An Insider's Guide to Selling Your Books and Media Items on Amazon.com

A couple years ago, an acquaintance mentioned to me that she had sold some of her used textbooks on amazon instead of taking them back to the university bookstore-and in doing so, she actually made more than she paid for the books originally. She told me how simple it was: zero investment and no listing fees, user-friendly inventories, easy directions and standardized shipping charges. It sounded great. I was already in the habit of selling books to used bookstores, and even had ventured into the world of rare book collecting and scouting several years prior. I kept that amazon idea in the back of my mind for a while-too long a while as it turns out.

On a whim, I checked out the amazon seller pages, found them quite appealing, and decided to list a small pile of books I had set aside to take to the used book store. Eureka! Before I had even listed every title, I had sold my first book-Jeanette Winterson's Art and Lies. I was so pleased-and completely unprepared. Within 48 hours, I had sold about 6 books. I went to the dollar store and purchased mailing envelopes, wrapped and addressed everything, then drove straight to the UPS store located a convenient few blocks from my home. Big mistake.

The practice of selling, packaging, and shipping books and media items is for one sole purpose-to make money. Mailing supplies and shipping rates can be very expensive, and quickly cut deeply into or even cancel out any profits gained in your brilliant bookselling venture. My initial success (despite my expensive UPS store mistake) turned into a very lucrative part time job.

I have been a successful amazon.com marketplace seller for over a year now. In that time, I have learned lots of tricks of the trade that will benefit people looking to sell a few items, and make a fair amount of money. Not only have I made my own mistakes, but I consistently see new sellers making big ones. Keep in mind that this guide is only for those looking to quickly sell items, or to maintain a small inventory. The amazon.com marketplace pro account and bookselling as a part or full time job is an entirely different game, with an entirely different set of rules.

Below is information on materials you will need, shipping tips, and ideas on customer service.

Familiarize yourself with amazon.com marketplace

Go to amazon.com and click on the 'sell your stuff' link located at the far right of the top banner. Here, you will find a plethora of information to set up your free seller account. There are easily navigable tutorials with information describing how marketplace selling works, and exactly what to do; read it all, and create your seller account. When you select your seller name, remember that it will be viewable to potential customers. Also, don't worry about getting a 'pro merchant account.' Unless you are continually selling 40 items or over per month, it is a waste of money.

There are seller discussion boards you will be able to find from your seller page. There is a forum called New Sellers, and it is an indispensable, and valuable resource. If you have any questions whatsoever, run into a snag or dilemma with a buyer, there are seasoned booksellers who will gladly answer your polite inquiry-that's what the new seller forum is for, after all.

Do keep in mind that many new sellers have the same questions when they first begin, so it's wise to do a search within the boards to see if your question has already been answered. Be warned that asking how sellers make money on $0.01 books is profitable, and similar, oft-asked questions may result in scorching replies. Don't let this deter you from asking questions, just use the search option as suggested, first.

What to list?

There are many items in addition to books that may be sold in the marketplace. One caveat: from reading the boards, I have gathered that many scams of the 'Nigerian' and 'Western Union' variety are at play within the realm of electronics. If you have electronics to list, please be aware of this. Having said that, In my year at amazon, I have never one time encountered any type of scam or even a vague hint of such. All communication and transactions are done via amazon, and as long as you do not entertain buyers asking for services or purchases outside the system, it is safe.

VHS can be incredibly lucrative. I have sold videos for $75.00, and have over 100 listed, and most are within the $15-$40 range. Who would have thunk it? If you have some VHS tapes gathering dust, it may be worthwhile to check to see what they are going for on amazon.

DVDs can be listed, as well as CDs. Just be absolutely certain they do not skip and are clean and in good condition. Returns are easy, but disappointing for everyone. Almost all of my returns have been with used CDs that skip.

Listing your items

Listing your items includes matching the item within the catalogue exactly, pricing, and describing. The method you go about this will be crucial to your success and profits.

Matching the item

Via your seller page, you will find a link to list your items. For books, always, always type in the 10 digit (now, sometimes 13) ISBN number to match the item. This can usually be found near the barcode, or on the back of the book, inside the front cover, or among the book's publishing information within the first few pages.

For VHS, DVDs, and CDs, always type in the UPC number found above or below the barcode. Sometimes, especially on VHS, there is an ISBN number also. Pay no attention to this-it rarely brings up the item. If any of your items do not have ISBNs or UPC codes, it is then fine to look the item up by title. You will have to be 100% certain your item is identical to the catalogue item, however. This may mean reading a dozen or more item descriptions. I cannot emphasize how important it is to match the item exactly. This is required, and failure to do so may result in what is called a 'materially different' customer claim. It also mucks up the catalogue and creates problems for both sellers and buyers.

