- Nesia Sadeh
- Jan 12
- 14 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Get started by: Creating an online store → | Getting a domain →
Selling books online can start with one title on your shelf and grow into a reliable income stream. Some people sell books they’ve already read, others publish their own and some create small resale businesses around specific niches. Success isn’t about luck or volume—it’s about knowing where to sell, how to price and how to connect the right buyer with the right book through your eCommerce platform.
TL;DR: how to sell books online
Start by deciding which books you want to sell and where. Use marketplaces to reach a wide audience quickly or make an online store with a website builder for full control over pricing, branding and the customer experience. Then create listings with clear descriptions and great photos. Price your books competitively handle orders professionally and build reader trust with reviews.
Ready to sell books online? With Wix eCommerce, you can build a professional online store that attracts customers, drives sales and grows your brand. Enjoy full customization, built-in SEO and powerful marketing tools, all in one platform. Start today and turn your vision into success.
What you’ll learn:
How to choose the right books and formats for your audience
Where and how to sell digital print and audio books
How to create listings that convert with visuals descriptions and bonuses
Pricing strategies for profit and faster sales
How to manage orders and customer communication efficiently
Tips for niche book categories to boost appeal and value
How to sell books online
Selling books online works best when you follow a clear sequence instead of trying everything at once. The steps below apply if you’re selling one book or hundreds.
01. Decide what books you’re selling
First, think about who you’re selling to. Books move much faster when they’re aimed at a specific group of readers. Reaching niche audiences—like hobbyists, students or collectors—is way easier than trying to please everyone at once.
A guide on home gardening will naturally attract green thumbs looking for advice, while a sci-fi novel appeals to fans of specific authors and series. Even better, collectors of vintage comics already know exactly what they want. While topics like professional skills or academic subjects might have smaller audiences, those readers are incredibly dedicated, making your sales more consistent and profitable than general-interest titles.
Book it: picking your format
Once you’ve found your crowd, pick the format that fits their lifestyle. Print books are a classic choice for kids' books or high-end collectibles, though you’ll need to handle storage and shipping yourself. Ebooks are much easier on the logistics side and offer instant gratification for your readers—just make sure your layout is clean and easy on the eyes.
If you’re feeling ambitious, audiobooks are a fantastic way to go. They take a bit more work to record and edit but they fetch a higher price point. Plus, they’re a favorite add-on for fans of self-help and non-fiction.
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02. Choose where to sell your books
Where you sell your books affects how much money you keep, how much work you do and how many people see your listings. Marketplaces like Amazon, eBay or Etsy bring buyers directly to your books, making it easier to get sales at the start. The downside is they charge fees, control the checkout process and take a cut of your profit.
Selling through your own website gives you full control over pricing, branding and the customer experience. You can set promotions, bundle products and keep more of your profit. The trade-off is you need to generate traffic yourself with marketing, SEO and email campaigns.
Many successful sellers combine both approaches. They use marketplaces to gain exposure and test which books sell best, then guide repeat customers to their own site for higher margins. For example, you might list popular used books on Amazon and direct niche buyers of your original guides or audiobooks to your own store.
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How to sell books on your own website
Start by choosing a drag-and-drop website builder that makes creating your shop simple. Pick a platform that includes eCommerce hosting, a professional domain name search and registration and templates you can customize for your books.
With online store templates you can quickly set up product pages with high-quality images, detailed descriptions and previews for digital or audiobook content. Checkout flows, online shopping cart and inventory tools will help you manage both physical and digital books without any extra work.
Set up a professional business email using your own domain name to keep your reader chats polished. You can also use built-in SEO tools, email newsletters and social media links to help new fans find your work and keep them coming back for more.
If you’re selling digital or audiobooks, your site will handle secure file delivery automatically. For physical copies, you can track every shipment and manage your inventory right from your dashboard. It’s the easiest way to keep your store organized while you focus on growing your brand.
