Have you amassed a collection of books over the years that you no longer have room for? Or are you planning to run a business selling books? But you might still wonder where is the best place to sell books online, as there are plenty of platforms you can use to open your bookstore and sell books online. You are in the right place.
This blog post will walk you through the top 8 best-selling platforms to sell books:
Let’s dig in and find the best fit to help your books find new homes while putting some cash in your hands.
Best Place to Sell Books Online: 8 Leading Sites
There are several top online marketplaces for selling new and used books. Each platform has its own advantages and disadvantages, so it’s worth exploring multiple options to find the best fit.
In short, where to sell books online? Amazon and eBay are great options if you want to sell books and run an online bookstore professionally. Otherwise, Bookscouter, Book Deal, AbeBooks, Textbooks, Powell’s, and BooksRun are the go-to top book-selling websites for earning some cash fast.
1. Amazon
If you are wondering where to sell books online, Amazon is obviously one of the biggest names. Founded as a book-selling platform, Amazon now dominates the market with over 300 million printed books and over 487 million ebooks sold each year. In 2023, 71% of UK readers and 67% of US readers said that they had bought a book from Amazon.
Selling books on Amazon seems unlimited. You can sell almost all book genres, from comic books, rare books, textbooks, recipe books, and art books to children’s books. The best part is that you can start small by selling used books that are collecting dust on Amazon. That is totally and legally permitted.
Additionally, as an author, you can sell your books to Amazon’s large readers without having to go through a traditional publishing company. Kindle Direct Publishing allows you to self-publish eBooks, paperbacks, hardcover books, or even audiobooks, all without any upfront costs or inventory orders.
Do you find selling ebooks potential? Check out our ultimate guide on how to sell ebooks on Amazon.
When selling books online on Amazon, sellers can pick an Individual ($0.99/sale) or Professional ($39.99/month) seller account. Moreover, Amazon takes 15% of the sale price as a referral fee and $1.80 per sale as the closing fee.
You can also choose between FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) and FBM (Fulfillment by Merchant) fulfillment options. With FBA, Amazon stores, packs, and ships your books for a fee. FBM means you handle everything yourself but keep more money. So, consider your goals and preferences to choose the best fit.
Pros
- Large customer base
- Offload logistics to Amazon (FBA)
- Sell any type of books, both used and new
Cons
- Additional fees for different fulfillment options
- High competition
2. eBay
eBay is another best website to sell books, especially used books. That said, eBay is like an online garage sale, you can easily sell the stuff you don’t need anymore. And used books are no exception. The used books listed on eBay are seen as pre-owned products.
When you sell used books online on eBay, you can choose to price them between Buy It Now and Auction. While Buy It Now lets you fix your price, Action-based listing allows your booklover customers to bid. So, if you plan to sell rare books or books that belong to collector’s items, eBay auctions can be very profitable.
Moreover, researching the books you want to sell seems to be easy on eBay as you can see the sold items on this marketplace. You will be able to answer questions like: How much does your book actually sell for? Is your book in demand? Or how are other sellers marketing their book, i.e.photos, descriptions, or titles?
When you looking for the best places to sell books online, it’s also worth considering the selling fees of that platform. Selling books on eBay, your 250 first listings are free, then each listing costs $0.35 per month. For the Books and Magazine category, you will also have to pay 14.95% of the total amount of the sale.
Pros
- Huge customer base
- Auction-based listings
Cons
- High competition
- High selling fees
3. BookScouter
If you’re still wondering, is selling books on Amazon worth it? Or find it a bit complex for beginners, try BookScouter. Launched to sell textbooks, BookScouter now allows you to buy and sell used books through 30+ vendors.
Unlike other sellers, BookScouter searches its database for the best textbook buyback prices from vetted vendors with verified reviews, making selling safer. Shipping is free when selling to BookScouter vendors. Besides, the platform offers both a website and an app for selling books, which are simple to use for beginners and experts.
