How To Make Money in Online Bookselling

Limits of Liability / Disclaimer of Warranty:

The author and publisher of this Book and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this program. The authors and publishers make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability, fitness, or completeness of the contents of this program. They disclaim any warranties (expressed or implied), merchantability, or fitness for any particular purpose. The authors and publisher shall in no event be held liable for any loss or other damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages. As always, the advice of a competent legal, tax, accounting or other professional should be sought. The authors and publisher do not warrant the performance, effectiveness, or applicability of any sites listed in this Book. All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content, accuracy, or any other implied or explicit purpose. This manual contains material protected under

International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. Copyright © 2008-2010 CzarNovel,Inc. All

Rights Reserved.

Online book selling can be an extremely lucrative

business for the right person. Many people go into

online book selling as a part-time endeavor but find

that they can make a full time income by selling books

online. Although it is possible to sell books as a

hobby, you can earn a full-time income and quickly

turn your bookselling store into a six-figure business.

Turning a bookselling business into a six-figure

income is possible. Individuals that are up to the

challenge can build a lucrative income and build a

substantial savings account with a prosperous

bookselling business. It is the dream of many people

to own a business that is successful enough to allow

them to easily provide for their loved ones and enjoy a

financially secure future.

Fortunately, it is possible for anyone with a love

for books and ambition to start online bookselling and

begin to make money from home. Many

entrepreneurs are looking for new and innovative

ways to make more money from the comfort of their

home and online book selling provides a creative and

innovative way to bring in revenue. Some

entrepreneurs have managed to become so

successful with online book selling that this type of

business has become their sole income generator.

With the right knowledge and insight, anyone can

begin selling books and turn a small business venture

into something profitable enough to financially support

their lifestyle.

One of the best things about online book selling

is that it doesn’t take a large amount of money to

begin selling books. When most people start a

business, they usually need thousands or hundreds of

thousands of dollars. However, the amount of money

that a person needs depends on the type of business

they are starting and how quickly they want to expand

their business venture. Selling books online provides

people with a low cost opportunity to launch a

business, and with the right books, entrepreneurs can

quickly expand their business presence in the online

global marketplace. It could take as little as a

hundred dollars to start selling books on the internet.

As the income flows in, a savvy entrepreneur will

wisely reinvest his or her earnings to eventually bring

in more and more money.

Some entrepreneurs start off with diminutive

funds and simply gather books that are already in

their home to start their business. Using your own

books allows you to start small and expand the

business at a pace in which you feel comfortable.

Selling books online allows a person to build a

business from scratch and potentially turn the venture

into something that is prosperous and successful.

You don’t need a lot to get started in online

bookselling. If you have a good computer, printer,

internet service and a few books in your inventory

then you already have the basics that are needed to

enter the world of bookselling.

You Don’t Have to Quit Your Day Job

One question that many new prospective

booksellers have is whether or not bookselling is a

demanding profession that will require them to quit

the job that they currently have. Quitting a regular

day job to pursue an entrepreneurial journey can be

scary and intimidating. Luckily, it’s not necessary to

quit your day job if you’re interested in selling books.

There are several reasons that selling books from

home is a viable option for people that currently have

jobs. The most prominent reason is because selling

books does not require a significant portion of time.

Some full-time booksellers spend only a few hours a

day on their business.

For an individual that is just starting to sell books

from home, one to three hours a day may be a

sufficient amount of time to launch the business and a

majority of that time can be regulated to non-working

hours such as the weekends. Secondly, many

booksellers maintain full time positions with

companies that they love. It isn’t necessary to leave a

job that you love to dive into bookselling full-time. It is

possible to do both without feeling overwhelmed or

stressed if the book selling is done efficiently and

smartly.

Another concern for many sellers is whether

or not bookselling is something that is so niche-driven

that only certain types of knowledgeable people can

start an internet bookselling business. Some of the

most successful online booksellers didn’t have much

knowledge about the bookselling industry at all.

These sellers learned how to manage and operate

their business through trial and error. It isn’t

necessary to have an instant understanding of every

genre of books and names of authors to begin selling

books online. If you want to sell books, you will

probably be surprised by how quickly you’ll pick up

knowledge that will help you run your business.

There are a growing number of booksellers that

simply conduct their business on a part-time

schedule. Each year, there are more than eight

million people that work a second job part-time for

economic reasons. Book selling provides a great

opportunity for part-time work. It’s a good option for

someone that needs to work part-time because they

are not making a sufficient amount of money at their

full time job, or because their hours at work have

been cut back. Some sellers simply work part-time

and use their book selling as a supplement income.

The Benefits of Working For Yourself

There are a myriad of reasons that people decide

to go into business for themselves. Most people feel

invigorated with the idea of establishing and

controlling their own financial future. Others are

enthralled with the idea of being their own boss and

not needing to answer to anyone other than

themselves. Working for yourself can be extremely

rewarding and most successful entrepreneurs are

brewing with confidence because they have created

their own success and wealth on their own terms.

One of the best benefits of selling books online is

the enjoyment that comes from working for yourself.

