Do you want to add another revenue stream to your reselling business, or maybe you’re new to flipping things and want to start with books?

Then this article is for you! A lot of resellers love selling books on eBay because it’s one of the most popular e-commerce platforms for selling books, with nearly 160 million active users.

Plus, it’s relatively easy to use, and you can create book listings pretty quickly.

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While selling books on Amazon and eBay and other marketplaces is a great way to make money working from home, this guide will focus on how to sell books on eBay specifically.

If you’re brand new, learn more about reselling 101 for beginners.

You might be surprised at how many book lovers prefer real used books to eBooks, especially collectors of special editions. And you can sell some of those editions as well as other rare titles for higher prices.

Let’s dive into learning how to sell books on eBay.

Blog posts may contain affiliate links, and as an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases that create no additional costs to you.

A Step By Step Guide on How to Sell Books on eBay 

Books are one of the best things to buy and resell, because they are generally inexpensive (or free!) to purchase. Plus, you can ship them with USPS Media Mail, which is pretty cheap regardless of size and weight. But you can make even more money with the perfect strategy.

1. Create Your eBay Account

The first thing you need to do to sell books on eBay is to create an eBay account if you don’t already have one. You do not have to purchase a monthly store subscription to sell on eBay. But you will need to specify your return policy. 

To Allow Returns or Not?

One area that many resellers disagree on is setting up their return policy. Many new eBay sellers want to set up a no-return policy, while other sellers think this means many shoppers may not want to take the chance of buying your book on eBay.

I say you have to decide what works best for your business. There are pros and cons to both sides of the argument. For my part, I currently have my store, which is a Basic Monthly Subscription, set to no returns. Though, I generally allow returns as long as it’s for a legit reason.

But just to be clear, a no-return policy doesn’t mean that buyers can’t return at all. It just means that they technically can’t return the book if they don’t like it. The buyer can return the book for a legitimate reason, like it doesn’t match the description or it’s not in the condition you described.

To Offer Free Shipping or Not?

The same goes with shipping. Many buyers like to purchase items with “free” shipping. As we know, it’s never free; the cost is just passed along to the seller. So choosing this shipping option is fine as long as you add your shipping costs to your final selling price.

You’ll also need to set up your payment information, too.

Check out this article on how to sell on eBay for great general advice.

2. Install the eBay App on Your Phone

One thing that makes it easier to sell books on eBay is downloading the eBay app on your phone. I love using the eBay app because I can check listings on the go and even respond to buyer questions when I don’t have my laptop.

NOTE: There are some functions you can only do through the website and not on the app.

You can get the app on Android or iPhone. I really like to use it for adding pictures to my listings. I take pictures with my phone and then upload them to eBay easily. Some sellers prefer to batch upload their images on the laptop, so it just depends on what works for you.

The app is just one of the reasons I think it’s great to sell used books on eBay.

3. Do an eBay Search for the Book You Want to Sell

The next step to selling a book on eBay is to search eBay for the book you want to sell. The search feature on eBay makes it so easy to find your book by either scanning the book’s ISBN (International Standard Book Number) or typing in the title. You can also scan a photo of the cover and that may pull up the info as well.

Doing a quick search helps tell you if the book is worth spending your time creating an eBay listing.

To scan the ISBN, look for the camera icon on the right side of the search bar at the top of the eBay page. Clicking on that will allow you to give eBay access to your camera.

This opens up your camera and on the screen you’ll see the message, “Point Your Camera at a Barcode.” Then, scan the barcode on the book (it’s usually on the back but could be located elsewhere). 

If the book is posted, the first listings that pop up will be current listings. Take note of how many are for sale, and you can check out the price other sellers are seeking. This gives you a good indication of competition – the fewer items available, the less competition. 

Then scroll down until you see the sort and filter feature. Click on “Filter” and select completed items to look at listings for books like yours that have already sold. Based on your preferred profit margin, this will tell you whether or not a book is worth your time selling.

4. Create Your Book Listing

Now it’s time to create your listing for the book you want to sell. You want to make sure to take high-quality images of your book, as professional-looking pictures will help sell your book. If the book has any damage, you want to include photos of that as well.

Determine the sales price for the book by looking at your previous research. If you perform a basic search on eBay and filter it to look at sold listings only, you’ll see the range of prices your book has been selling for. You can also scan in the ISBN as previously mentioned to find your book’s information.

You can enter all of the book’s details yourself or select “Sell One Like This,” which creates a copy of a listing where all you need to do is confirm the book’s information and condition. 