Pricing and description

Pricing your items fairly and strategically is all-important. Many sellers feel they must have the lowest priced item in order to be listed first on the page, and thereby have an advantage by doing so. This is NOT the case. It is my experience that many buyers are willing to pay more for an item if there is a good, literate description. There are many, many high volume megasellers within the amazon.com marketplace, who are notorious low-pricers, with no information within the item's description. Many of these megasellers are 'drop-shippers', which means they do not even have the listed item in stock. They also usually have a very low feedback rating, and that is very unattractive to the savvy buyer. Most people will gladly pay a couple bucks more to know they are dealing with a real person with a real item in stock.

Most people I know who have listed a few items on amazon feel compelled to undercut the lowest listed price anywhere from a penny to several dollars, with the idea that this will guarantee a sale. Nothing could be further from the truth. A very low price, juxtaposed with the 'I'm new' icon next to your seller name may give potential buyers the impression you don't know what you're doing. You want to appear confident and be taken seriously. Undercutting a price isn't the way to achieve that. Most of all, by pricing too low, you are shortchanging yourself. Remember, this is about making money.

If your goal is to always maintain the lowest price, it is fairly a losing battle anyway. Many sellers have autopricing software that automatically matches or underprices anything listed lower. So, keeping up with autopricers will quickly result in a dramatic drop in your item's list price. My best advice is to just not even worry about being listed first. When a buyer clicks on the 'buy it used' page, she is most likely already determined to purchase the item. You need not worry about drawing the customer in with a low price. They come looking for you, and will happily pay whatever price is being asked. It's brilliant, all the way around.

In listing your item, you will be given a chance to offer a description of the item. This is crucial. Buyers appreciate an honest, literate, and informative, concise description of the item. I have received many feedbacks and comments praising my simple and honest descriptions, and many buyers have told me my description is what sold the item. Many new sellers make several different mistakes in this area. Some leave the description box blank, which gives a feeling they may be careless or too busy to take the time to do so. Never use the description box as ad space. Some seller's offer no description, instead there are such comments as "see our other items," "AAA+++ FAST SHIPPING," and "NO HASSLE RETURNS." This is unsightly and uneccessary. All 3rd part sellers at amazon are bound by the same rules and regulations.

Describing your item accurately is a first step in customer service. Some sellers leave a too informal narrative (i.e., I bought this used at a bookstore and it was already falling apart...) Even if you only have a couple items for sale, it's in your interest to not give the idea that you are inexperienced, or just some person selling a few books. Think friendly and professional. Describe the book or item accurately and include all of its flaws and good features. For books, offer gradings on the cover, binding, and pages. For example, 'Covers have moderate wear with a few creases and corner curling, binding very tight, some pages folded. No writing or highlighting detected. Great reading copy.' For VHS, include information about the case, and how it plays; likewise for CDs and DVDs. Spend some time browsing around the site, pretend you are a buyer, and get a feel of how some of the descriptions stand out to you, how some are attractive while others are not.

Packing your items

It pays to be prepared. Everyone knows what a pain it is to have to mail a package without having the necessary supplies. Fortunately, all you will need to ship media items can be found easily and inexpensively. Bubble mailers can usually be found at the dollar store in 2-packs, but if you have several items listed, it may be more economical to purchase a pack of them at Office Max. Personally, I have found that using plain catalogue size mailers in combination with bubble wrap (which I purchase in bulk at Office Max) is the most economical and convenient method.

For extreme thriftiness, you can use brown mailing paper that comes on a roll, or even cut up and flattened grocery store-variety brown paper bags. If you use this method, make sure to use inside of the bag on the outside, so no writing is present. Simply wrap the item up tightly like a birthday present. You must wrap the item in bubble wrap first, if using this method. Also required is plenty of clear packing tape for reinforcement. I use this method for larger books and items, and I have only had positive feedback from doing so. There's no reason that this wrapping method could not be used for smaller items, too. Use a regular, dark colored Sharpie to write the addresses directly on the package. There are great packaging instructions and recommendations at the amazon seller site.

Shipping your items

The shipping rates are set, but you will be able to choose if you would like to offer international and expedited shipping. The guidelines and requirements are all explained well and straightforward. The default standard shipping offered by amazon marketplace to its buyers, is essentially a timeframe, and a specific service or method is not specified. As a seller, you are required to mail out the items within 48 business hours from the time of sale, and do so in a manner that meets the arrival timeframes. "Media Mail" via USPS is the most economical choice. Familiarize yourself with the regulations and requirements of this shipping method.

In conclusion...

The process of selling items of amazon is quite simple, and potentially extremely lucrative. You may be absolutely stunned at the huge prices that some of the books gathering dust on your shelves or in boxes are fetching on amazon. Familiarizing yourself with the venue, understanding some of the dynamics as outlined above, and being prepared translate into a fairly easy way to make a good deal of extra cash. Good luck!