Ultimately, BookScouter remains one of the best places to sell books online, with lots of benefits. Those include connecting sellers to offers, comparing prices, and providing a $500 quarterly scholarship.
Pros
- Simple website and app to use
- Free shipping for sellers
- Payment received quickly once sold
Cons
- Smaller buyer base than Amazon
- Small cut of sale prices taken
- Paid subscription needed for some features
4. Book Deal
BookDeal is one of the best places to sell books online for beginners. It allows users to easily scan books and receive buyback prices or directly list books for sale. Similar to BookScouter, BookDeal has a book buyback program and a simple listing process.
Simply sign up, then scan or type in ISBNs to see condition-based offers. If the price suits, you can view the deal summary in your cart and pick your payout preference – PayPal, Zelle, or Venmo.
Then, all that’s left is printing their shipping label, packing up the book, and dropping it at the post office. Once received, cash arrives within five days, so you’re paid quickly.
Pros
- Simple process from offers to payment
- Various payout options
- Fast payment of five days
Cons
- Lower prices than private sales
- Only want books in their marketplace
- Packing and shipping by yourself
5. Abebooks
You have lots of rare books and wonder where I can sell my books online? Then try Abebooks. As a book-focused marketplace, Abebooks gathers an audience predisposed to browsing novels, biographies, and other literary works. Within this niche, independent sellers can find buyers for rare and out-of-print titles no longer available elsewhere.
However, some downsides accompany these benefits. Listing books requires a do-it-yourself setup rather than a direct selling platform. The site also prioritizes certain genres over others, like textbooks. Plus, navigating between book metadata like conditions and publishing details proves more convoluted than streamlined. You also have to pay a starting monthly fee of $25.
Pros
- Dedicated book audience
- Niche appeal for rare/collectible works
- Potential for higher sale prices on rare books
Cons
- No direct selling
- Complex website navigation
- Limited to certain book types and no app
6. Textbooks
If you have some college textbooks taking up space on your shelves and wonder where is the best place to sell books online? Then, Textbooks.com provides a straightforward option to offload those unused books. Besides, the targeted buyer base of college students looking for cheaper textbooks can help books sell quickly.
Once you get a buyback quote, that price is valid for a full month. Therefore, you have plenty of time to ship your books for free using their prepaid UPS label. The payout then arrives within 1-4 weeks, either by check or via PayPal direct deposit. So you won’t have to wait too long to cash in.
Pros
- Simple quotes and free shipping
- 30-day listing duration
- Quick payment after shipping
- Dedicated marketplace for textbooks
Cons
- Only accepts textbooks
7. Powell’s
Powell’s Books is an independent bookstore chain that also operates a large online marketplace. Unlike the other platforms, Powell’s caters more to browsing buyers than nationwide sales, making it one of the best book-selling websites.
The process of selling books on this platform is really easy. Simply input your books’ ISBN numbers to get an instant bid right on their site. When you accept the bid, you can either drop off your books yourself or Powell’s will send a prepaid label.
Once received, you’ll get a notification of payment. This comes as an account credit to splurge in their stores or via a PayPal deposit so you can spend it anywhere.
Pros
- Established brand recognition
- Dedicated customer base
- Simple selling process
- Fast and secure payment options
Cons
- Selective about accepted titles
- Payment rates on the lower side
- Smaller marketplace than Amazon
8. BooksRun
The last piece of the “Best book-selling websites” puzzle is called BooksRun. This is an online bookstore where you can sell, buy, or even rent new and used books and textbooks.
BooksRun buys used books individually and in bulk. So, if you want to simply sell your used books and earn money quickly, BooksRun can be the best place to sell books online. You just need to enter ISBNs and get quotes, then ship your order for free and finally get cash for your books. BooksRun even makes the book-selling process easier and faster by providing an app.
What makes BooksRun stand out from the other websites that sell books is its green promise. It gives books a second life, contributing to its zero-waste principles. All its packaging is made of recycled or fully recyclable materials.
