4 top tips for selling books on Amazon

By Sharon Fussell, June 28, 2011

I’ve had some terrific emails regarding sharing experiences and tips so I thought I would put a few of 
them together for you to look at. These are all from fellow booksellers and should come in very handy.

Here are some reader tips for selling your books on Amazon

Tip 1: Postage

David sent in this tip regarding postage. I have 
discussed this in the past but it is always worth 
repeating in case you missed it or are new to selling books on Amazon.

With so many post offices shutting it’s a great way to 
dispatch your orders.

“…Postage. I buy stamps online from Royal Mail 
where you can set up an account and feed it from a bank 
card. If you enter the weight it shows the type and 
postage due. By entering the addressee and Postal Code 
it completes the address label which you can print out to 
paste on – valid for 24 hours. You also get a receipt 
showing amount and addressee etc. by e-mail. Saves 
going to PO for those who are some distance away.” Thank you David.

Tip 2: Book Cleaning

This week Denise Alan and Sue sent tips on unusual 
methods of removing sticky labels.

“Hi Sharon

A rather bizarre way of removing stubborn sticky labels 
or the marks left is to rub some peanut butter into it with 
your finger tip. Odd, but it works! Thanks Denise.”

“Hi Sharon
 
Your newsletter today gave tips on removing price labels 
stuck on books by Charity shops (usually over the ISBN 
numbers have you noticed?). I have found the best thing 
is to lick a finger to moisten the label and it will come off 
quite easily in just a few seconds. BUT, the difficult to 
remove gunge is still left on the book and the best thing 
to remove that, and to shine up the cover, is an 
American product called ‘Goo Gone’. www.googone.com The book then is as clean and spruce as, for its 
condition; it is ever going to be. Thanks yet again for 
everything Sharon and Very Best Wishes Alan”

“Hi Sharon 
Just a little tip on cleaning books and removing sticky 
labels/marks….Baby wipes !…. they clean everything not 
just babies, marks on clothes, carpets, furniture . 
 I have cleaned all my books and they have come up 
lovely, give it a try regards …Sue” Thank you Sue!

Tip 3: Grab A Bargain!

John has discovered a great way to grab a bargain
using http://www.pricecutreview/uk

This site lists all current Amazon products selling at half 
price or less. New items are added daily. The most 
notable are added to the site’s ‘top picks'”. John 
picked out a copy of a book titled ‘The Complete 
Maus’. Maus’ (cartoons about Polish wartime 
experiences expressed through cats [Nazis] and mice 
[Poles]). He sold very quickly and had a quick reply 
from the buyer stating the book was going to be used 
by a teacher with ‘disaffected boys’ who was very 
interested to see how they would respond. That, 
Sharon, to me is the best part of selling. Kind regards 
John

Tip 4: Grab A Freebie!!

I thought the Laser printer deal from Kleen Strike last 
week was a very good low cost offer. However, you 
cannot get better than FREE so I am delighted to share 
this tip from Brian…

“Hi Sharon
Last March my inkjet printer stopped working and needed 
a replacement. I also wanted a laser printer and found 
this a really good deal. Free laser printer hp1018 when 
you purchase 3 refills at a total cost of £84.95 (Many 
places charge you £30- £40 to refill the cartridge alone) 
The Print quality is superb and was really pleased with 
my purchase. Here is the Link, pass on to anyone who 
might want a laser printer especially as it is FREE. 
www.ijtdirect.co.uk Regards Brian”

It’s worth filing your ezines for future reference…

If you’re a subscriber to my free weekly ezine ‘Booksellers Profit Club’ great. If not you can sign up using the form to the right of this article.

I find it useful to print off eletters and file them in a folder that 
is easily accessible. You can revisit your folder on a 
regular basis to remind you of tips and advice. Information that might not appear relevant can become vital to you at a later
stage of your Amazon bookselling development!

Last week I discussed buying study books ready to sell 
in the new term for schools, colleges and universities. If 
you remember I discussed Letts /York notes study books in particular? They are usually quite cheap to buy 
as they are so thin charity shops see little value in them.

Don’t be put off if they have underlining or comments 
in them. Although if they do, list them as ‘acceptable’ and 
describe the ‘defects’. Most students are not put off 
especially if you can reduce the price a little. Like the York Notes I sold this week. I paid 10p in a bargain box 
and sold it for £19.99.

I could have asked more for it I 
think as my feedback is superior to others listed but
my motto is ‘give a bargain’ I was certainly happy with 
the return I received for it. Ha Ha Ha!

It was only described as good and sold within a few 
days of being listed, York Notes on Roddy Doyle’s 
”Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha” (York Notes) (Paperback) by Roddy Doyle. They are currently priced at:- 3 used &
new from £22.00

Don’t forget if you have a tip to share with the Booksellers Profit Club community please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Happy selling!