How to Profitably Sell Books on Amazon

Knowing which books to offer on Amazon can mean the difference between a good income stream and total failure. Here is what you need to know.

First, how do I sell books on Amazon

Amazon.com has a feature called Amazon Marketplace. This service lets you sell your used books, CDs, DVDs, etc. just by listing their code number (ISBN number for books, etc.) Listings can literally be completed in a minute or less for each item you sell. It does take a few minutes to set up a selling account but there is no charge for doing so. In fact the only time you incur a charge is when something actually sells.

There is one small negative to this approach. It only works with products that have a code number. So if you have antique books or other items without a code number, you will need to set up an amazon shop. There is a monthly fee for setting up a shop but the fees that amazon charges are much less in this method of selling than the direct selling method in the prior paragraph. So if you become a volume seller it is probably worth the investment in getting an amazon shop as the investment will quickly be paid for by the savings in fees.

Second, decide your interest level (i.e. just list books or get a store)

The next step is to decide your interest level. It is going to be a casual thing or will you be treating it as a serious business.

Lets say you were just cleaning house and wanted to make a bit of money on some books or CDs you have. In this instance, it doesn't make sense to set up an amazon shop as you won't earn enough to justify the monthly investment in keeping your shop running. But lets say your passion was yard sales and bargain hunting and you knew that every week you could find and list hundreds of books, CDs, DVDs, etc. In this case getting an amazon shop would be a wise investment.

Basically amazon is structured to satisfy anyone's selling needs and they have a variety of simple tools that will help you achieve your selling goals in a quick, cost effective and efficient manner.

Third, these are the types of books you should not be selling

Selling used books is not an obvious thing to do. Common sense would say that bestsellers are the best kind of book to offer because they have sold millions of copies. But it is their very popularity that makes them poor books to sell. If you do a search on amazon for a bestseller, you will find that many people are selling their used copies, many times for under $1.00. With millions of copies out there, the market is glutted. This is true for any type of bestseller - fiction or nonfiction. Other books types you want to avoid are biographies, cookbooks and political books. And of course books like encyclopedias, readers digest condensed books, dictionaries, etc. are also terrible for resale. Oh, and also avoid old library books. There is nothing wrong with them per se but they will be slow sellers because of the markings the library puts on the books.

The only exception to this rule would be signed first editions. If you find a signed first edition, it will retain value and possibly be worth more than the published price depending on who the author is.

Books you should be looking for are books about specific nonfiction. subjects. (In other words, avoid all fiction books.) For instance, books about cars, boats, playing tennis, collecting coins, herbal medicine, business (as long as they are not best sellers), real estate, gardening, etc. are all excellent books and have a very high prospect of selling for a very high price when compared to a bestseller. I will typically get 50-75% of the cover price selling these types of books on amazon.com.

One other thing to note when choosing books to sell. Try to find books that are in perfect or near perfect condition. These books will have their dust jacket if hard cover. The spine will not be broken. They will not be filled with writing. People know they are buying used books when buying from you but they want a book that is nice and presentable, not one that is falling apart.

Where can you find used books for sale?

Used books are everywhere but your goal is to get them as cheaply as possible - preferably for $1 or less. Places I regularly check include yard sales, flea markets, thrift shops and libraries. Libraries often have used books donated to them that they just put right on the sales table. I think the people who donate them think they will end up on the shelves of the library but they never do. Estate sales and auctions can also provide opportunities to buy books. And keep your eyes open. You never know when you might run into a buying opportunity.

Will all the books sell?

No matter how carefully you pick your books, you will end up with some that just don't sell or are just very slow in selling. This is normal. Chances are good that the book will eventually sell but it could take several months. And if you purchase your used books cheaply enough, the carrying cost of the books that sell will be small. I find that if I list a random selection of 100 books, about 25% of them will sell each month. That means that after 4-5 months, I can pretty much assume that all the books that will sell have actually sold and I may be left with 5-10 books that for whatever reason had no buyers.

At that point, I make one of two choices. I either lower the offering price on amazon to try to attract a buyer or "trade" the book for something more desirable.

