How To Make Money Selling Books Online

Selling books online is a great way to make some extra cash. All it takes is a little time to research and then pack up the books to ship out.

I recently sold my house and am currently in the process of moving. I am not swapping houses again, but am building a new house. It is not quite done yet, so we’ll be staying in the small living quarters we added to our liquidation warehouse.

While going through all of the stuff I need to pack. I have decided that I need to be less of a hoarder and more of a minimalist. I even Marie Kondo‘d my wardrobe. And yesterday, I took on the task of going through totes that I’ve moved several times without opening, and several of them were books, which means they were heavy!

I have saved books that I really liked (not sure why as I probably would never read them again) as well as complimentary books I had received from blogger conferences, trade shows, and even the authors themselves. I decided to scan them with InventoryLab’s Scoutify app to see if they were worth selling via Amazon FBA. And to my amazement that most of the books were quite profitable!

Since most of these books were a decade or two old, some of them were no longer being printed, thus the demand is higher! I ended up finding 106 books that I can sell for $1885.90 on Amazon! Mind you the Amazon fees are quite high, so I will still make a net profit of $964.56 which calculates out to $9.10 per book. Not bad, eh?

I probably would have made even more money by researching other places to sell books (keep reading for those places), but this was easier for me as I can send them in all to the same place and time is quite precious to me right now being on a deadline to move out.

Contents

How To Make Money Selling Books Online
Where To Donate Books
Conclusion

How To Make Money Selling Books Online

Do you have old books laying around the house that are just taking up space? Or maybe you’re looking for a unique way to make some extra cash? Selling books online is an easy way to do both! In this blog post, we will cover where you can get books (if you don’t have any laying around) and how to sell them online for maximum profit.

Where To Find Books To Sell

The best place to find used books is at rummage sales, flea markets, Amazon bin stores, and Goodwill stores. You can also look around your own home for books that you no longer want or need. If you look in the right places, you should be able to find many different types of books such as novels, textbooks, children’s books, cookbooks, preschool books about summer, and more. You may even come across rare finds that could potentially be worth a lot of money!

Where To Sell Books Online

Once you have collected your books it’s time to start selling them! There are plenty of online marketplaces out there that will buy your used books. Each site has its own rules and regulations so it’s important to read the fine print before selling on each one. Be sure to include book captions and hashtags to reach a wider audience.

List Of Websites To Sell Books For Cash Online

Selling books online is not only easy, but it can also be quite lucrative! Here’s a list of websites that you can use to sell books for cash online:

AbeBooks
Alibris
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Campus Books – This website compares dozens of stores so you can see who would give you the highest payout.
Cash4Books
Chegg
Decluttr
Eagle Saver
Ebay – When creating a book listing on Ebay, it’s a good idea to include book captions. And if you have several books from the same series, author, or genre, Ebay is a good place to list bundles of these books. Examples that I’ve sold as bundles are Little Golden Books, Junie B. Jones books, and the Harry Potter series.
Knetbooks
Mercari
Powell’s
Second Sale
Sell Back Books
Sell Back Your Book
Sell Books
TextBookRush
Textbook Solutions
Textbook X
Textbooks.com
Valore Books

Some of the above websites may also offer cashback if you use them. Click here for a list of our recommended cashback apps and websites.

Tips For Selling Books Online

Selling books online can be a great way to make money and declutter your home, but it pays to know which strategies will help you get the most out of selling your books. Here are some tips to keep in mind when selling your used books online:

Research book values

Before selling any books, it’s important to research the current market value of each one. This will help you determine how much to charge for the book. If the fees are more than your asking price, it is not worth selling. In this case, keep reading about where you can donate used books.

Reuse padded mailers and small boxes

To save money, I have been reusing padded mailers and small boxes that I receive. It makes my packaging process easier since I can easily print out postage onto half-sheet shipping labels. Not only does this strategy help me keep expenses low, but it also helps the environment by reducing waste.

Save on shipping costs

Some of the above-listed websites may pay for the postage to send your books in, so you only need to print out the mailing label. But if you have to pay, I recommend Pirate Ship as they offer up to 89% off USPS and UPS rates, and it’s free to use (you only pay for the actual shipping cost). Plus they offer first-class shipping, which is something that the USPS website does not. Be sure to compare the media mail shipping price versus the first-class shipping price, as if the book is lightweight, first class may be cheaper, and your recipient will receive the book faster.

Where To Donate Books

Don’t forget that if you have books that are in decent condition but aren’t worth selling, you can always donate them. I personally am going to give my extra books away in our giveaway section at our next liquidation popup sale. Here is a list of places where you can donate books.

Library – If you have books that are in good condition, consider donating them to a local library.
Charity – Goodwill and Salvation Army are great places to donate used books.
Friends and Family – You can also give away your books to friends or family members who may be interested in them.
Schools – Schools are always looking for books to add to their collection. Contact the local school district and see if they need any donations.
Little Free Library – The Little Free Library organization works to promote literacy and the love of reading by building free book exchanges around the world. With Little Free Library book-sharing boxes, everyone can access books freely and without limits throughout the week – 24 hours a day. No impediments are in place to prevent anyone from gaining free knowledge!

Conclusion

Selling books online is an easy way to make some extra cash while also decluttering your home. All it takes is a bit of research into where the best places are to buy used books and which websites offer the highest returns on book sales. With a few simple steps, anyone can make money selling their old or unwanted books online! So what are you waiting for? Start collecting those old books today and start making some extra cash!