Amazon earned over $177 billion in sales in 2017. Whether you have Prime or not, everyone can admit that Amazon makes the online shopping experience easy and enjoyable.
You don’t have to be a big company to make money on Amazon. Garage and yard sales are becoming a thing of the past now that online platforms can reach a wider audience. Next time you do your spring cleaning, you’re guaranteed to find at least a dozen items you could sell for a nice chunk of cash.
Selling books on Amazon has become so popular that some people are able to make it their sole income. Whether you want to sell a few old books or you’re curious about how others become successful, these 10 tips for selling books can guarantee you more sales.
1. Make an Amazon Trade-In Account
The easiest way to make a fast sale is to see if your book is available for an Amazon trade-in. If you have school textbooks or popular novels, Amazon’s trade-in program lets you enter the book’s ISBN and it gives you an immediate offer for the book. While not everything is eligible for Amazon book buyback, it doesn’t hurt to check.
This tip is best for people who only have a few books they want to get rid of quickly. While you might be able to make more money listing your book independently, trade-in does offer fair prices.
2. Be Honest in Your Description
Books can endure a lot of wear and tear over the years. Books that are fairly new sell faster and at a higher price. If your book has sustained a bit of damage, that doesn’t mean you can’t sell it. Some people are willing to sacrifice the quality in exchange for a better deal.
False advertising can lead to serious trouble. You should always be honest in listing the condition of your book. Make note of any highlights, writing, bends, tears, and missing covers so the buyer is aware of its condition. If your customers are surprised, you’ll lose money on shipping costs and refunds.
Be mindful that positive reviews are crucial for sellers who are serious about building their business. The more 5-star reviews you have, the more trustworthy you appear to customers.
3. Consult Competitors Selling Books on Amazon
It’s a great idea to do some investigating before you sell books on Amazon. Research your competitors’ prices and try to find a fair price.
You don’t have to be the cheapest seller out there. However, if someone else is listing the same book that’s in the same condition as your book but for a cheaper price, they’ll get a sale first.
4. Utilize Pricing Technology
Unless you’re an avid market researcher, you may not realize that Amazon prices fluctuate every day. In order to stay on top of your competition, you should be willing to adjust your prices.
This advice is important for people who sell textbooks and other expensive items. While a 10% change in price may not mean much for those who are selling paperbacks, 10% is significant for textbooks that cost hundreds of dollars.
If you’re serious about your business, investing in repricing software could be your smartest business move. PriceFuel can keep track of market trends and do all the heavy lifting for you.
5. Consider If Your Book Is Desirable
As unfortunate as it sounds, some books won’t sell no matter how cheap they are. Whether the book is outdated, in poor condition, or unpopular, you’re sometimes better off saving your energy.
A good reference for checking your book’s popularity is Amazon’s Best-Seller Ranking. When you research a book, you should see a number for how well the title sells in the product description. The lower the number, the more popular the book is.
6. Always Ship Fast and Carefully
Shipping is one of the most crucial steps in business. A tragedy for both buyer and seller is opening a package to find a destroyed product. If the seller doesn’t take time to secure their item, it can either make them look careless or deceitful when reporting the original condition of their book.
Fast and effective shipping is a key component to satisfying your customers. When the product arrives on time and is in good shape, the customer is more likely to take the time to leave you a positive review, which leads to more sales.
7. Offer Bundle Deals
Who can deny the allure of a good sale?
If you have a lot of products you need to sell, bundle deals are a great way to draw attention and move your inventory.
People love to save money, even if that means spending more. Bundle deals and holiday sales are always great for business, even if the discount is as small as 5%.
8. Look into the Fulfilled-By-Amazon Program
If you’re serious about making bookselling your business, Fulfilled-By-Amazon can be a lifesaver. This Amazon program stores all of your inventory and handles all your shipments. As soon as a sale has been made, Amazon sorts through your inventory, packs your order, and ships it to your customers.
9. Scout Local Book Sales
A smart way to find more inventory is to scout book sales where everything is one price. Consult local libraries to ask if they host book sales. You may be surprised to learn that many libraries sell books for as little as one quarter every month. Thrift stores are another cheap resource you should utilize.
10. Use Scanning Technology
You may have good instincts on deciding which books are profitable and which won’t sell. However, your intuition may not be perfect. Nothing is worse than investing money to build your inventory only to discover that no one will buy your products.
Certain apps allow you to use the camera on your smartphone to scan the book’s ISBN. Then, you can see the price that book typically sells for online. If you use this kind of technology, you could sift through book sales at the speed of lightning.
The best part is that you can leave feeling confident that your investment will churn bigger profits.
Want More Business Tips?
Now that you know the top 10 tips for selling books on Amazon, you’re ready to start making an income. Whether you want to make a little money on the side or start your own business, Find a Business That has all the strategies you need. For more helpful information, check out our blog.