The only time to buy bestsellers

There is one time and one specific reason I will buy bestsellers. If I have the opportunity to buy a large number of hardcover (and sometimes paperback) bestsellers in perfect condition for under $1 each (under $0.25 each if softcover), I will usually buy them. However, I will not sell them on amazon.

There are a large number of used bookstores that will buy or trade books with you. They typically give you 20-25% of the books list price if you want cash and up to 50% of the books list price if you want a credit. That means I have a ready outlet for liquidating these books. If it is worthwhile, I can just swap them for immediate cash. Or I can trade them for other books I can sell at amazon. In general, I make out better in a trading situation than in a cash situation but sometimes if I have way too many books, I will just go for the cash option to reduce my inventory. It is a really effective form of inventory management.

Before you jump out and buy 100's of bestsellers, do check with the used bookstores in your area to see what they are offering for these books. Different shops may offer different rates depending on their current inventory. A little shopping around by phone can result in a lot more cash ending up in your pocket.

How much can I realistically make?

The amount you can make in any given month depends entirely on how many books you acquire that month, how well you did at negotiating the cost and how well your books choices were. This is a business where you can easily make several hundred to several thousand dollars a month depending on the above items. Also it is a business that can give you higher returns the longer you do it. The more you sell, the more you get to know what will sell quickly and what will sell slowly. That will let you be a bit more particular about the books you choose in your book hunting. Instead of ending up with lots of unsold books at the end of the month, you will have an inventory that turns over very rapidly.

Book selling is a really fun and stress free way to earn anywhere from a supplemental part time income to a full time income. And with the tools offered at amazon.com, it is really easy to get started and keep the profits flowing. There aren't many businesses where you can make money by shopping but this is one of them!

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6 Benefits of Being an Amazon Bestseller

As I've coached authors, helping them make their book a business, I've had a front row seat to their success. A successful book is quite a feat, but I've witnessed firsthand how transformational it is when a book reaches bestseller status. The perks are phenomenal!

Why should anyone want to be a bestselling author? Here's a quick list of the benefits:
If your book becomes a bestseller:

o You get bragging rights! And you'll deserve them! Very few authors achieve bestselling status, so when you uncover the secret to marketing your book the right way, you are among the cream of the crop. That's something to talk about. It also helps you to create more buzz about your book and the interest it receives.

o You can add the title "Amazon bestseller" to your marketing materials and website. Everyone knows Amazon, and everyone knows that to become an Amazon bestseller, you have to beat a lot of competition. There are millions of books available through Amazon, so when you become a bestseller, you've earned a prestigious title that is more than an opinion-it's indisputable and based entirely on fact-sales numbers which outrank all the rest!

o People can introduce you as an "Amazon bestseller" before radio and TV interviews or speaking engagements. Being called an "Amazon bestseller" automatically provides you with credentials. It makes you an expert in your field, stating that you have something different to say and that people want to hear it. It's an accomplishment that automatically portrays success.

o You gain credibility in the corporate world. As an author, you are one of millions. As a bestselling author, your commendable achievement is acknowledged. Suddenly, you'll become a sought-after speaker or consultant to businesses who place great value on credentials and accomplishments.

o You establish yourself as an expert in your field. If you want to be an expert, write a book. If you want everyone to agree that you're an expert, write a bestselling book. When you've written one of the top ten books in your industry, your expertise will have much more value and people will view you as the authority on your topic.

o You can distribute a press release the next day - toting the fact you are a bestseller. By quickly getting the word out that your book is a bestseller, you spark more interest, accolades, and prestige. A press release that once might have gotten buried will go to the top of the pile when it touts such a remarkable achievement. When it does, you'll benefit from the speaking engagements, interviews, and articles it will produce.

Best of all, your bestseller placement puts you in front of an audience that may have never heard of you at all. Once Amazon and Google know who you are, the sky is the limit.

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Earn Extra Cash Selling Used Books on Amazon

In recent years, the used book business has been booming. A slow economy means more people are buying their books used instead of new. More people are buying them online too. In particular, Amazon has become the top place to buy and sell used books online. If you can spare as little as five hours every week, you could make some nice extra cash selling used books. We could all use a little extra money. So what do you have to lose?