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“Wix had the tools that we needed to create that experience online. We could change and customize every single detail and those tiny little details are what's so important to us. We wanted people to have that feel looking at our website enough that it would persuade them to come and visit.” — Jenna and Josh Spencer, founders of The Last Bookstore
Benefits of using Wix for selling books online
Wix makes it simple to build a professional online store for your books. You can customize website templates, showcase multiple images or videos, add detailed descriptions, accept payments and manage shipping—all in one platform. Wix also helps you promote your books on multiple channels and use marketing tools to engage buyers and boost sales.
Key features:
Customizable templates: Design book-focused product pages that match your brand
Product displays: Showcase multiple images or videos with detailed descriptions
Secure payments: Accept credit cards, PayPal, Wix Payments and more
Shipping options: Offer flat rates, free shipping or local delivery
Multi-channel promotion: Sell and advertise on Google, Facebook, Amazon and eBay
Enhanced shopping experience: Add quick view, sorting and related products
Marketing tools: Run social posts, email campaigns and discount coupons to increase sales
How to sell books online with Amazon
Amazon is perfect for authors who want to get seen and sellers with books that people are searching for. While popular and evergreen titles get found fast, the competition can be tough. Don't forget to run the numbers on referral and fulfillment fees before you list to make sure your profits stay on track.
First, pick the seller account that fits your vibe. Individual accounts are great if you're just testing the waters, while professional accounts are the way to go for bigger inventories.
You also have choices for shipping. Using Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) takes the work off your plate and gives you that Prime badge, though it does come with storage fees. If you prefer to handle the packing and shipping yourself, self-fulfillment is a solid way to keep costs down.
Find out more: How to sell on Amazon
How to sell books on Kindle
Kindle is the perfect home for your ebooks especially if you write nonfiction guides or genre fiction. To get your book ready for its Kindle debut its formatting needs to be just right. Use headings bullet points and good spacing so your words look great on any device.
Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is a great tool to help you get started. Use their formatting guides so your ebook looks its best on every screen. Pick categories and keywords that will help readers find you. You can even use KDP Select to run promotions like Kindle Unlimited and countdown deals.
With KDP you can set prices in different currencies and manage your royalties which change depending on the region and price. You can also use reports specific to Kindle like tracking pages read through Kindle Unlimited to see how readers are engaging with your book and fine-tune your approach.
Turn your idea into a real shop. Start selling with Wix eCommerce→
How to sell books on eBay
eBay works best when you treat each book like a collectible. Use eBay’s “Item Specifics” fields like author, format, edition and publication year because buyers often filter searches using these. For rare or first editions, include the ISBN and mention if it’s a signed copy.
Pick your listing style wisely. Auctions are great for rare gems or out-of-print titles where high demand can drive up the price. For your everyday reads, a "Buy It Now" fixed price helps you clear your shelves faster. You can even schedule your listings to go live when buyers are most active.
Take the guesswork out of delivery by using calculated shipping so buyers see the right rates every time. If you want to get more eyes on a rare find, try using Promoted Listings to give your book a little extra push.
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03. Create book listings that sell
A great listing is your best salesperson. It’s what convinces a reader to hit "buy" before they ever turn a page. Start with a clear title that includes the book name, the author and important details like the edition or series.
Selling a used or collectible gem? Be crystal clear about the condition—stick to standard terms like “good,” “very good” or “like new.”
Book descriptions
Focus on the reader, not yourself. Explain who the book is for and what it offers. For example, instead of “This is a great gardening book” write “This guide helps beginner gardeners grow herbs and vegetables in small urban spaces.”
Highlight features like page count, illustrations or any special content. For digital books, mention file formats and compatibility. For audiobooks, note length, narration quality and any extras like bonus chapters.
Visuals matter
Add high-quality photos of the front cover, spine and back. If the book is signed or has special illustrations, make sure to snap those details too. Selling an eBook? Use a few screenshots of sample pages so readers know what to expect.
Bonuses that boost sales:
Bundle it up: Group related books together to give your readers more value.
Give them a taste: Let buyers read a page or listen to a short audio clip before they commit.
Celebrate the unique: For rare or collectible finds, mention what makes them special like first editions, limited prints or signed copies.