According to experts, the percentage of people that

dislike their jobs varies each year and is sometimes

as low as 12% and other times as high as 43%. If

you are part of a growing percentage of people that

feel unsatisfied with the work that you’re doing, than

working for yourself is one way to solve a job

dissatisfaction problem. Many people that venture

into online book selling have a fondness or passion

for books. For example, an avid reader may discover

their passion with online book selling. Starting an

entrepreneurial journey gives a person the opportunity

to get paid for doing something that they enjoy.

There are many benefits to starting a business.

Home-based businesses have the added benefit of

being able to work at a more flexible schedule and the

opportunity to work from somewhere where you feel

completely comfortable. When selling books from

home, there are no concerns about a stressful

morning commute, the difficult task of managing

employees, and there are less restrictions on how

time must be spent, because home based businesses

often allow a lot more flexibility with work schedules.

Another advantage to starting a home-based

business is the ability to create your own work

environment. Entrepreneurship gives a person the

freedom to create, control, and direct their business in

their own way. An uncomfortable or unsatisfying work

environment is one of the most prominent reasons

people leave a job. When you work for yourself, you

create your own environment and are able to cultivate

prosperity by placing yourself in an atmosphere that is

conducive to your success.

Finally, entrepreneurs are not loaded down with

financial limitations on what they can bring in on a

monthly basis. Their income is contingent on their

own drive and creativity and can be limitless. In most

companies, there are caps on what a person can

bring in based on their experience, education, and

title (of course, with the exception of the CEO).

However, when you work for yourself there is no limit

on the amount of income that you can earn.

Being an entrepreneur and owning a business

isn’t for everyone. Entrepreneurship and operating a

business takes tenacity, patience, ambition, and

discipline. Without these four characteristics it could

be disastrous for a person to start their own business

venture. People that want to start their own business

must have the skills and drive to do so. For example,

with online book selling, you will be required to offer

good customer care and patience with the people that

you sell books to. In order to provide the customer

care and have the patience necessary to make the

business a success it is imperative that you have

entrepreneurial characteristics.

Establishing Your Goals

Even if you plan on working at your business

part-time or for simple supplement income, it’s a good

idea to have some goals established. Some of the

most common questions that you should ask yourself

when establishing your goals are:

- Why do I want to sell books?

- What is it that I want to accomplish personally?

- What is it that I want to accomplish financially?

- Is this something that I can develop a passion

for?

The first step in establishing goals for your business

is to write out a business plan. Business plans don’t

have to be complicated and complex. A business

plan can be simply stated and executed. In your

business plan be sure to state the purpose of your

business and how you plan on carrying out your

business operations on a day-to-day basis.

Looking into the future is part of establishing a

business plan and goals. You should establish some

modest goals of what you would like to make on a

weekly, monthly, and eventual annual basis along

with concrete plans on how you expect to achieve

your financial plan.

When you are establishing your financial plan

there should be a breakdown of your expenses as

well as the amount you plan to spend on your

inventory each month. Stay strict about any budgets

that you establish. Going above and beyond

budgeted expenses could have a negative impact on

your business.

Don’t get discouraged if you lose money your first

month of selling books. During this time you are still

establishing yourself and your biggest expenses

should be taking place. Furthermore, getting into a

groove in which you are efficient at picking out

money-generating titles doesn’t happen overnight. It

takes time to develop a successful business that

brings in far more than it spends.

Where to Find Your Inventory

Finding inventory doesn't have to be difficult if

you know where to go. One of the best places to find

your inventory is through a resource called "Creative

Sourcing For Booksellers" By using this resource you can gain

valuable knowledge on how and where to receive

your inventory. By finding continual supplies of

profitable books, it will become easy to build a highly

successful business in book selling.

"Creative Sourcing For Booksellers" is also a great resource

for individuals that are already professional sellers but

would like to accumulate more knowledge on how to

increase book sales and expand their business. It

isn't uncommon for booksellers to feel as if they are in

a rut and not optimizing their business to its full

capacity.

"Creative Sourcing For Booksellers" provides a course that

helps booksellers ensure that their business reaches

its full potential. The course teaches secrets and

techniques so that they can build an incredible

financial future for themselves by selling books and

other media online. If you want to have a successful

business that you can be proud of then "Creative Sourcing

For Booksellers" will help. A successful online bookseller

that has many years of experience in building

profitable businesses and is also an individual that is

highly respected in the bookselling industry created

"Creative Sourcing For Booksellers". In the course he shares his

expertise on how to build a prosperous online

business.

There are numerous ways that "Creative Sourcing For

Booksellers" can be used to help you on your journey to

creating a great business. Below are a few ways

"Creative Sourcing For Booksellers" can help:

1. The resource teaches you new and fresh ways to

find your books.

2. "Creative Sourcing For Booksellers" is the most efficient way to

find free sources of abundant inventory.

3. The course will teach you how to greatly increase

your profit margin.

4. "Creative Sourcing For Booksellers" is also a great resource

for individuals interested in selling CDs, VHS, and

other media.

One of the most common mistakes that sellers

make is relying on inventory from sources that are

constantly being picked over by other sellers.