Selling used books on Amazon is quite simple. You find the book you want to sell on their web site, click on "sell yours here," and you're in business. That's it! But first you need some books to sell. Unless you're drawing from your personal collection, you're probably going to have to go and buy some books. But won't that be expensive? Not if you're smart about it.

First of all, used bookstores probably aren't the place to look, unless if they're having a great sale. The best places? Estate sales, garage sales, and library sales. These can be a real goldmine of used books for very cheap. In most cases the people at these want to get rid of the books, more than they care about making a huge profit. You can get a whole box of books for maybe $1 or even less per book. Often on the last day of the sale they might sell the books for a quarter or even give them away for free!

When looking for books, avoid those that don't sell well. These include fiction books (chances are there are hundreds of copies of that John Grisham classic for sale. Don't waste your time selling this. You'd only make a few pennies, if that), computer books (out of date before it leaves the printer), art books (heavy and expensive to ship), and damaged books (people don't really want these).

Instead, look for cookbooks, how-to books, audio books, and history books. These are hot sellers and can make you some nice extra cash.

Once your books are listed on Amazon, make sure you have the right shipping materials. In most cases a bubble envelope will do. You want to be ready to ship your books the same day an order comes in. Prompt delivery will make it more likely a customer will write a positive review/rating about you on Amazon. If people see you are a highly-rated seller, they are more likely to buy from you.

Continue buying and selling the right books and shipping them promptly and you will soon be earning extra cash selling used books. You may find yourself with a successful online business sooner than you think! To learn more about the business of selling used books online, read Used Books Into Gold, available from: http://extraincomebulletin.com

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Successful Methods For Selling Your Book Online at Amazon

So you want to promote your new book. Would you believe I can help you take one giant leap in that direction with one simple word? That word is Amazon.com. Yep, it's the internet behemoth that dwarfs most other such companies. And I'm going to offer you ten quick, fairly easy ways to promote your book on Amazon.

1) First, if you aren't registered on Amazon, do so---then set up your profile. You can place your photo, your interests, your background, and, of course, your book title and an attractive, concise description of the book. You're off to a great start.

2) I'm assuming that your publisher has placed your book for sale on the site. Nowadays, even most self-publishers or print-on-demand publishers include this in their sales package. Most publishers also include the book detail page. This tells readers the book price, number of pages, publisher name, book summary, and reviews/endorsements if you've received any. However, ask your publisher to also include the Search Inside option. This allows interested parties to check your back cover, your table of contents, etc. If your publisher doesn't do this, you will have to mail Amazon a copy of your book so they can copy some pages out of it for the Search Inside option.

3) Amazon has a feature called Listmania. This offers individuals like yourself the opportunity to put together a list of some of your favorite books on different subjects or genres. For example, you might make a list of some of your favorite novels. If your own book is a novel, you would want to place your book somewhere on the list. That way, when readers read through your list, they will see your title and maybe order a copy. How's that for crass self-promotion?

4) Fill out some So You'd Like to...Guides. On your profile page you'll see a place to do this. On Amazon, people write brief articles like: So You'd Like To Be More Popular or So You'd Like to Learn How to do Plumbing or whatever. If your book is about becoming more popular, you'll write a short article about popularity, including your book title and some other book titles about the same subject. When interested parties see your So You'd Like To... page, they'll click on it and read it. Then there's a fairly good chance they may click on your book title. Then, wonder of wonders, they may even buy your book so they can learn how to be more popular! Cool, huh?

5) You will get a lot more attention and action on Amazon if you review books. You can write a review for any book. One hundred book reviews seems to be a magic number for grabbing significant attention on the site. Don't be overwhelmed by that number. Just set a goal of, say, reviewing 5-10 books per week and you'll soon reach the 100 mark.

6) Again, this may seem like embarrassing self-promotion, but you might want to ask friends and relatives to write a positive review about your book and give it a five-star rating. You should probably just ask them to write a review of your book on Amazon but, hopefully, it will be understood that you expect a good review and a decent star rating.

