The short answer
Selling used books on Amazon is one of the simplest ways to start selling online. You look up the ISBN, set your price based on existing offers, choose a condition, and list. Amazon handles the marketplace — you handle shipping (or pay FBA to ship for you). Most casual sellers profit $2-8 per book after fees.
Calculate your Amazon FBA fees
See referral fees, fulfillment costs, and your net profit per unit.
What Amazon charges on book sales
Books have a specific fee structure:
| Fee | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Referral fee | 15% of sale price | Standard for media |
| Variable closing fee | $1.80 per unit | Books, DVDs, music only |
| Per-item fee (Individual plan) | $0.99 per sale | Waived on Professional plan |
| FBA fulfillment (if applicable) | $3.06-$5.37 | Based on weight |
| Shipping credit (FBM) | +$3.99 for standard | Amazon pays you this for media |
Fee example: $15 used book (FBM, Individual plan)
Sale price: $15.00
Shipping credit from Amazon: +$3.99
─────────────────────────────────────────────
Gross: $18.99
Referral fee (15% of $15): -$2.25
Closing fee: -$1.80
Per-item fee (Individual): -$0.99
Your shipping cost (est.): -$3.50
─────────────────────────────────────────────
Net revenue: $10.45
Book cost (thrift store): -$1.50
Net profit: $8.95
At $8.95 profit, this is a good book to sell. But a $5 book with the same fees nets just ~$1 — not worth your time unless you're selling in bulk.
The $10 rule of thumb
For merchant-fulfilled sales, books priced under $10 rarely produce meaningful profit after Amazon's $1.80 closing fee, 15% referral fee, and shipping costs. Focus on books you can price at $10 or higher.
For FBA, the threshold is higher — around $15 — because fulfillment fees add $3-5 per unit.
How to list a used book on Amazon
Step 1: Find the book on Amazon
Every book has an ISBN (International Standard Book Number) — a 10 or 13-digit number on the back cover near the barcode.
To list:
- Go to Seller Central → Inventory → Add a Product
- Search by ISBN, title, or author
- Select the correct edition (hardcover vs. paperback matters — they're different ASINs)
- Click "Sell yours"
Step 2: Choose condition
Amazon has strict condition guidelines for books:
| Condition | What it means |
|---|---|
| Like New | No marks, no wear, dust jacket intact. Looks unread. |
| Very Good | Minimal wear. May have small marks on cover. Pages clean. No highlighting. |
| Good | Shows wear. Possible light marking or highlighting. All pages intact. |
| Acceptable | Heavy wear, marking, or highlighting. Still completely readable. No missing pages. |
Be honest about condition. Overgrading leads to returns, negative feedback, and potential account suspension. When in doubt, grade one level lower.
Step 3: Set your price
Check the "Other Sellers" box on the product page. Filter by your condition and fulfillment method (FBA vs. FBM).
Pricing strategy:
- Match the lowest offer in your condition tier for quick sales
- Undercut by $0.01-$0.50 to win the Buy Box faster
- Price higher if your condition is genuinely better than competing offers
- Ignore outliers — a $500 listing on a $15 book is someone hoping for a lucky sale
Step 4: Ship when it sells
FBM (you ship):
- Use Media Mail via USPS ($3.19 for up to 1 lb, +$0.61 per additional lb)
- Amazon provides a shipping label — print it from Seller Central
- Ship within 2 business days of the order
- Amazon gives you a shipping credit (~$3.99) to offset costs
FBA (Amazon ships):
- Send books to Amazon's warehouse in bulk
- Amazon handles pick, pack, ship, and returns
- Books get the Prime badge
- You pay fulfillment fee per unit ($3.06-$5.37 based on weight)
Where to source profitable books
Thrift stores and Goodwill
The classic source. Most books cost $0.50-$3.00. Look for:
- Textbooks (even outdated editions have value)
- Nonfiction in specialized topics (business, coding, medicine)
- Hardcovers in good condition
- Out-of-print titles
Skip: Mass-market paperback fiction (too many copies, too cheap), book club editions (marked "Book Club Edition" on dust jacket or inside flap), and heavily damaged books.
