Last updated Mar. 12, 2023 by Okechukwu Nkemdirim
Having too many old books stocked on your shelves can make your home look quite messy. If you’re looking to get rid of the books you no longer need, why not sell them and make some extra cash? Doing so will be a win-win action; not only will you get rid of those books, but you will also earn monetary compensation for it.
Therefore, selling your books online is the best way to get rid of books you don’t need. There are online marketplaces willing to buy those books for a price. So, in this post, we’ll show you the fastest way to sell your books online for cash. Doing this won’t get you rich, but it’ll give you some extra money to supplement your income.
How To Sell Books For Cash
If you’ve got a huge collection of books you’re looking to sell off, that’s a great place to start. Otherwise, you can always find books by visiting thrift or secondhand stores, garage or yard sales, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and even local used bookstores looking to get rid of their excess stock.
However, before shopping for books to resell, always estimate the amount you want to spend. It’s important because it helps you to take your time and make better selections of books that’ll enable you to make a profit. For example, while you can easily get $1 books, they won’t be worth the effort if you can resell them for only $1.50 each.
Related: 10 Best Websites To Buy Cheap College Textbooks(Buy Used
If you’re not sure or not good at selecting valuable books, you can always use a handy tool like the best seller rank (BSR) on Amazon. It ranks books according to purchase price; the lower the rate, the better. For example, a book ranked as no.1 has most likely sold 1,500 copies or more that month. Anything lower than 100,000 is great. You can get this info in the product details when searching for a book.
Other handy tools for book price checking include Keepa, Jungle Scout, and Amazon’s mobile seller app. Most of these tools have scanners that will help you to instantly spot a product’s price. Knowing the price will help you in maximizing profit from your bookselling business.
How To Sell Books Online
As it stands, textbooks are the most lucrative books you can buy and resell. Students are always looking to get textbooks cheaper than retail prices. Students buy these books in January, June, and September. And the best time to purchase them is at the end of the semester when students want to get rid of them.
Amazon
Amazon is one of the most renowned sites to sell your book online. Likewise, it remains one of the best bookselling and buying platforms for both new and used books. The platform had two main categories of booksellers.
- Individual seller: As an individual seller, you’d be selling less than 40 products or books per month.
- Professional sellers: They’re op-level sakers that sell more than forty products per month.
Depending on your preference, you can arrange and ship the books or allow Amazon to store your inventory and help you with the shipping. If you’re just looking to sell some of your books or can be patient enough to sell them, doing it yourself tends to be an easier (and cheaper) choice!
Amazon takes most types of books, including paperbacks, hardcovers, rare hardcover collectibles, comic books, and even children’s books. However, Amazon will charge a small fee to list your books on the platform. The charges depend on the selling plan you choose. You can choose cash or Amazon credit for payment.
Related: How to Sell Books on Amazon: A Guide for Beginners
BookScouter
As discussed earlier, BookScouter is one of the best online marketplaces to sell your books. So let’s discuss this book-buying and selling platform extensively.
BookScouter is also one of the handiest tools for bookselling. It can be used to sell virtually any kind of used book. When you search the ISBN, it’ll connect you to various online textbook sellers. And with this information, you can find the best buyer.
Therefore, the platform has made it possible to compare different vendors at once so that you can find a buyer and sell your books fast. Moreover, then you don’t have to stick to a single website and trust that it will give you a fair price. Moreover, BookScouter has an Android and iOS app.
Cash4Books
As the name suggests, Cash4Books is a site where you can exchange your books for money. Besides, the platform allows you to search for varieties of books on their database. They’ll also offer you a reasonable price and free book shipping.
Cash4Books primarily akes textbooks but may also purchase various other in-demand books. However, the book must be published in 2018 or newer. If your book matches their criteria, they’d immediately approve and offer you a price.
The book they buy changes quite often, but they have a list for reference. One of the major benefits of using this service is that there are no fees attached for selling your books to the website. So selling your book here is a guaranteed way to cash in on them faster.
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble offers a service called “Sell Your Textbooks,” where you can easily sell your old textbooks. All you need is to provide the ISBN of the book. You can do that by using the pre-installed scanner in the app.
So, if you have a stack of old textbooks from college, chances are that they still have some value and can be resold. Barnes & Noble accepts books on any subject. But the newer the book, the better your chances of selling them.
eBay
You must’ve heard of eBay because it is one of the most popular marketplaces to sell virtually every item, from electronics to fashion accessories and even books! However, unlike most other platforms on this list, you’ll sell directly to another consumer using this platform.
One of the advantages of using eBay is that you’ll get to set the price and may likely earn more than you would on the other platforms. But on the other hand, it tends to be a bit difficult to determine an appropriate price for the book and get buyers.
