How to Make Money Selling Books on eBay (15 Powerful Tips)

Yes, selling books on eBay is easy & you can make money selling books on eBay.

This article reveals very powerful tips to help you successfully sell books on eBay. Most of these tips will help even if you haven’t a clue how to sell books.

 

Importance

In 1960 a movie entitled the Time Machine was produced.

It was based on the classic H.G. Wells novel of the same name.

At the end of the movie, the time traveler returns but before going back in his Time Machine to the future, where mankind was rebuilding its civilization, it is noticed that 3 books are missing from the time traveler’s library.

The speculation is what 3 books would he have selected to rebuild civilization?

Books have always played an important role in our education.

There are a variety of books and just as many genres that an individual can find to educate themselves, improve their lifestyle, or just simply to be entertained.

A major source of books in days gone by was the public library.

Complementing the public library were a variety of bookstores in which individuals could sit around sipping on a cup of coffee and relax with a good book.

Today, a major source of acquiring a book at a reasonable price is through eBay.

In addition, not only can one buy books through this Internet retail bookstore but can sell books as well.

Let us, therefore, open up the “book” on the eBay website and learn more about how to sell books.

 

Personal Story

During the 1990s one of the big concepts in regards to books were various stores that allowed for an individual to return their books and be offered a buyback price.

This was a great business model because an avid reader could not only return books that they had read and receive an offered price for those books, but the books were restocked.

These books were offered to interested customers at a reduced cost.

It was a win/win/win all the way around.

A win for the book dealer, a win for the individual who had completed the book, and a win for a future book buyer.

 

15 Tips to Help You Successfully Sell Books on eBay

 

1. Learn How eBay Works

eBay is an online retail and shopping experience in which both customers and sellers can virtually meet to complete a business transaction.

In regards to the selling aspect, it is a great opportunity to connect with a significant number of individuals and promote items that you may have for sale.

eBay boasts of having 154 million followers and generating $19.45 billion in revenues.

It offers selling opportunities for the individual wishing to make a sale.

The one option is through a bidding process where a minimum bid is established and users shopping on this site can make a bid in hopes of outbidding others and acquiring the item.

The other way to sell items on eBay is to list a set price.

 

2. Register an Account 

Before beginning the selling process, an individual needs to register on eBay by opening up an account.

It is a standard process that includes providing your name, address, email address, cell phone, etc.

To verify the information, once this has been accomplished, eBay sends a text message to your phone with a confirmation number that you need to submit in the appropriate field to verify your account.

At this point that is all that is needed to start listing books that you might want to sell through this venue.

 

3. Use the eBay App

Another way that an individual can utilize eBay to sell books is by downloading their app.

To download the app simply requires an individual to logon on as an existing user.

Using their username and password the download will begin.

Also, verification is needed through a code that is texted to your phone.

The value of downloading the app is that if you want to take pictures of your item for sale it is a more convenient way to take a picture and use the app to embed that picture next to the item that is being sold.

 

4. Start the Selling Process

To start the selling process of a book, the individual simply needs to go to ebay homepage and click on the top link that says “sell.”

This page offers you the opportunity to list an item for sale.

Simply click on the blue button.

The next page that is offered asks what it is that you are selling.

In the search bar, simply type in the word book.

Also See: How to Make Money Selling Twitter Accounts.

 

5. Search 

At this point in the selling process, you are brought to a page where you can find a particular book.

There are a variety of methods that allow you to search for the book that you have for sale.

Those tabs include searching on the name of the author, book title, topic, etc.

Depending upon what category you chose to find your book, you then will be returned with several possible matches.

 

6. Condition 

At this point, you are provided a button to click on to view possible matches based on your search criteria.

When you click on that button you may find your book listed.

You are then presented with a page in which you indicate the condition of the book.

The conditions range from acceptable to brand new.

When selected the following page allows for you to upload pictures of the book that you have taken.

Also, on the page you the seller can reflect your listing, further descriptions, and more.

At the bottom of the page, you then have the option to preview the listing or simply list the book for sale.

Once the listing has been completed then eBay will prompt you for your bank account information.

eBay will transfer that revenue straight to your bank account minus their percentage of the sale.

 

 

7. Choice of Selling 

One of the unique features of eBay is if you have a unique book (significant addition, autographed, etc.), you can use one of 2 methods in selling your book.

One method is listing the book as being sold to the highest bidder.

The other option is the buy now option which is at a set price.

An individual just wishing to purchase the book without going through an auction process can offer to buy the book at your fixed-price requirement.