Fortunately, it is possible to bypass the same places

other sellers use by learning about new sources

through "Creative Sourcing For Booksellers". The course can help

you go beyond local supplies of books and give you

insight on national supplies that can be easily

accessed.

How Much Should You Pay For Your Books?

In addition to buying books at auctions and other

sales, it’s important to know how much to pay for a

book. Of course, you should never pay full price, or

even close to full price for a book, so the question

remains – how much should you pay? Typically, if

you want to make a profit you should purchase a book

for a small fraction (maybe 10 to 20%) of what you

believe it’s worth. For example, a book that you

expect to sell for $12 should be purchased for two or

three dollars. In some cases, at the right sale you

may be able to purchase books for as little as fifty

cents or a dollar a piece. These books should be sold

for at least seven dollars or so. It’s not necessary to

spend an exorbitant amount of time developing your

pricing strategy. An easier route is to determine how

many of the same title are for sell in the marketplace,

and at what price.

It’s important not to overprice or undervalue your

books. Often times, when a seller is first starting off

they may low-ball their prices in order to get

customers and feedback. This can be a bad idea if it

establishes a precedent and you find it difficult as a

seller to eventually raise your prices where they

should be. Low-ball pricing could also backfire if your

buyers feel that your previous customers were given

significantly better deals than they were given. Most

professionals would condemn low-ball pricing and

urge new sellers to start at a pricing level that they

would feel comfortable continuing for quite some time.

Low-ball pricing can also be bad for business. If

you continue to undervalue your books you could find

yourself losing money in the long-run. Remember

that as you run your business you are also investing

time that you may feel you aren’t being paid for. The

time it takes to find new inventory, store and retrieve

your book, and go to the post office to drop off

deliveries can add up quickly. A low ball pricing

strategy could place you in a situation where you are

not properly being paid for that time. It is also

common for sellers to receive hate mail from other

sellers if they are under-pricing their books.

Overpricing can be just as bad for business as

low-balling. If your books are too expensive you will

find a lack of customers and eventually your business

will fail. An overpriced book that does sell could

eventually win the anger of customers that leave you

negative feedback. You want your business to

generate good buzz and this is impossible if your

books are much more expensive than they should be.

A good pricing strategy also involves keeping an

eye on competitor prices so that you can adjust your

prices accordingly. If you have a book that has been

listed and unsold for quite some time make sure that

your pricing is on par with what your competitors are

asking. The pricing of books is a continual day-to-day

task for successful booksellers that understand

competition can heavily dictate when a price change

needs to occur.

Always check out your competitor’s prices and

place your price at either an equal or higher value.

The value of your book is also contingent on other

factors such as the condition of the book. Naturally, a

book that is in pristine condition is going to go for far

more money than one that is in need of repair. If your

book is in great condition you should price it

accordingly to ensure that you are getting a good

resell value for your find.

When you look for a book to sale, it’s important

not to grab just any old book. Some books are simply

unsellable because they are ugly, stained, ripped, or

torn. If your potential buyer may be disgusted by the

wear and tear that has occurred with the book, then it

is probably best just to pass it up. No one wants to

purchase a book that looks as if it’s been used and

abused. People want books that are in good

condition, and if you want to establish credibility as a

bookseller then it’s in your best interest to find books

that look nice.

The most important part of the book is the dust

jacket. People really do judge a book by its cover. If

the dust jacket is ripped or torn, selling the book is

going to be difficult. Even if you manage to sell a

book with an unattractive dust jacket there is still a

possibility that the buyer will complain about the

condition of the book once it arrives on their doorstep.

They may also leave you negative feedback. Unless

you are willing to deal with a potentially unhappy

customer, books with abused dust jackets should be

avoided. In addition to bad dust jackets, books that

have a broken binding can also cause more trouble

than what they are worth. The book must look nice

on the front and the binding should hold steady as the

reader turns the pages.

Even if you feel that the book is in good

condition, it is always safe and wise to warn potential

buyers about any defects. Buyers should have a

clear understanding of what they are to expect. This

eliminates the hassle of complaints and returns. Even

if you warn the buyer about defects, there is still the

possibility that a complaint could be lodged against

you. This is a risk that you have to take when you are

bookseller that sells books that are not always in

perfect and pristine condition.

To avoid complaints, make sure that you take the

time to review the book thoroughly and do what you

can to make the book look and feel better before it

reaches the hands of a buyer. For example, some

books will have markings where the previous reader

wrote or underlined passages. If the markings are in

pencil, be sure to go through the book with an eraser

to remove any traces of pencil marks.

Another common defect is turned page corners.

It isn’t unusual for users to turn the corners of pages

and use those pages as a bookmarking technique.

Take the time to slowly go through the book and weed

out any pages with turned edges. Flatten out the

pages and make sure that the book is as smooth as

possible.

In some cases, foreign objects are used as

bookmarks. Removing objects like paperclips and

pieces of paper will help avoid the embarrassment of

not knowing your product as well as you thought you

did. In addition to removing foreign objects, debris,

and erasing marks, it’s also a good idea to give the

book a good wiping with a cloth to remove finger

prints, smudges, and dirt that has accumulated on the

dust jacket.

Once you’ve done your best sprucing up the

book, the next step is to assign the book a condition.