“The site means that people can come to one place and read all the information about the book, and there's a playlist on there, there are free videos, there are loads of other fun stuff and competitions that they can go and see, all in one place. The great thing about Wix is it's literally drag and drop things. It's really easy to link up things to different pages, and it's just a very simple process.”— Hannah Read-Baldrey, author and stylist
04. Price your books for profit and faster sales
To set the right price for your books start by checking the going rate. Look at what similar books actually sold for on marketplaces like eBay and Amazon not just their listing price. This will give you a realistic idea of what people are willing to pay.
For used books condition is everything. A "very good" copy can sell for 20–50% more than a "good" one. If you're selling new or collectible books consider the edition scarcity and current demand.
Cover costs and price books wisely
Before you set a price make sure you’ve covered all your costs. This includes marketplace fees payment processing fees shipping materials and your time to pack and ship.
That $15 book might seem like a good deal but after fees and shipping you could end up with only $10. Digital books and audiobooks don’t have shipping costs but you might have production expenses like formatting editing or narration to factor in.
Be strategic with your pricing. If you want to sell books quickly especially common ones a lower price can help. For rare or collectible books you can set a higher price but be prepared to wait for the right buyer.
Know your numbers
Keep an eye on every sale. Take note of which titles sell fastest which formats or price points do best and which listings get the most views but few sales. Use this info to adjust your prices improve descriptions or update visuals.
05. Manage book orders effectively
For physical books, pack each order carefully. Use bubble mailers for single books and sturdy boxes for multiple copies. Add protective inserts or wrapping to prevent damage during shipping.
Weigh packages accurately to avoid overpaying or undercharging for postage. Offering tracking builds buyer confidence and reduces disputes.
If you sell digital books or audiobooks make sure the download works every time. Check your links file formats and audio quality before sending them out. Try to automate confirmations and follow-ups to save time and give your buyers a professional experience.
Keep the conversation going
Chatting with your customers is a great way to build trust. Send out a quick confirmation email when you receive an order and keep them in the loop when their books are on the way. Being quick to answer questions about book condition, delivery times or returns makes a world of difference.
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How to sell used books online
Just because a book is old doesn't mean it's valuable. Demand scarcity and relevance are much more important. Out-of-print titles academic books and special editions usually sell well but you'll need patience to find the right buyer.
Selling used books successfully means setting clear expectations since buyers value accurate condition over perfection. Overstating quality can lead to returns and negative feedback so honesty is key. Focus on nonfiction, popular authors, textbooks and niche subjects and always research recent sales to price realistically.
Organize your used books: Sort by condition, edition and rarity. Highlight collectible or vintage books, first editions, signed copies or special prints.
Take clear book photos: Show the front cover, spine, back and any damage. Well-lit, uncluttered images help sell old books online faster.
Price your books for sales and profit: Research completed sales on eBay, Amazon or other marketplaces. Use fixed pricing for common books and auctions for rare or collectible books. Bundling old books can attract more buyers.
Ship books securely: Use bubble mailers or sturdy boxes, add protective inserts and offer tracking. Include clear shipping options to improve buyer confidence.
Track and refine listings: Monitor which books sell fastest and which editions get attention. Adjust descriptions, titles and pricing to sell books online efficiently.
How to sell my books online
If you’ve just finished writing your first masterpiece or you’re clearing out your personal library, it’s time to get those stories into the hands of eager readers.
Give your book a five-star look
Think of your product page as your book's cover letter. Use a clean and professional cover that fits your genre, write a clear and engaging description and include sample pages or audio clips so readers know exactly what they’re getting.
Don’t forget metadata—keywords, categories and ISBNs help your book show up in searches. Check out other self-published books in your genre for ideas and experiment with different titles, blurbs or covers to see what grabs attention.
Build trust and grow your reader following
Early reviews are gold so offer advanced reader copies (ARCs) to gather honest feedback and social proof. Encourage readers to leave reviews on Goodreads or other review sites.
At the same time, focus on your author platform: a simple website, an email list and a couple of social media accounts where your audience spends time.