Library book sales
Libraries sell donated and deaccessioned books for $0.25-$2.00. Annual sales have the best selection. Bring your phone to scan prices live.
Estate sales and garage sales
Often the best margins. Non-book-savvy sellers price everything at $0.50-$1.00. Vintage cookbooks, first editions, and specialty nonfiction hide in these sales.
Online arbitrage
Buy underpriced books on eBay, other Amazon sellers (yes, really), or publisher clearance sales and relist at market price. Requires more capital but scalable.
Textbook buyback timing
Buy used textbooks in May and December (end of semester — students sell cheap). Relist in August and January (start of semester — students buy at premium). Margins of 50-200% are common on in-demand textbooks.
Calculate your Amazon FBA fees
See referral fees, fulfillment costs, and your net profit per unit.
Scanning apps: Know the value before you buy
The fastest way to evaluate books is a scanning app that reads the barcode and shows Amazon's current prices and sales rank.
What to look for in a scan:
- Sales rank under 1 million — Book actually sells. Under 500K is better. Under 100K sells fast.
- FBA price above $10 (or FBM above $7) — Worth your time after fees
- Number of competing offers — Fewer sellers = more stable pricing
- Condition of available copies — If all copies are "Acceptable," a "Very Good" copy commands a premium
Sales rank guide for books:
| Sales rank | How fast it sells |
|---|---|
| Under 100K | Within days to 2 weeks |
| 100K-500K | Within 2-8 weeks |
| 500K-1M | Within 1-3 months |
| 1M-3M | May take 3-6+ months |
| Over 3M | May never sell |
FBA vs. FBM for books
When to use FBA
- Books priced $15+ (fees make sense)
- Textbooks with high sales rank (fast turns, minimal storage)
- Bulk inventory you don't want to ship individually
- You value time over per-unit profit
When to use FBM
- Books priced $7-$15 (FBA fees eat too much margin)
- Slow sellers (avoiding storage fees)
- Heavy or oversize books (FBA charges by weight)
- Low volume (shipping 1-5 books per week isn't burdensome)
Cost comparison: $20 book, 1.5 lbs
| FBA | FBM | |
|---|---|---|
| Referral fee (15%) | $3.00 | $3.00 |
| Closing fee | $1.80 | $1.80 |
| Fulfillment/shipping | $5.37 (FBA) | $3.50 (Media Mail) |
| Shipping credit | — | +$3.99 |
| Net after fees | $9.83 | $15.69 |
| Product cost ($2) | -$2.00 | -$2.00 |
| Profit | $7.83 | $13.69 |
FBM wins by $5.86 per book in this example. FBA only makes sense when the Prime badge increases your sell-through rate enough to compensate — which it does for competitive, high-rank books.
Scaling your book business
Phase 1: Test the waters (0-50 books/month)
- Source from thrift stores and library sales
- Use Individual selling plan ($0.99/item)
- Ship FBM using Media Mail
- Learn condition grading and pricing
- Goal: understand which books sell and at what margins
Phase 2: Build inventory (50-200 books/month)
- Switch to Professional plan ($39.99/month)
- Start using FBA for books priced $15+
- Expand sourcing to estate sales, online arbitrage
- Track inventory and sourcing costs
- Goal: consistent $500-$2,000/month profit
Phase 3: Scale (200+ books/month)
- Send regular FBA shipments (weekly or biweekly)
- Hire helpers for sourcing trips
- Focus on high-margin niches (textbooks, specialty nonfiction)
- Consider wholesale book lots
- Goal: $2,000-$10,000/month profit
Most profitable book categories
| Category | Typical margin | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Textbooks | 50-200% | Captive audience, high prices, semesterly demand |
| Technical/professional | 40-100% | Specialized audience, limited supply |
| Vintage cookbooks | 50-150% | Collectors market, nostalgia appeal |
| Out-of-print nonfiction | 60-300%+ | Scarcity drives price |
| Art and photography books | 30-80% | Heavy (high shipping credit), visual appeal |
| First editions | 100-1000%+ | Collector premium (requires expertise) |
Least profitable: Mass-market fiction, self-help bestsellers (too many copies), recent paperback novels, anything with a sales rank over 3 million.