BEWARE: When you use “sell one like this” you are relying on another seller’s description and details. So, it’s IMPERATIVE that you double-check if those details apply to the item you are selling. You want to avoid an INAD return (Item Not As Described).

It’s important to be as detailed as possible with the description, no matter which way you choose to create listings for your books. Often I add more keywords to the title to help people find my listing easier.

You will also have two choices for listing types – Auction or Buy it Now. You generally get the most money with the buy-it-now listings. Rare ones can sometimes do better in auction, but I lean on buy-it-now and allow shoppers to make offers.

The best way to ship books is Media Mail. Media mail is one of the least expensive ways to ship books.

To use Media Mail, you still need to weigh and measure your package and enter that information into the shipping area of the listing. You would just select the Media Mail option. So, if you plan on selling books or other products online, I strongly recommend investing in a small, low-cost scale like this one, which is what I use personally.

As far as photos, I always add my own instead of just using the stock images. Using your own photos increases transparency, especially if you show any flaws to the book. It also can help avoid INAD (item not as described) returns.

When finished, review your listing to make sure all the information is correct, and then select “List Your Item.”

Listing Fees

My article on reselling on eBay that I mentioned earlier goes into more detail on all of the selling fees to list items on eBay, but I did want to mention some.

You will have a final value fee to pay. The final value fee is the money eBay keeps from the final sale. eBay determines this fee based on the final sales price, including handling charges, shipping and the item’s price.

There also may be insertion fees. The nice thing is that some sellers never have to pay insertion fees because eBay gives 250 free listings each month. After you reach your limit, eBay will start charging insertion fees on items whether they sell or not and based on the categories they are listed in.

PRO TIP: For some resellers, including me, it’s easier to create and edit your listing on a laptop or computer as you can type faster and select required specifics, shipping, etc., more easily. Save the listing draft on your laptop, then open the listing up on your phone to add your pictures.

5. Make Sure You Communicate with Buyers

You may get questions from potential buyers on eBay, so make sure you respond to their messages. Also, eBay will notify you when someone purchases your book or sends you an offer. CHECK YOUR MESSAGES REGULARLY.

By answering buyers’ questions and communicating with them, you are building trust, which is critical for reselling on any platform. 

Not to mention, you don’t want to miss a sale because you read messages after an offer from a buyer expired. This happened to me one time, and the sickness of losing a sale is something I never want to feel again.

6. Package Securely and Ship Quickly Once You’re Paid

Once you make a sale, and confirm the buyer has paid, it’s time to ship the book to your customer. You want to do this as quickly as possible, but definitely within the handling time you’ve set for your account. Delaying shipping can affect your feedback.

The nice thing is that eBay lets you set your own processing time for each item that you sell.

You want to make sure that your handling time is clearly communicated in your listing. And if your shipping and handling time is two business days, then try to ship it within one. Always Under promise, and Over deliver. Besides, scams are one of the most significant concerns that online buyers have, so shipping quickly will quell their fears.

Shipping is easy on eBay; once your item has been paid for, eBay sends you an email with a link to purchase and print a shipping label. Or you can go to your eBay notifications or to your Seller Hub to do the same thing. 

You just put the book in a padded envelope or box and give it to your mail carrier or drop it off at the post office.

To get started with packing, I suggest you keep packaging materials on hand so you can ship orders quickly once an item is sold. If you plan on making reselling an actual business, this is especially important.

You can order FREE USPS shipping supplies online or grab some at your local post office. Depending on the book’s size and make up, you could wrap in sturdy shipping paper, bubble wrap or dish sleeves and place in a bubble mailer aka padded envelope. Or you may want to wrap securely and ship in a small box. The condition and value of the book should help determine this.

But if you want to get repeat business from each customer, shipping is one of the most important parts of the process that can make or break a sale. I suggest shipping to ensure safety and no damage, even if there are existing flaws.

Ship the book quickly and make sure it matches the expectations of your buyer, and you’ll likely get great feedback and repeat sales.

Selling Books on Amazon vs. eBay

As I already mentioned, two of the best places to sell books are Amazon and eBay. I’m not going to go in-depth into Amazon here, as that is a whole other topic. But I do want to point out some of the differences.

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Amazon started as an online bookstore like Barnes & Noble, so many people like selling books on Amazon because books remain popular on the platform. And people like selling used books on eBay because it’s known as the platform to get good deals.