When selling your book you want to make sure that

you place as much information about the condition of

the book as you possibly can. Make sure that you

mention every quirk, tear, and other nuisance that

buyers need to be warned about beforehand. A

buyer is far less likely to complain if they feel they

have been given a fair overview of their purchase

before they pay the money.

Being as honest as possible will reduce the

amount of returns that you get from books that don't

meet the standards of a buyer. Professional

booksellers have certain terminology that they use to

describe their books. The most common descriptions

are the following:

- New: This means the book hasn’t been read

and is in perfect, pristine condition.

- Like New: This means that the book has only

been used once or twice and is still in perfect

condition.

- Good Condition: A good book may have some

wear, but there is nothing that is noticeably

wrong with the book cover or pages upon first

glance. Additionally, good books may also

have some highlighting or notes scribbled

across the pages.

- Fair Condition: A book that is in fair condition

has seen its share of readers. At this point the

book has some defects that need to be noted.

For example, the dust jacket may have a

coffee stain, or a few pages in the book are

beginning to turn a yellowish tent.

- Poor Condition: A poor book is good enough

to read, but it’s certainly not good enough to be

given as a gift. Additionally, the book is not

something the buyer wants to leave out as

decoration on the coffee table. Books in poor

condition may be stained or soiled. They could

also have a few loose pages that are barely

hanging on to the binding.

Other terminology that is used to describe the

condition of books are below:

- Sunned: A sunned book has been exposed

to the sun and become bleached in the

process. This is why it is critical that you store

your books in a place where the pages or

cover can't be bleached.

- Cracked: This term is used to describe a

loose book cover that is not hinged to the

pages tightly.

- Bumped: If a book is bumped the

corners are usually not pointy and straight

edged anymore. Instead, they are smashed

from countless encounters with tables, shelves,

or other objects.

- Chipped: Tears around the edges of the

book's dust jacket are what booksellers call

chipping.

- Foxing: Foxing of a book occurs with

age and can be seen as discoloration, spots, or

splotches. Books that have been exposed to

high humidity environments can experience

foxing.

- Dog-eared: When a book’s pages have

been folded at the corner this is often referred

to as dog-eared.

Finally, here is the last of book seller terminology that

will help you:

- Ex-Library: Former library books should be

designated as library copies.

- Binding copy: This term is used to identify a

book that has loose or detached binding.

- Book club: Some books are specific for

book clubs and should be labeled as such.

It's also nice if you can include information on

what the book is about. People love to have a

synopsis to read before they buy a book. A short

description of what the book is about can confirm to

buyers that they are getting what they want. In the

overall description avoid saying things such as "This

is wonderful book." etc. Each reader has a unique

perspective of whether or not the book is wonderful.

Keep your descriptions simple and detailed.

The Books You Buy Matter

It’s impossible to make a profit without a good

selection of books. If you want to be successful as a

book seller it is necessary to quickly gain knowledge

on what books will sell and what books will end up

sitting on your shelves for many years to come. The

right books will have a positive impact on your

monthly and yearly income. The wrong books will

lead to financial disaster for you and your bookselling

business. Learning the right books to buy comes with

time and experience and is usually accomplished with

a lot of trial and error. However, there are a few tips

and insights that will put you on the right path to

buying books that will lead to money.

Look for Unusual Books

The more unusual and unique the title is, the

better. Unusual titles and books that are considered

rare, antique, or scarce can bring in a significant

amount of income. These types of books are

considered gems and will have a good impact on your

bottom line. Books that you may deem as quirky

could be a gem that is in high demand from a group of

buyers. One of the best examples of scarce books

are the books that are considered out–of-print. If the

book is out-of-print, it is difficult to obtain and will likely

be worth much more than the original cover price.

Hard to find and unusual books will often fetch far

more money than books that can easily be picked up

at a local bookstore. As with any merchandize,

people are always willing to pay more for something

that is a limited edition or a precious gem that is

difficult to find. These types of books will often

increase in price over time, so it may be a good idea

to hold on to these types of books if your business is

already doing quite well. However, if you are a in

situation where you need to earn some money, selling

an unusual books is an easy way to make $100 or

more.

Books that are considered vintage or collectibles

can also do well. This is especially true if the book is

signed by the author. Certain prominent authors have

released books into the world that are considered

valuable collectibles. A valuable collectible could

easily fetch hundreds of dollars.

When searching for collectible books, there are

certain genres that tend to do better than others. One

of the most popular genres for collectibles are

children's books. Children's books are a popular area

for collectors and this genre has produced

collectables for many years. Old and original

collectibles like The Little Engine That Could and first

edition Dr. Seuss books are popular among nostalgia

buffs that consider such books as icons.

Another popular collectible book are science

books. Medical texts and antiquarian science is a

thriving market. Sellers have the potential to stumble

upon highly sought-after books in the areas of

chemistry, physics, mathematics, and astronomy.

Sellers should keep an eye on this genre for hidden

gems.

Fiction and Nonfiction Books

Nonfiction books have been providing people

with answers to a myriad of questions for many

centuries and will always be popular among the

masses. People constantly need answers to the

millions of questions life throws their way. For this

reason, investing in good, quality, non-fiction titles will

often pay off for the professional book seller.