Common mistakes
Listing the wrong edition
A hardcover and paperback are different ASINs. A 5th edition textbook is different from the 6th. Listing under the wrong ASIN leads to returns and negative feedback. Always verify ISBN.
Overgrading condition
"Good" with highlighting is "Acceptable." "Very Good" with a torn dust jacket is "Good." Buyers expect condition to match or exceed your description. One negative review hurts your seller metrics for weeks.
Ignoring sales rank
A book priced at $50 with a rank of 4 million may never sell. Meanwhile, a $12 book ranked 80K sells within a week. Rank matters more than price for profitability — a fast-selling cheap book beats a slow-selling expensive one.
Shipping in inappropriate packaging
Books damage easily. Use poly mailers for paperbacks, rigid mailers or boxes for hardcovers. Never ship a hardcover in a poly mailer — one bent corner and you're paying for a return.
FAQ
How much money can you make selling used books on Amazon?
Casual sellers (50-100 books/month) typically profit $500-$1,500/month. Serious sellers (200+ books/month) report $2,000-$10,000/month. Per-book profit ranges from $2-$15 depending on your sourcing cost, sale price, and fulfillment method. Textbooks and specialized nonfiction have the highest margins.
How to sell used books on Amazon for beginners?
Create an Amazon seller account (Individual plan is free to start), find a book's listing by searching its ISBN, click "Sell yours," select the condition, set your price, and list. When it sells, ship via USPS Media Mail. Start with books you already own to learn the process before sourcing inventory.
Is selling books on Amazon worth it?
Yes, if you focus on the right books. Books priced above $10 (FBM) or $15 (FBA) with sales ranks under 1 million are consistently profitable. Textbooks, specialty nonfiction, and out-of-print titles offer the best margins. Mass-market fiction and recent bestsellers are usually not worth the effort.
Do I need a Professional seller account to sell books?
No. The Individual plan ($0.99 per item, no monthly fee) works for selling under 40 books per month. Switch to Professional ($39.99/month) once you exceed 40 sales — you'll save on per-item fees and gain access to advertising and bulk listing tools.
Can I sell books on Amazon without FBA?
Yes. Many book sellers use Fulfilled by Merchant (FBM), shipping books themselves via USPS Media Mail. Amazon provides a shipping credit (~$3.99 for standard) that often covers your actual shipping cost. FBM makes more sense for books priced under $15 where FBA fees eat too much margin.
What condition should I list my books in?
Grade conservatively. "Like New" means it looks unread — no marks, no wear, dust jacket perfect. "Very Good" allows minimal wear but no highlighting or writing. "Good" can have light marks and some wear. "Acceptable" covers heavy wear, highlighting, and ex-library books. When in doubt, grade one level lower.
How do I ship books sold on Amazon?
For FBM orders, use USPS Media Mail ($3.19 for the first pound). Pack in rigid mailers for hardcovers and poly mailers for paperbacks. Print the shipping label from Seller Central and ship within 2 business days. For FBA, send books in bulk to Amazon warehouses and they handle individual shipping.
Next steps
- Calculate your fees — Amazon FBA Calculator
- Understand all seller fees — Amazon Seller Fees Explained
- Set up your account — How to Sell on Amazon guide
- Optimize your listings — AI Listing Generator for product descriptions
- Learn FBA costs — Complete FBA Fee Breakdown
Calculate your Amazon FBA fees
See referral fees, fulfillment costs, and your net profit per unit.
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