How to Sell Used Books Online with 5 Simple Steps with These 8 Websites

Selling books online has become a booming industry, with millions of books purchased every day from various online platforms. As e-commerce continues to expand, authors and sellers are finding new ways to reach readers and provide them with access to their work. The growth of the online book market offers unparalleled opportunities for independent authors and sellers to tap into a global audience.

5 Simple Steps To Sell Used Books Online

Quite frequently, our books lie inactive, gathering dust and being eaten by weevils and different moths. You can earn substantial sums of money by selling your old books on online portals. Here is a step-by-step guide to selling your books online.

Step 1: Check Before Selling Books Online

The first thing you need to do before you sell books online is to check them properly. Inspect if there are any damages in your books, and repair the slight damages. Once you do the checking part well, make sure you describe major damages like the cracked spine, damaged cover, missing pages, water stains etc clearly while listing it on the sales portal.

This is important because if you don’t mention damages there will be chances that the buyer may return the book after purchase. Which can lead to bad reviews for you.

Step 2: Find Its Worth Before Selling Books Online

Finding the right price to sell books online is something you should always take care of. Go through various advertisements on the websites. See how they have priced their used books. Some online portals like Bookscouter also calculate the price of the book you use by looking at some parameters.

Those can be the year of publication, original price, number of years you have used it, etc. Find such portals to find out the true value of your book to sell online.

Step 3: Choose a Suitable Portal to Sell Books Online

The most important thing when selling books online is to find the right platform. You can add the same book in multiple portals. Adding books to several portals increases the chances of visibility. Once it is sold, you can simply mark it as sold on the other sites.

There are a couple of things you should note while choosing book-selling platforms, like finding the top-rated online portal among buyers, going for portals that charge zero or very little commission and making sure the portal you choose allows you to get payments directly in your bank account or Paytm, PayPal, etc.

Step 4: Describe Well-to-Sell Books Online

Perfectly describing your book can get you, customers, easily. Describe the writer’s name and the abstract. and maybe a few pages of the book in the sale description of the portal.

Your potential customer must know a lot about the book. Mention all the relevant details about your book. Write a small summary of the book of around 50 words so that the potential customer can get an idea of the subject matter. But remember, do not give any spoilers while writing about your book.

Step 5: Making Packaging and Courier Arrangements

Once the order for the book has been placed, you need to take care of its packaging and shipping. In some cases, the portal you choose to sell books online this service takes some extra charges. However, the majority of platforms ask the sellers to take care of packaging and courier. In such cases, you need to find a delivery partner with whom you can courier your books regularly. 

If you want you can sell your books at a discounted price. It works in a great way as it can help you sell your books faster and earn online.

Also Read: How to Sell Products Online and Start an Online Store?

Best Platforms to Sell Used Books Online

After analysing the various sites across the internet, we have listed the top platforms where to sell old books online. Here you go!

1. Amazon

If you are searching for platforms to sell books online, you can consider Amazon to be one of the best. You can earn online by selling your old books on India’s biggest e-commerce company. Amazon offers the facility to purchase and sell used books online. Using Amazon’s trade-in program, you can easily sell your old textbooks at a genuine price. You can find many prospective buyers who are looking to buy used books. You must sign up for the Amazon trade-in program to list your books for sale.

The sign-up process is very simple. You have to provide your:

• Personal information.
• Banking information.
• ISBN of your books.

Suggested Read: Proven Methods To Make Money On Amazon

2. E-Bay

Another exciting option for selling books online is e-bay. E-Bay is one of the global e-commerce companies which trades multiple products. You can also sell used books on eBay. There are more than 135 million users are there on eBay. You get a wide range of customers to purchase your textbooks. E-Bay allows you to make your first 50 sales without any charge. After the free session, you can continue listing more books by paying a small fee.

The steps to sell books online on e-bay are:

• Register on E-Bay.
• Create a selling post.
• List your old books.
• Start selling.

3. E-Campus

E-Campus is a well-recognized online retailer of new and old books. Generally, school and college students are the main purchasers of this platform. A lot of students prefer e-campus for their books and textbooks. You can sell your old books easily on this site. This site offers great deals for selling your used textbooks. You can get an exciting price for your books on e-campus.

The selling process on e-campus goes as follows:

• Log in.
• Submit the ISBN of your books.
• Select your books for listing.
• Go through the buy-back process.
• Receive your payment on each sale.

4. BookChor

BookChor is one of the best platforms for selling your old books. By entering your book’s ISBN number, you can check the offers available on BookChor. If you want to make quick cash then this website is a good option as it provides you with the option to sell books for as low as 80 Rs, which is a great price from the readers’ point of view; resulting in immediate sales for you. You get a reasonable price for your books on this platform.

You can proceed to sell books online on BookChor as:

• Sign up.
• Provide the ISBN of your Books.
• Check the price quote and shipping label.
• Make your sale.