Not all non-fiction books are good books to invest

in. The best non-fiction books are those that answer

questions and explain how to do, accomplish, or

create something. A good non-fiction book will

provide instruction, expertise, insight, and advice.

These types of books are constantly in demand and

shouldn’t be overlooked. There are nonfiction books

that can probably be avoided. For example,

nonfiction books on sports and coffee table books

won’t usually be of much use to a seller. In addition

to these genres, it may also be wise to avoid historical

books that are not written by a popular or upcoming

author. When it comes to historical nonfiction books,

it’s better to sell the covers as they are released. As

the book loses popularity, so will the value.

Some nonfiction books will always do well in the

hand of any seller. The two most popular categories

for finding nonfiction books that will likely sell well

include business and personal development. People

have a constant urge to learn how they can better

their careers and better their personal lives and these

types of books can help greatly. Business and

investing books, in particular, are usually excellent

resellers. This is especially true if the book offers

timeless advice that can be passed on from

generation to generation. Although business trends

come and go, there are certain business books that

never lose their luster and will continue to appeal to

others throughout the ages. As long as the business

or investing book isn’t too dated, it should sell just fine

in the hands of a persistent seller.

Booksellers shouldn’t avoid personal

development or self help genres. You can make a lot

of money selling books in these categories if the

books offer useful, insightful advice that readers can

easily apply to their lives. Self help and personal

development books can deal with a range of issues

from dieting, to relationships, to raising children.

Despite the topic covered, there is often an audience

that is willing to pay money to learn more.

Cookbooks are another hidden gem in the world

of nonfiction. Cooking is an art that is constantly

being perfected, but there are plenty of age old

recipes that future generations would be happy to pay

for. Some booksellers have even developed a

specialty in selling cookbooks because they have

learned how to capitalize in this particular niche with

foodies, chefs and those that love fine cuisine.

Another nonfiction category that is actually often

overlooked by many booksellers is textbooks. Some

booksellers avoid textbooks because they are under

the impression the books will become useless once a

new edition is printed the next year. The good news

is that some textbooks only print new editions every

few years, so finding the right book can result in a

prosperous resale to a student. Some textbook

subjects are simply more timeless than others. A

good example of a timeless textbook is a

mathematics or economics textbook. Unlike subjects

like political science, mathematics is affirmative and

lasting. One particular textbook that should be

avoided is a computer textbook. The world of

computers is changing so rapidly that any computer

textbook you purchase will likely be worthless after a

year or perhaps just several months.

When it comes to fiction books, it’s much easier

for sellers that have developed experience and

expertise with finding fiction books. Unlike nonfiction

books, which are in demand for their advice, fiction

books are only purchased based on the amount of

pleasure they can bring to the reader. However,

pleasure is hard to predict and measure, therefore,

fiction books are more difficult to sell. Old fiction

paperbacks especially, are usually not worth much

and should be avoided unless you have special

expertise on the particular title and author that you’re

trying to sell. Some fiction books will do well, but

these books are usually series that are long

anticipated. In this case, the books only do well when

they are immediately released, but quickly lose their

value after only a few short weeks or months.

Fiction books like romance novels, mysteries,

and thrillers will always sell at their peak when they

are first released. If you come across fiction books

that you’re interested in selling, make sure that the

book is a new release that is popular enough to sell

for more than one or two dollars online.

Many professional booksellers purchase their

books based on their going rates on numerous

sites. The most popular site to determine if a book

is worth buying is Amazon. Use Amazon

marketplace to your advantage. Many sellers have

discovered that the sales rank of Amazon often

corresponds to the amount of time it will take for

them to sell a book. Books that have higher

Amazon rankings will sell quickly and can help a

seller determine if they should make the purchase.

Entering Your Books into the Marketplace

The internet has allowed scores of entrepreneurs

the opportunity to take their books into the global

marketplace. Your business is no longer limited by its

location. Even if you’re located in the middle of

nowhere, if you have internet connection and a little

bit of ambition you can make a sale to someone on

the other side of the world. Internet booksellers have

the opportunity to enter a global marketplace that has

no limits or boundaries. The possibility to build your

business into a bookstore that conducts international

sales on a daily basis is at your fingertips. The

growing number of sites that have developed simple

platforms for booksellers to sell their wares with ease

makes selling online even more enticing.

There are a number of sites that provide a perfect

outlet for booksellers to conduct business. The most

prominent site for booksellers is Amazon. Since

Amazon’s launch in the 1990’s the company has

offered its customers thousands of different goods

and has been a hub of activity for people that want to

buy and sell with ease. The Amazon marketplace is

flooded with millions of people searching for distinct

titles and authors. Amazon has given sellers the

opportunity to compete with their site and provide

books to millions of customers.

There are some fees involved when dealing with

Amazon. If you’re just starting off then you should

expect Amazon to take a small commission from

every sale you make. There are variable closing fees

charged to the seller, and unfortunately booksellers

pay a bit more than individuals that sell items like

DVDs or music. As you become a more prominent

seller on Amazon and develop your feedback you

may want to invest money in creating a WebStore by

Amazon. Amazon stores charge a monthly fee that

can range anywhere from $60 and higher along with a

small commission on the sales that you make.