7) There is a wiki or dynamic book encyclopedia on Amazon too. The Amazon people call it Amapedia. You can use this to describe your book. Remember, this is not a review where you express opinions---just the facts, maam (or sir). It's a dictionary-type description of your book and its contents. This is another way to get your book out there for people to see.

8) Amazon also has a blog and here you can say almost anything about your book or what you've been reading. Just make sure it's in good taste and doesn't contain inappropriate language. Maybe you'll pick up some bloggers who are interested in what you write.

9) A major objective of your profile, your book reviews, your listmania lists, your blogging is to build a reputation as an expert in some area or areas. Once people begin to see you as an expert, they're more likely to buy your book. Don't expect to be tagged an expert within a few weeks. It will likely take some hard work and some time, but it's worth it in the end.

10) The last suggestion can really result in some sales but you've got to shell out some fairly serious money. It's called BXGY. What it does is pair your book with a top selling book. Customers are told, "If you buy this popular book, you should also consider buying this one too" (your book). The catch is that pairing your book with a winner costs $1000 per month. If you've got the extra money and believe your book has enough merit to sell well with a companion book, then try it out for a month. Who knows? You may earn more than the $1000 in royalties on your book sales. (Remember that you won't see this royalty money until your publisher pays you for that quarter).

So dive into the Amazon site and begin learning the ropes. It will take some time to navigate the site and find the various opportunities described above, but it will be worth your time. I wish you the best in selling your book. It may not be a New York Times bestseller, but if you can sell a fair number of copies you can be proud as an author and gain some financial profit along the way. I wish you the best.

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How to Create a Successful Amazon Bestseller Campaign

What is the Amazon Bestseller Campaign:

The Bestseller Campaign is a marketing campaign where you prompt everyone in your database to buy your book during the same timeframe, which will, in turn, boost your book sales and create a high ranking. Your goal should be to shoot for the top 10, or preferably the #1 spot.

How does it work:

You ask everyone in your database to buy your book during a certain time and in exchange you offer them some type of incentive in the way of a valuable product or service (such as, ebooks, teleclasses, discounts on coaching, services, or products). The offering should be related to the book topic and provide something of value.

What you need to do:

Preparing an Amazon campaign takes a great deal of planning that will include: signing up affiliates, or partners, creating the offer and follow up emails, creating new web pages, figuring out the best way to get proof of purchase from your buyers that they did purchase on the right day and at the right timeframe.

Here is a checklist to help ensure your campaign will be successful: 1. Make sure your listing is detailed and complete, including an author blog, a full profile description, and Inside the Book.

2. Try to gather as many five-star reviews and/or testimonials as possible. You'll have an easier time convincing other people to sign up for your campaign if you appear to have a must-read book.

3. Set a date for the campaign. Mid-morning weekdays are best, before people get distracted with their day, or if this is a gift idea, set the date 2-3 weeks prior to a major holiday.

4. Research and connect with affiliates, or partners, who can provide valuable bonuses that complement your book (ideally 10 or more). These should be items that will be interesting to the same audience as your book. The best bonuses are downloads such as ebooks, seminar transcripts, audios, free memberships, teleclasses, and dollars-off coupons.

5. Create a web page that showcases the offer with photos of partners and partner's products and include links to your Amazon.com page. This page should also give detailed instructions on where to send their email confirmation of purchase and how they will receive their downloadable bonuses.

6. Create another web page that will serve as the download page where buyers can get their bonuses, or that has links to the bonuses if they appear on your partners' web pages.

7. Send out an announcement to bloggers and ezines that match your topic asking them to promote your campaign.

8. Announce your campaign to your social networking groups/friends.

9. Build your database by accumulating as many email addresses and commitments from others as you can. Specifically, those that have agreed to help you with your campaign.

10. Send a reminder email blast to all accumulated lists two weeks before the event, another email a day before the event, and a final email early morning of the event.

11. Double check your web pages to make sure your links are active and working.

12. Be prepared to answer email and telephone questions the day of the campaign. You may want to hire an author's assistant to help with this task.

13. After the campaign: Send thank you notes to all your partners.

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