5. Textbooks.com

Textooks.com is a popular platform to sell books online. Textbooks.com offers the largest online buyback programs and a free shipping policy. You can find numerous purchasers who want to buy second-hand books online. Textbooks.com sells your old books directly to college students. Considerable price rates are offered for your books. The selling process is quite easy..

You can sell used books on Textbooks.com in the following ways:

• Register yourself.
• Lock in your quote.
• Enter the ISBN of your books.
• Print the shipping level.
• Collect your payment.

6. 99Bookscart.com

99Bookscart.com is another good website to sell books online. You can sell your used books on this website at a 45-50% lower rate than the original price but still earn good profits. There are a few terms & conditions that need to be followed, like not posting damaged or pirated books for sale.

You can sell used books on this website in the following ways:

• Visit the website and register.
• Fill out the application form.
• Fill book description.
• Start selling.

7. PustakKosh.com

PustakKosh is a website that not only has the option to sell used books but also lets you rent out your books. This means that if you don’t want to sell your books, you can rent them for a time and charge a lease amount. This website is mostly used by school and college students who want to rent or buy used books online. Students can find books from big publishers like Arihant, Oswaal, and NCERT on this site at a very reasonable rate. So, if you have academic books from your previous years that you wouldn’t be using again, then sell or rent them to other students through this website.

You can sell used books on PustakKosh in the following ways:

• Register yourself.
• Write the description and the book’s ISBN.
• Enter the book title and author’s name.
• Select your lease term.
• Select location.

8. Books Yaari

Books Yaari is a platform started by two booklover friends who wanted to provide new and used books to other students and people like them at an affordable rate. On this website, you can find books from different genres, from adventure to academics, and you can sell any used books that you have. They also provide you with various options to receive your payments online after selling books.

You can sell books on Books Yaari in the following ways:

• Create an account on the website.
• Describe your book.
• Write quotation price.
• Start selling.

Related Reads:

• Best Reselling Apps in India
• How to Start an Online Reseller Business

Types of Books to Sell Online

Now that you know where you can sell old books online, let’s look at what types of books can be sold. Usually, every genre of books can be sold but there are certain books which are quite in demand among readers.

1. Literature

Who doesn’t love to dive into the world of magic and moments of surprise? This makes the books of literature and fiction the most sold-out books in the world. So if you have a copy of Harry Potter or Little Women tucked in your bookshelf somewhere that you don’t find yourself reading anymore, then why not pass it to others who would love to explore that world, just like you did once?

2. Textbooks

With around 70% of students buying used books instead of new ones, the market for used academic textbooks is quite big. You can sell books online from previous classes or semesters online; this will not only help other students but also earn you some extra cash.

3. Self-help and Motivational Books

From reading The Alchemist to Atomic Habits, we all have sought inspiration and motivation from the books at some point. Many people love to read self-help books to find purpose in their lives or start something new. You can help such people by selling used books at a lower price. So, you can list any self-help book that has helped and can help others, too.

4. Religious Books

Every religion has its own sacred books, which help people learn about their religion’s history, origin and more. Such books are always in demand and the older the version, the better its chances of getting sold.

Benefits of Selling Old Books Online

Buying and selling old books has emerged as a trending trade option. You can clear your old collection of books by selling them online. Simultaneously, you can gain a nice profit along the way. There are various benefits of selling old books online. Let’s discuss them.

1. Make Major Profits

You may have those books in your cupboard which were last printed in the 1990s and are not available anymore. These are the books which are considered highly valuable and antique, as they are no longer available on the market.

Many people always keep searching for such books. However, they do not get them easily on the market since these books are out of print. You can make a good amount of money by selling such books online. Although these are old books, considering their importance and demand, you can get a decent amount of cash from them.

2. Perfect Passive Income

A single source of income may not always let you reach your goals early. Nowadays, people carry out several side businesses to supplement their income. Selling books is one of the most popular and reliable side businesses. If you are a book lover and you buy lots of books, you can sell them after reading. One may not have time to go through the same book twice. Rather than piling up old books on your shelf, you can sell books online to add extra earnings to your income.

Also Read: Passive Income Ideas in India

3. Become a Nature Buddy

We all know paper is made from trees, which results in cutting hectares of forest land. You can make a small contribution to saving those trees by supporting the cause of buying and selling used books. When you sell used books, you save a tree that would have been cut down to make paper for a new book.

4. Make Some Room on Bookshelves

Leaving books in the corner of your room to collect dust and complaining about not having room to live comfortably is not cool. When you sell books online, you make room for other things that you need. So, stop hoarding books unnecessarily, even after reading them, and sell them.

Conclusion

In conclusion, selling books online is a rewarding venture that requires careful planning, research, and consistent effort. From selecting the right niche and setting up your store to marketing and managing customer relationships, there are several steps involved in building a successful online book business. By following these steps and continuously refining your approach, you’ll be on the path to success. So, why wait? Start selling books online today and tap into the growing digital marketplace!

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