Amazon

Step 1: Choose a Method to Search for Books

The first thing you have to do is choose the best method for attaining your inventory:

• Do you have tons of books at home? You may choose to sell your own books. 
• Love thrifting? Seek out library sales and thrift stores in your area.
• Do you like to do business online? Try online arbitrage.
• Are you a tough businessman? Go for the wholesale method.
• Thrifty shoppers may also enjoy searching their neighborhoods for estate sales. 

You will be successful with offline methods like thrifting and estate sales if you keep a keen eye on community events. Look for yard sales and used book sales. Talk to bookstore staff to find out about other places to buy books second hand.

If you prefer the wholesale or online arbitage methods, you may find bulk sellers and discounted items on Craigslist, Facebook, or Google or eBay. You can also talk to library staff and bookstore workers to learn about their favorite places to buy wholesale and discount books.

Step 2: Create an Amazon Seller Account

If you want to become an Amazon seller, you’ll need an Amazon seller account. There are two types of seller accounts:

• Individual Seller Account
• Professional Seller Account

With the Individual Seller Account, you need to pay a $0.99 fee per sale. With the Professional Seller Account, you need to pay a monthly fee of $39.95.

So, if you sell more than 40 products per month, a Professional Seller Account is totally worth it. I highly recommend checking out this article about Amazon FBA Fees.

Here’s how to create an Amazon Seller Account:

1. Go to Amazon

2. Create a regular Amazon account.

3. Once you’re logged in, your name will appear in the field next to the search box. Click on this field.

4. Scroll down and click on “Your Seller Account”.

5. You will be redirected to the next page. Click on “Start Selling”.

6. Now, you have to decide whether you want to have the Individual- or Professional Seller Account. The site will require you to enter a valid credit card, bank account, phone number, and tax information.

7. Complete the registration process.

8. After you’ve created your account, you should have access to Amazon seller central.

If you can afford it, I recommend creating a Professional Seller Account right away. If not, switch to a PSA soon as you can.

Step 3: Use a Tool to Analyze Costs and Profits

You probably won’t remember how much money you’ve spent on each book. It will be challenging to determine which books make money and which do not.This will make it difficult to optimize your Amazon business. 

I recommend using a tool to analyze the costs and profits of your bookselling business. Here are my recommendations:

Jungle Scout Sales Analytics

Jungle Scout Sales Analytics organizes and tracks all your Amazon sales data in real-time, so you can focus on profits and cost-saving strategies and make more money.

Price: $49 per month with Jungle Scout.

Helium 10 Profits

Helium 10 Profits analyzes cost and profits. It will help you minimize unnecessary factors that cost you money. With Helium 10 Profits, you can get the maximum profit out of your Amazon business.

Price: $37 per month with the A la carte plan or $97 per month with the Platinum Plan.

Step 4: List Your Books on Amazon

To create your book listing, enter the book’s ISBN (usually below the barcode) into the Amazon search bar. Then click on “Have one for sale”.

Amazon will guide you through a simple process where you will provide some information about your book.

You must also provide information about the condition of your book. There are five possible conditions, which are explained below:

You can learn more here.

You also need to set a price for your book. Don’t set the price too high. The lowest price usually wins the buy box.

Step 5: Use Amazon FBA to Sell Your Books

Fulfillment by Amazon  eliminates the hassle of shipping your books to customers. Amazon will store, pack and ship your books. Plus, products you sell via Amazon FBA are eligible for Amazon Prime.

However, you must send your books to an Amazon fulfillment center. Here’s how to prepare your books for Amazon FBA step-by-step.

Create Your Shipment

1. Log into your Amazon seller account.
2. Click on Inventory and then on Manage Inventory.
3. Click on Edit and select Send/Replenish Inventory.
4. Fill out Ship from address.
5. Choose Individual products for different books with different ISBNs. This option is used when you are sending items that are  different from one another. In the context of books, this means each book has a different ISBN, thus they are different products.
6. Choose Case-packed products if you’re sending multiple versions of one book. This option is used when you are sending multiple copies of the same item. For books, this means every book in the case must have the same ISBN. Also, enter how many copies of each book you’re sending to the Amazon fulfillment center.
7. Select No Prep Needed and you’re good to go.

Labeling And Calculating Your Costs

1. The next step asks you to label your products. Your books will already have a manufacturer barcode, so click Continue.
2. Amazon will tell you to which fulfillment center to send your books.
3. Choose your shipping service.
4. Enter your package dimensions and weight.
5. Click Calculate to see your shipping cost.
6. After you review everything, accept the charges and print your shipping labels.
7. Stick the shipping labels on your package and send them to Amazon. Drop your boxes off with your carrier, or arrange for a pick-up at your home.

It generally takes 1 to 2 weeks for packages to arrive at Amazon, then another three days for your books to be entered into their inventory. Amazon will notify you once your books have arrived and are ready to be sold.

Step 6: Analyze Your Costs and Profits

Once your book listings are live,  monitor your sales to see which books perform best and which are not getting as much attention. You can track your sales with Jungle Scout Sales Analytics or Helium 10 Profits.

You will get more buyers if you keep your prices low. However, you must be aware of your margins . Be sure you’ll make a profit when the book sells.

With books, customer service is a bit easier than with normal products. Since you didn’t write the books yourself, you don’t have to worry about reviews.

But you still need to consider your seller reviews regarding the quality of your books.

You need to state the condition of the book correctly. If you describe your book as being in good conditon when it is really in poor condition, then you may get bad reviews.

Conclusion – Sell Books on Amazon

To wrap up this article, let’s quickly go over the key points you need to keep in mind when selling books on Amazon. Firstly, you really want to stick to books that have a Best Seller Rank (BSR) under 100,000. It’s a sweet spot that suggests the book is in demand and likely to sell fast.

Profit-wise, make sure each book nets you at least a $3 gain after all the fees and costs are squared away. Don’t forget, you can source books on several places such as library sales, thrift shops, online or even sell your own old books.

Lastly, be honest about each book’s condition to keep reviews positive. And here’s a pro tip: funnel those profits into launching a private label product. It’s a great next step to scale up your Amazon business and really start seeing some serious dough.

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