However, please notice that their support teams some time (+48 hours) to reach out via mail.
Pros
- Fast and easy to sell
- Renting option
Cons
- Support time
Platform | Fees | Payment Options | Payment Speed | Buyer Base Size | Accepted Book Types |
Amazon | $0.99/listing or $3.99/month +15% referal fee | PayPal, Direct Deposit | Within 1-2 weeks of sale | Massive | All |
eBay | Free 250 first listings + 14.95% commission fee | Credit card, Debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal | Within 2 days of of confirming the buyer’s payment | Massive | All |
BookScouter | Small cut of sale price taken | PayPal, Checks | 1-4 weeks after shipping | Large | All |
BookDeal | N/A | PayPal, Zelle, Venmo | 5 days after shipment | Medium | All |
Abebooks | $25/month | PayPal | Timeline not specified | Niche audience for rare/collectible | Rare books focus |
Textbooks.com | N/A | PayPal, Checks | 1-4 weeks after shipping | Focused on college students | Textbooks only |
Powell’s | Variable | PayPal, Account Credit | Upon receipt of shipment | Large | Selective |
BooksRun | N/A | PayPal, Checks | Within 4 business days | Medium | All |
Tips for Selling Books Online Successfully
Now you know where to sell books online. But it’s better to consider these tips to get maximum profit:
- Inspect books carefully – Check for any defects, damages, or missing pages before listing. This builds trust with buyers.
- Price competitively – Research how similar books are priced on the site. Price slightly below average to sell more quickly.
- Describe accurately – List the title, author, publisher, ISBN, edition, and copyright page clearly. Mention any flaws so buyers have realistic expectations.
- List widely – Sell on different platforms like Amazon and BookScouter to reach more potential buyers.
- Package carefully – Use boxes appropriate for book size and weight. Include padding to prevent damage during shipping.
- Promote listings – Share new listings on bookselling forums and social media to get more eyes on your items. Consider bundle pricing to move books faster.
Managing inventory and sales across different platforms can quickly become overwhelming for booksellers. That’s where LitCommerce comes in. Our platform simplifies multi-channel selling, allowing you to effortlessly list and manage your books across various online marketplaces. From Etsy to Amazon, LitCommerce streamlines your operations, freeing you up to focus on curating the perfect collection. Learn more about how LitCommerce can simplify your online bookselling journey.
Best Place to Sell Books Online – FAQs
It is no wonder that Amazon is the best place to sell books online. This marketplace captures over 50% of the global book market share and offers various options such as Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) and Amazon Marketplace. Amazon sells at least 300 million print books and over 487 million ebooks every year. There are plenty of places to sell books online, some of the best ones include Amazon, eBay, BookScouter, Textbooks, Powell’s, Book Deal, and Abeooks. Yes, selling books online can be profitable. While it takes some effort to find in-demand books and list them, platforms like Amazon can help you access a huge audience of potential buyers. Just be sure to price your books competitively. To sell books online effectively, first make sure they are in good condition without any rips or stains. Photograph them well with good lighting. Then, list them on platforms like Amazon, BookScouter, etc. Include accurate descriptions and keywords. Also, check sold listings to help set a competitive price. eBay, AbeBooks, and BooksScouter are the best places to sell used books for cash. These platforms are especially well-known for selling rare and used books.
Start Selling Your Books Online Now!
There are many great options available for selling books online. Some of the best sites to sell books include
- Amazon
- BookScouter
- Textbooks
- Powell’s
- Book Deal
- Abebooks
Websites like Amazon and BookScouter make it easy to list your used books and reach a huge audience of potential buyers. For rare or antique books, AbeBooks is an excellent place to find knowledgeable collectors.
No matter what types of books you have, with a little research, you can surely find the best place to sell books online and make some extra cash in the process.
Explore LitCommerce’s tool for effortless cross-platform book sales. Feel free to reach out for assistance anytime.
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