Also See: What Items Can I Sell for $1,000?

 

8. Shipping 

Once the purchase has been made, eBay will notify you when the waiting period to ensure payment has cleared.

This notification is accomplished through an e-mail and then you as the seller need to ship the item to the buyer.

It is anticipated by eBay that this shipping is prompt.

When shipping, the best method of shipping is to use the media mail option from USPS.

Also, to help other buyers, sellers are rated by those who purchase items from them.

The rating can be based on service, being sold an item that was not properly evaluated as to its condition, or if the book arrives later than it should have.

Consequently, a bad rating may affect your future sales.

 

9. Returns? 

Another option to consider when listing a book is whether you will accept returns are not.

The decision that needs to be made by you as the seller is deciding upon whether to allow returns.

Is it worth your time, effort, and the value of the book to provide for any returns?

 

10. Patience 

Once the book has been listed, eBay will inform you as to when that successful listing has occurred, and then it is just a matter of waiting.

Sometimes you might get an offer right away or other times it’s just a matter of waiting to see how things unfold.

 

11. Shipping Out 

When shipping your book to your customer, it is important to use the right packaging.

The best way to mail out a book is to use a padded envelope.

It doesn’t need to be a new one.

Recycled envelopes are just as well-suited as new ones.

If using recycled envelopes, it is important to remove any previous barcodes or shipping information.

Once the book has been placed in the padded envelope then simply tape it up and it will be ready to go.

Also See: How to Make Money Get Paid to Drink Water & How to Get Paid to Drink Wine.

 

12. USPS 

The process is further facilitated and is easy as when you receive an email from eBay notifying you that the sale has been made, they will provide a shipping label.

Simply click on the button that is embedded in the email and it will bring up a shipping label which you can just print off and then attach to your package.

The customer will have paid for the shipping of the book and therefore that will be your expense when generating the shipping label.

This paid-for label just requires a little bit of information as it relates to the Postal Service and the label can be printed right at home.

This saves a trip to the local post office.

 

13. Time is Money 

At this point in the process, the package is ready to be delivered and can be placed in one’s mailbox to be picked up by the mail carrier or a quick trip to the post office and dropping it in an outgoing mail receptacle.

 

14. Finding Books 

This is a good start and will certainly raise a few dollars in selling books that were popular at one time but have run their course.

Another possibility of selling books is to go to a variety of thrift stores.

Some of these thrift stores could include stores run by various church groups, The Salvation Army, or Goodwill.

Often, they have several books.

This adventure can be likened to going on a treasure hunt.

You never know what you may find as it relates to books that are no longer in print or have other associated value.

It may be worth one’s while to frequent these thrift stores to see if you can find books that might have a higher resale value by utilizing eBay.

Other places of possibly finding books could include garage sales, scanning Craigslist, asking relatives, etc.

 

15. What Books Sell the Best?

There are certain categories of books that have a higher value and therefore can earn more money through using the eBay retail forum.

Those categories of books would include limited editions, copies of vintage magazines, secondhand textbooks, etc.

Another book that may prove to be more valuable is what is known as decor books.

These books have a somewhat sophisticated look to them and perhaps adorn coffee tables or other places of visibility in people’s homes.

 

Selling Books on eBay FAQs

 

What Percentage of the Sale Does Ebay Take for Sold Books?

The answer is 12%.

This 12% is comprised of the basic 10% taken from eBay on all sales with an additional 2% taken because of the category.

 

What Are the Top-selling Items on eBay?

The top 5 selling items on eBay begins with toys and hobbies, sports memorabilia, collectibles, sporting goods, and in fifth-place jewelry and watches.

 

You Can Do It

Selling books on eBay is a relatively simple process.

With a minimal amount of clicks and data inputted, one can most likely list their first book for sale in a matter of 5 minutes or less.

This would be a great way to bring some added revenue into your home as well as clear out books that have run their course in your life.

 

Conclusion

Books have always been an integral part of our learning.

They are the thoughts and wisdom that are penned by a variety of authors and are often passed on from generation to generation.

Additionally, writers still write and so we have the blessing of having new experiences and wisdom captured for us in a variety of formats.

Some still enjoy the experience of holding a book in their hands and enjoying the full experience of reading.

Books are critical and foundational to who we are and the society we live in.

I am not sure what the fictional time traveler came back to the present day to secure 3 books that he took from his bookcase to start a new civilization.

Perhaps those 3 books can be found bound together on eBay.