Some booksellers are finding success with eBay,

which is another marketplace saturated with buyers.

With eBay, you can list your books in an auction-style

or buy-it-now format for potential sales. There are

even a number of programs that give regular eBay

sellers an efficient platform to run their auctions,

stores, and keep track of their customers, shipping,

and feedback.

The only downside to eBay is the potential fees

that can accumulate from using their services to sell

books. The site usually requires an insertion fee and

will also take a percentage of your profit once the

book actually sells. If you use a merchant site like

PayPal to run your account, additional fees may be

levied against you. Another concern with eBay fees,

are the constant changes that are applied to their fee

structure. Fees for selling merchandize are routinely

updated and can prove frustrating for a professional

seller who is trying to establish himself or herself

financially in the eBay marketplace.

There are a myriad of places where you can sell

your books and below are a list of other places you

may want to consider:

• ABE • Alibris • Half.com (no FTP required) • eBay Stores • Barnes & Noble Direct • eCampus • TextbooksRus • ChooseBooks.com • Valorebooks.com • A1Books.com • Chrislands • TextbookX

Removing Books That Are Not Selling

One of the most painful tasks for a professional

bookseller is getting rid of the books that are taking up

precious space and not yielding any income. This

can be a pain in the heart to watch inventory waste

away due to a lack of interested buyers. However,

not every book will sell and it’s inevitable that you’ll

have several books that never bring in any money.

Determining when to remove books that are not

selling is an art. Some professional booksellers

believe that if a book doesn’t sell within eighteen

months than there is simply no hope for the title.

Other sellers would find themselves squirming after

holding on to a title for at least a year. It’s up to you

to determine how quickly to move your inventory

around and clear out books that are not generating a

profit. As your business progresses you’ll be able to

make more accurate and conservative estimates on

when a title is simply not worth keeping.

The longer a book sits on your shelf without

selling, the more money it will continue to cost you.

For professional booksellers, inventory space is

equivalent to money, and without a sufficient amount

of space there is no room to bring in new books that

could yield profits. When you clear your shelves of

non-profitable books, you can make room for the

books that will keep your business afloat and

successful.

Another point to remember is that some books

are simply worth keeping for longer periods of time.

For example, books that are considered collectibles,

rare, and obscure titles may not always sell instantly.

The first reason these books may take longer to sell is

because they are going to be purchased by a specific

buyer with particular and peculiar interests. The

buyer simply hasn’t found your title online yet.

Another reason these books may stay on your shelf a

bit longer is because they are generally priced at a

more expensive price point than your other titles. It

could take two years to sell a book for $700, but once

that book sells you will definitely feel like it was worth

the wait.

If you’re just starting off and don’t have much

inventory but still have plenty of space than simply

keep the inventory that you have. It isn’t necessary to

start purging your business of books until space is

tight and your inventory seems cramped or

overwhelmed. Unless you need to physically make

room for new inventory, then it is not necessary to

remove the few items that you currently have.

One query that beginner sellers have is the

question of what to do with their old books that aren’t

selling. There are several answers to the question,

but the first answer is to reevaluate your pricing

strategy on that title. In some cases, a book doesn’t

sell because no one is interested in the title or topic.

However, there are cases where a book is simply

overpriced. Before you get rid of a book, consider

adjusting the price to something that is lower and

more attractive. This could save you money.

Next, if the book still isn’t selling at a lower price,

adjust the price further to a break-even point. No

bookseller wants to lose the possibility of a profit, but

in some cases the seller simply doesn’t have any

choice but to try to break even and accept the fact

that the book didn’t bring in a dime. If your book still

doesn’t sell even after you practically try and give it

away, then the next step is to sell all of your

“unsellable” books as a lot, or take the easier and

more expensive route of donating the books to a

charity or thrift shop.

Some booksellers are lucky enough to have

perfected the art of trading in unsellable books for

new titles at their local bookstore. Some bookstores

that buy used books may offer you the opportunity to

trade your bulk of books for a couple of nice books

that would be useful to your business later.

Bookselling Requires Customer Service

If you don’t like to deal with customers then

bookselling is probably not a good profession for you.

One of the main techniques that will help an individual

launch a successful business is good customer

service skills. Unfortunately, not everyone has good

customer service skills, but the skills are something

that can be developed over time. With a good attitude

and a healthy respect for your customers, you’ll be

able to develop good customer service skills that will

help your business reap more personal and financial

rewards.

The first step to providing good customer service

is to respect your buyers and provide them with timely

service and honesty. Honesty, especially, is

extremely important in establishing good rapport and

gaining repeat customers. Customers need to be

able to trust you and understand that you will provide

them with what they are expecting. The best way that

you can demonstrate your honesty is by first

disclosing as much detail as you possibly can about

your books. If your books have any defects, then this

information should be clearly stated. This way, no

one feels as if you are misrepresenting the type of

inventory that you offer.

The second step to good customer service skills

is to interact with your customers. Be sure to reply to

emails and respond to any questions or concerns that

your customers have about your business or

products. You may be surprised at some of the

questions that are asked, but as long you always

reply in a friendly manner, it will make you and your

business look good.