One of the most significant differences between selling books on Amazon and eBay is there are a lot more policies and rules to follow on Amazon, while eBay is more flexible.

You control the images, price and listings, and you can sell products in various conditions on eBay. And if you don’t mind shipping your own books, the seller fees are generally reasonable on eBay.

Since eBay allows you to customize each listing, it’s quicker to list books on Amazon than on eBay, but over time, you’ll get quicker at listing and selling on eBay. 

One of the biggest differences is that with Amazon you have the option to ship sold books yourself OR have Amazon take care of it with Amazon FBA. 

With the Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) option, all you need to do is ship your books to one of their warehouses, and they will take care of shipping after each sale – for certain fees, including storage.

As a seller, you really have many options for flipping products to make more. You can even create an Amazon or eBay store to sell products from.

BONUS: What to do if your Amazon package is stolen

Quick Tips for Selling Books on eBay

Here are some quick tips to make the most money from each sale you make.

1. Where to Find Books and Other Items to Sell on eBay

You have many options when it comes to finding books to sell on eBay. Thrift stores, yard and garage sales, estate sales, auctions, library sales, Craigslist, and online book stores/sellers are some of the best places.

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The key to flipping books for profit is selling used books that you get at a really low price and sell for a higher amount. This process requires researching the prices you can sell used books at and picking books that you can get more money for.

A solid research process makes it easier to find books to sell that will make you the most money. Check out reseller Raiken Profit, who has tons of YouTube videos about selling books online.

PRO-TIP: Raiken Profit and other sellers have some great tips and training if you REALLY want to go hard on selling. The keys are speed, handheld scanners (beyond scanning through Amazon’s seller app) and specific research websites. Just search for “How to sell books on Amazon” on YouTube.

2. Great Customer Service is Essential

Awesome customer service brings back repeat buyers who may give you good feedback, which is critical to your long-term success on eBay.

One option is to add a thank you note or business card to each item sold. In addition to expressing gratitude, you can remind them to follow you on eBay. Many customers (not all; some consider it environmentally wasteful) may love a thoughtful note.

3. Avoid Books from Popular Selling Authors

In general, you won’t make money selling books by popular authors like Stephen King, Patricia Cornwell, James Patterson, etc., as they are readily available everywhere. The obvious exception is rare or hard-to-find titles that are in high demand.

4. Look for Book Trends on eBay

You can look for book-selling trends on eBay to know which books to sell and how to price them. I said it earlier, but research is important to buying and selling books on eBay.

REMEMBER: eBay’s Terapeak Product Research is now free to all sellers. (Terapeak Sourcing Insights still requires a store subscription.)

5. Grade your Books Correctly

eBay has a grading system for items that range from “acceptable” to “like new.” As a seller, you need to be honest about the condition of each book you sell. This builds trust in your business and helps to avoid returns.

6. Make Sure Your Prices Include the Cost of Running a Business

Not adding the cost of running a business to your prices is a common mistake new resellers make. Whether they are selling services, flipping items, or selling digital or physical products, remembering to include business costs is important.

You need to factor in your time, seller fees, the book purchase price, and shipping and handling costs.

Not sure whether you should negotiate your prices? Check out a few product pricing tips.

FAQs

Are books worth selling on eBay?

Yes, if you sell the right books. Books that are mass-produced and available everywhere are not very profitable. But rare books and special or collectors’ editions sell well. A book doesn’t have to be old to be rare; it can just be for a specific audience or have fewer copies available.

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Some examples are textbooks, graphic novels, sci-fi and cookbooks.

Which website is best for selling books?

It depends on your specific needs as an online seller, but Amazon and eBay are two of the most popular places to sell books.

It really depends on your needs and preferences. One of the biggest deciding factors between the two platforms is whether or not you mind shipping books yourself or want someone to do that for you.

What kind of books sell well?

There are several types of books that sell well on platforms like eBay. They include:

• Textbooks
• First editions
• Certain cookbooks
• Collectors’ or special editions
• Leather-bound books
• Bibles
• Past issues of magazines
• Rare, unique or niche books

Final Thoughts on Selling Books on eBay

As you can see, selling books online can be very profitable as long as you have a strategy. You want to do thorough research to see what books are selling best on eBay as well as the going price. Doing this ensures that you list books that you can make a profit on.

If you follow these tips, you can make good money reselling books on eBay to supplement your income or create a full-time business. 

Do you sell books on eBay or Amazon? What other tips would you suggest?