Preparations to start selling books on Amazon
First of all, you need an Amazon account as an Amazon seller. Amazon has two possible selling account features: Individual and Professional. If you are a newbie and your monthly sales are less than 40 products, the Individual plan is the best choice for you. Because it is a pay-as-you-go model, it doesn’t impose any extra cost on you.
The other option is the Professional plan, in which you can sell more than 40 monthly units. But it has a $29.99 monthly subscription fee. It is practical for most medium to large-size businesses.
Here, you can choose between FBA and FBM fulfillment methods. In the FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) method, Amazon will be responsible for everything from storing, picking, packing, and shipping after selling your book (read how to start amazon fba business). Even Amazon does return and customer service. Expert sellers will go for Amazon FBA Business.
FBM (Fulfillment by Merchant) is suitable for newbies with limited orders. Besides, shipping large items is cheaper than Amazon FBA.
What Kind of Books Can You Sell on Amazon?
All formats, such as paperbacks, hardcovers, or even ebooks, can be sold on Amazon. It is possible to source books from your brick-and-mortar store or resell non-fiction books you have already read. Listing rare hardcover collectibles or beloved comic books is another possibility.
Even you can get rid of children’s books you don’t need anymore. It is critical to consider that high-demand books can be sold better. A list shows Best Sellers in Books based on sales of the most popular book title. We suggest these :
- Selling used books online
- selling textbooks on amazon
- Selling books without an ISBN
- Selling new books online
- Selling collectible or rare books online
- Selling ebooks online
How to Find Books to Sell?
You can source your inventory in several different places, which can help you grow your Amazon business constantly. Here, we list them:
1) Book Sales
It is somehow hunting for treasure, going to book sales, and selecting suitable books to sell. By using a book scanner and Bluetooth scanner, you can faster find lucrative books on sale for sale.
2) Estate/closing sales
Generally, large book collections are sold together, and you can buy an entire collection with pennies on the dollar.
3) Sell your own books
This is the most straightforward way of sourcing books for sale on Amazon. You can make money from your old book collecting dust like old comic books, textbooks, and rare topics.
Many websites have books with lower prices than Amazon, and sellers can buy them at a lower price from these websites and resell them on Amazon with the Online Arbitrage method.
5) Bulk Purchase/wholesale
Facebook, Craigslist, and eBay offer many used books at low prices. selling used on amazon has its requirements. For example, you need to make sure they are in good condition.
6) Free books
You can find free books on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist from those who want to offload their books at no charge. Before listing them, check if other sellers have not listed the same books for free because they can’t sell them.
How to List Your Book on Amazon?
After registering to sell on Amazon, you can list your books in your inventory. The best and easiest way is to go to the Amazon page, use the actual product detail page, and find the book you want for your inventory. Write the book’s registration code (ISBN) in the Amazon search bar, like looking for a product to purchase.
Consider that printed books before 1970 didn’t have ISBN; instead of it, you can use the title manually. There is a gray button just below the “Buy Box” on the product listing page that says “Sell on Amazon.”
Since you can sell on Amazon, you can go to the next step by clicking on this gray button. Below picture will appear.
Now, you need to enter the following information:
- Price
It would be wise to price the books based on their condition. Statistics show that books with “Very Good” quality usually sell more than “Acceptable.” If you automatically set the price to match the lowest price, it may cause a “race to the bottom.” In completion with lower-quality and cheaper options, you can sell a book in good condition quickly.
- SKU
You have your code for each book. You must specify it. Otherwise, Amazon randomly generates one for you.
- Fulfillment Channel
Choose among FBA and FBM
- Quantity
The default number is one unless you change it to the number of available copies.
- Condition
Opt for one of these five conditions: “New,” “Like new,” “Very good,” “Good,” and “Acceptable.” Be aware of listing a book in “New” condition, Amazon may ask for an invoice, or the publisher may report you.
What Are the Fees for Selling Books on Amazon?
Whether you choose an Individual or Professional plan, you have to pay per sale ($1.49)for the former and a flat monthly fee ($29.99) for the latter. Besides, the referral fee for books is 15%. In addition, you have to pay $1.80 for the closing fee. However, you will charge a flat 15% for collectible books.
Moreover, the shipping rate varies depending on your fulfillment method, Fulfillment by Amazon (Amazon FBA Business) or Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM).
Amazon has a guideline for each fulfillment method.
Step-by-Step Guide to Sell Books on Amazon
Below are the steps which you have to follow to sell a book on Amazon:
- Select the type of books you want to sell
- Create your Amazon seller account
- Decide your fulfillment method
- Set your book pricing
- List your books on Amazon
- It is time to promote and market your books
- The last step is packing and shipping your books
Pros and Cons of Selling Books on Amazon
You must consider many factors while deciding which format to sell on Amazon.
Final Thought
Selling books on Amazon is one of the most profitable businesses in the market. You have to put some effort into finding out the types of books that sell more. Do some research to discover the categories and genres people like to buy. Monitoring Amazon’s annual best-seller list can help you understand the pattern that indicates on-demand books. The lower number shows that the product sells better. Using online arbitrage leads is another option that is convenient to use.
Selling Books FAQs
thanks for publishing this article
Hi Joe. We’re so pleased to hear from you
Great resource for staying ahead of the competition.
Thanks for the ideas on how to differentiate my products in a crowded market.
Amazon FBA can help you grow your business faster by allowing you to focus on what you do best – making great products.
I love that I can easily reorder products on Amazon Marketplace with just a few clicks.
By leveraging the power of Amazon’s vast product selection, online arbitrage allows you to discover profitable products and capitalize on market demand.
Reselling on Amazon allows you to capitalize on the vast range of product categories available, giving you the flexibility to explore different niches and find what works best for you.
Amazon FBA offers sellers access to Amazon’s extensive fulfillment network, enabling them to reach customers quickly and efficiently, even during peak seasons.
Selling through Amazon FBA provides access to Amazon’s robust seller support, including educational resources and customer service.
The FBA program allows you to tap into Amazon’s vast customer base, exposing your products to a wider audience and increasing sales potential.