However, take and upload photos of the book you’re selling when listing them to make it easier. You can search for similar books you’re listing on eBay and set a similar or a lower price so it sells. Moreover, eBay allows you to hold an auction where products go to the highest bidder or as a sell-it-now product where it’s sold for the listed price. However, you’d take care of the shipping.
Related: Top 4 Sites To Sell Your Books For A High Price
GoTextbooks
GoTextbooks is a website created specifically for selling your textbooks. With this, you wouldn’t have to do away with textbooks you spend money acquiring for nothing. Instead, you can get part of the money you used for purchasing the book back on GoTextbooks.
The website gives you an instant quote, and you can ship your books to them free of charge. You’ll get paid once GoTextbooks receive the books. The process is easy, even for a newbie.
Etsy
You may already know that Etsy is an online marketplace for buying and selling handmade products. But did you know you can also buy and sell vintage items on the site? However, the basic rule for selling vintage items on the site is the item must be a minimum of twenty years old. And for craft supplies, the item must be a tool or material used for creating handcrafted items.
You can find so many people buying and selling lots of books for craft projects and rare vintage books on Etsy. So, if you have an old book or a bunch of books, you are not able to sell; you might just be able to sell them on Etsy. However, the platform charges a small listing ($0.20) fee, but selling your books is more guaranteed.
Powell’s Books
Powell’s Books is one of the largest secondhand bookstores in the US. The company purchases books from readers online to help keep their supply up to date. And they welcome all types of educational books.
You can sell on Powell’s by simply entering the book’s SBN on the site. And you’ll get an instant offer, if you’re satisfied with it, you’ll be paid either with a store credit or cash via PayPal, whichever method you choose.
However, if you have a huge collection of books, you can email them at [email protected] and provide a brief description of the books to get more accurate pricing. Selling books at Powell’s is fast and easy!
AbeBooks
AbeBooks sells items online, such as rare books, art and collectibles, online trade and textbooks, comics, maps, and paper collectibles. Unlike most sites that specialize in textbooks, AbeBooks patronizes different kinds of books.
However, you’ll need to pay a monthly fee of $25 to set up a seller’s account. But if you have a few books to sell, you can use their book buyback program via TextbookRush and Ziffit. To do this, enter the ISBN to get a quote, get a free shipping label, and select your payment method. Once the book is approved, you’ll get your payment instantly!
Ziffit
Ziffit is yet another site that allows you to sell textbooks and used books. The site also has a user-friendly app, which easily scans books using the barcode. Once the scan is complete, you’ll receive an instant pricing offer.
Ziffit pays via direct deposit or PayPal, whichever best suits your requirements. The company also partners with the likes of FedEx to provide quick and reliable shipping services, so yours is not to worry about paying to ship the books to them.
And what’s good about Ziffit is that they accept all kinds of books! So this is a great place to sell more obscure books that other sites may reject. The only requirement is that the books be in good condition, with no missing pages, water damage, or spines.
Frequently Asked Questions Related To The Fastest Ways To Sell Your Books Online For Cash
What Is The Fastest Way To Sell Books?
The fastest way to sell books is by using online platforms like BookScouter, Amazon, eBay, Etsy, and GoTextbooks. While you can sell your books directly to some of these websites, others link you to potential buyers. So all you need to do is provide a brief description of the book, take photos (if necessary) and upload them on the site to get buyers.
What Kind Of Books Sell Fast?
Textbooks, comics, fantasy, romance, and religious books are the kind of books that sell fast. However, to sell them even faster, you can upload them on online marketplaces or advertise them on social media. People tend to purchase books that either entertain or add value to their lives.
Where Can I Sell My Old Books For Best Price?
Amazon and eBay are the sites that pay the highest for selling books online. Using these platforms, you can always get the best price for your old books. All you need to do is provide the ISBN of your books, and once they approve, you’ll get your money instantly.
What Is The Best Way To Sell Secondhand Books?
The best way to sell secondhand books is by listing them on sites like eBay, Amazon, BookScouter, Barnes & Noble, Cash4Books, and the rest. This site primarily deals in buying and selling used books. They can help you to find people willing to purchase your book, and in some cases, they buy them directly from you.
How do I sell my book for the first time?
Visit sites like Amazon, eBay, and Etsy to sell books for the first time. These sites are willing to patronize you, especially if your book is of good quality and of value to the readers. Selling books on this site is fast and simple!
According to UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization), the United States publishes more than 300,000 books a year.
This statistic doesn’t take into account the thousands of self-published books on Amazon KDP and eBay.
With multiple books being published daily, it is simple for you to accumulate a large number of books at home.
Here are two sites where you can easily sell your old and used books in exchange for cash