The third step to good customer service is to

keep track of your shipments and make sure that your

books get to your customer in one piece.

Unfortunately, you don’t have complete control of the

postal systems and in some cases mistakes are made

and books are lost or stolen. However, if this occurs

be sure to diffuse these types of situations as soon as

possible so as not to lose business in the future.

If you focus your efforts on offering good

customer service, the buyers will continue to come.

As your business establishes a good name for itself,

you should expect more orders and repeat customers

from the stellar customer service that you continually

offer.

Answering Emails

In the beginning, when your business is just

establishing itself it should be relatively easy to

answer any emails that your customers may have.

You may only receive one or two emails per day and

prompt responses should not be a problem. After the

business has been established for some time and

begins to thrive, answering emails may become

increasingly difficult.

If you get to a point where you are overwhelmed

with emails be sure to inform your customer that you

are away from the office but you will reply to their

email as soon as you can. This can be comforting if a

customer must wait a couple of days before the email

is returned.

Good Feedback is Good for Business

In some cases you may sell your books on a

platform that has a feedback system enabled whereby

users can tell you and others exactly how they feel

about your books and service. This can be a great

way to bring in new customers and orders if your

feedback remains positive. For this reason, customer

service is extremely important and shouldn’t be

overlooked. Booksellers that have great customer

feedback on sites like eBay or Amazon are much

more likely to get repeat and new business than

sellers who have negative or questionable feedback

from previous customers. As you establish good

feedback you also establish credibility. Of course, as

your credibility rises so does your chances of

expanding your business and growing it larger than

you can ever imagine. Feedback systems provide a

word-of-mouth marketing technique for booksellers

who understand how to use their ratings to their

advantage.

It’s also a good idea to specifically request

feedback from your customers if you feel you’ve done

a great job at delivering a product that they can enjoy.

Feedback ratings are also a great tool for simply

managing the business. Concern about negative

feedback may prompt you to ensure that you are

offering good customer service and delivering your

products in a condition that is acceptable.

Unfortunately, no feedback system is perfect.

Even professional, courteous, and great booksellers

may suffer the misfortune of dealing with negative

feedback every blue moon. In most cases, the

negative feedback is the result of something that the

seller really couldn’t control or a mistake that was

simply overlooked. If this happens, remember not to

beat yourself up and simply aim to raise your rating by

ensuring a perfect sell the next time.

If you are selling books from your own website as

well as other online marketing platforms, be sure to

ask your customers if you can post their positive

feedback on your website. A testimonial can help

build your business by making you appear more

professional and trustworthy. People are simply more

inclined to buy products from a website that has

honest, authentic, and positive testimonials.

When dealing with a feedback system that is

incorporated into a selling platform, in many cases it

is possible to leave positive or negative feedback for

your customers as well. In most cases, the feedback

you leave will be based on how promptly the

customer paid. Most sellers leave positive feedback

for their customers if the customer pays, however,

there are sellers that will leave negative feedback for

their customers if the customer complains or leaves

them negative feedback in return.

If you can avoid it, don't leave negative feedback

for any of your customers. Future customers will see

the feedback that you leave and it could look trite and

petty if you have a history of leaving bad feedback to

customers out of spite. If a customer leaves you

negative feedback there are some steps that you can

take that are listed below:

- Find out the reason for the negative feedback and

get in contact with the customer as soon as possible

- Once you talk to the customer apologize for any

errors, mistakes, or misunderstandings

- Be sure to offer a full refund or a different book

- Ask politely that the customer remove the negative

feedback once the issue has finally been resolved

Generally, you shouldn't have to worry about

receiving negative feedback. If your books are well

packaged, advertised in the correct condition, and

shipped quickly you should always expect to have a

positive response and good testimonials to add to

your credibility. Paying attention to customer service

details can make all the difference when selling books

on the internet. Be sure to take care of your

customers and they will reward you with positive

feedback and repeat or new business.

All About Shipping

Booksellers have their own unique methods for

dealing with the issue of shipping. Considering your

shipping strategy is important because your shipping

costs can effect your bottom line if they are not well-

thought out and calculated correctly. In the United

States, the two most prominent shipping methods for

shipping books is either through priority mail or media

mail. It’s up to you as a seller to determine which

shipping method will be better for your overall rating

with customers as well as your bottom line.

For example, some sellers may opt to choose to

only ship their packages through priority mail because

it can arrive to the buyer much quicker. In this case,

they are choosing prompt service over the costs.

However, if your customers are not in a rush to

receive their orders, and you would like to ship your

products at an affordable price, media mail may be

acceptable.

Some sellers may decide to send out their

packages for free, however this can cause financial

ruin for your business if it isn’t done correctly. Free

shipping should only be an option when you believe

that your business will generate such a significant

number of buyers that your profit margin is going to

be large enough to accommodate free shipping rates.

Offering free shipping to simply entice buyers is not a

good marketing technique, and is better left to

booksellers that are well established and can easily

afford to ship things for free without entering financial

devastation. Although free shipping is great for

customer satisfaction, it can be hazardous to your

bottom line. Before considering the option of free

shipping, make sure that you can cover the costs

without causing the downfall of your business.