Teaming up with other authors for cross-promotions, guest posts or online events can also help bring more eyes to your books.
Promote your book and track your success
Paid ads and promotion services are an option but your main goal is turning views into sales. On your author website you can offer bundles special editions or limited-time discounts to get readers buying.
Share updates through emails social posts and promotions to keep your audience hooked. Keep an eye on which books formats and promotions are doing well and adjust your strategy as you go.
How to sell niche books online
Different types of books attract different buyers and understanding what each audience wants makes selling faster and more profitable. Each niche has specific details that drive decisions—collectors want proof of rarity, parents want clarity and students want accuracy. The goal is to make those details clear, reduce friction and highlight value.
How to sell vintage books online
Collectors of vintage books are all about the edition print run and history. Make sure to note any inscriptions previous ownership marks or publication quirks. You’ll want to include precise measurements binding notes and details on the dust jacket condition.
For those truly rare finds share a bit of context like the publication year or publisher history—it’s a great way to show the book's true worth. You can even offer optional framing or protective packaging for high-value copies to give your buyers extra confidence and help you price with a premium.
How to sell comic books online
Comic book buyers pay attention to details. Include full issue numbers, variant editions and print runs. Describe page quality and staples, not just covers. If you can, mention story arcs or key character appearances as they can boost demand.
Think about grouping consecutive issues or complete runs; collectors love ready-made sets and often pay more than for single issues.
How to sell children's books online
Parents, teachers and gift-givers want to know if a book is right for their child. Include reading level, age range and page count in bullet points. Mention if the book teaches lessons, builds skills or includes interactive elements. For illustrated books, highlight page style—full-color spreads, lift-the-flap features or textured pages—so buyers know what to expect.
How to sell coloring books online
Coloring book enthusiasts want to see what they’re getting before they buy. Show them sample pages with plenty of detail so they can get a feel for the book's theme and intricacy. Let them know if the designs are printed on one or both sides of the page and how many pages are in the book.
If you offer a digital version, be upfront about the download format and resolution. You can also bundle themed sets for holidays or events to appeal to people buying gifts or looking for fun group activities.
How to sell audiobooks online
Highlight narrator experience, file format and total runtime for your audiobooks. Include chapter samples or a teaser to show off audio clarity. If the audiobook is linked to an existing ebook or print version, consider bundling them or offering a discount for owning multiple formats. Mention compatibility with popular players or apps to help reduce purchase hesitation.
How to sell textbooks online
Students want textbooks that are accurate, complete and fast to get. Specify the edition, year and any extras like access codes or CDs. Be clear about the condition of pages, covers and notes. Mention if shipping is quick or if local pickup is an option, since timing matters. For older editions, explain how they differ from current ones so buyers can feel confident in their choice.
How to sell books online FAQ
Which is the best platform to sell books?
It depends on your goals. Marketplaces like Amazon, eBay and Etsy give you access to built-in audiences and are great for quick exposure while your own website gives you full control over pricing, branding and customer experience. Many sellers combine both — use marketplaces to test demand and drive traffic to their own site for higher margins.
How do I find out if my books are worth money?
Take a peek at recent sales for similar books on eBay or Amazon to see what buyers are actually paying. Don't just look at the listing prices! You'll want to check the rarity, edition and condition of your copy. Collectibles, out-of-print versions and first editions are usually your big winners. If you want a quick estimate, tools like AbeBooks and BookScouter make it easy to see what your library is worth.
Is it better to sell on a marketplace or my own site?
Marketplaces help you reach more people and simplify the process, but they take a slice of your profit and give you less creative control. Your own site puts you in the driver's seat with full power over pricing, promotions and the way customers experience your brand. The ultimate win? Using both. You can attract new fans on big marketplaces then guide your loyal readers back to your own store.
How do I price books for online sale?
Start by seeing what similar books have sold for, taking into account their edition, condition and rarity. Your price should cover all your costs like fees, shipping and your time. For more common books, a lower price can help you sell faster. If you've got a rare or collectible book, you can price it higher but it might take longer to find the right buyer.