Whether or not you decide to give your

customers free shipping is entirely up to you,

however, the smart thing to do is have your

customers pay for their shipping so that you are not in

a position where you could possibly lose money in the

long run.

Another thing that professional booksellers

should take into consideration when shipping an item

is what paperwork to include with the book. The two

most common pieces of paperwork are a receipt and

a thank you note. The receipt is perfect for giving

your customers a detailed breakdown of the costs

they have paid for their books. Additionally, if you

have customers that are buying your books for

business purchases, they may actually need to keep

those receipts until the end of the year for tax

purposes. Including a receipt makes your service

look more professional and if you maintain a copy of

the receipt yourself, it will help with the financial

management of your business at the end of the year.

The other piece of paper that you might want to

include in your shipped packages is a thank you note.

The note can be short sweet and have your personal

signature if you have the time. You may just want to

say something like:

“Thank you for purchasing a book from my shop.

I appreciate your business and hope that you’ll return

in the future for more book purchases.”

The thank you note is an extended courtesy that

establishes trust and makes the customer service

appeal of your business increase. It isn’t absolutely

necessary to send out a thank you note but it’s a good

move for business owners that want to establish a

sense of relationship with their customers. If you

want your notes to be extra professional, you can

consider placing the notes on a nice cardstock paper

with a beautiful font and perhaps even your business

logo to establish some brand recognition. Just

because you decide to sell books, it doesn’t mean

that you business can’t be a bit glamorous. You can

customize your business to be exactly what you want

it to be. That’s the joy of being a business owner.

One other consideration that business owners

must take into account is whether or not they want to

offer their customers international shipping.

International shipping is a touchy and complex

business practice but it can expand your market of

customers by the billions if you accept the challenge.

Many business owners refuse to ship internationally

because it can feel like a headache calculating

different rates and then hoping and wishing that the

packages you send out will clear customs authorities

without a problem. Some sellers choose to ship

internationally on a book-by-book basis and are

careful to only offer that type of shipping when they

have some inventory that would do better with the

world-wide market. There are benefits and

consequences to shipping internationally.

The first benefit to international shipping is that

your customer base is much larger. You have the

potential to generate far more sales if you keep an

open mind about who you’re willing to ship to. The

second benefit of international shipping is the mere

fact that you create a business that has a global

presence instead of just a national or regional one.

Your business will be much more respected if it is

seen as a global business rather than just a smaller,

local one.

There are also consequences to shipping

internationally. The first is that international shipping

is a hassle. It can be complex to constantly generate

new shipping rates and figure out how to get your

books to a particular country as quickly as possible.

For this reason, booksellers that want to streamline

their business practices stick to shipping within their

own country.

Another drawback to international shipping is the

time it takes for packages to arrive. Depending on the

shipping method that you use, it could take weeks for

your overseas customers to receive their books. Slow

shipping has a tendency to bring down the feedback

and ratings of a business, and this is not something

that you may be willing to cope with. Customers that

have to wait a long time to receive products are more

likely to become angry or frustrated with your

business.

Once you have decided who and who not to ship

to, the next step is to ensure that you always provide

a shipping confirmation email and tracking number.

These two practices will be great for your business

and give you and the customer some peace of mind

in understanding where the packages are. Once a

package has been shipped always send the customer

an email telling them that the book is on the way.

This way, they know to start expecting the book in the

mail and possibly reduce any risks of not being home

when the book actually arrives.

Next, it’s also important to send a shipping

confirmation tracking number in the email as well.

This gives you and your customer a detailed overview

of exactly where their packages are at all times so

that you can reduce the hassle of lost or stolen

packages that never make it to their destination.

Packages that are shipped with a tracking number are

much more likely to make it to their destination on

time and in one piece. Tracking numbers are also

important because they provide you and your buyer

with proof that you actually shipped the items out.

This can eliminate any mistrust if your books fail to

arrive to the customer.

When shipping books that are considered

extremely valuable, rare, or expensive you may want

to take extra security measures in ensuring that the

package arrives at its destination. Some sellers opt

for signature confirmation on books that are valued at

$100 or more. Signature confirmation provides proof

that your buyer actually received their merchandise.

Furthermore, it only cost an additional dollar or so to

get this level or confirmation or security with your local

post office.

In addition to figuring out how you will develop

your shipping strategy, it’s also important to figure out

where your business will stand when it comes to

returns. Most booksellers have experienced an

incident in which a customer was unsatisfied with

what they received and wanted a refund. As a

professional bookseller it’s up to you to craft your own

return policy, but make sure that the policy is

something that will benefit you and your customers.

The most popular return policy is the “hundred

percent money back guarantee”. This type of policy is

very reassuring to potential buyers and could actually

generate more business from customers who trust

that they will receive a good product and have the

option of getting a refund if they don’t. Other sellers

may opt to be very strict on returns and refuse to

issue any refunds under any circumstances. This

could save the seller money but it could also cause

the seller to lose customers and with such policies in

place, the seller is much more likely to receive

negative feedback from a buyer that wanted to make

a return. Regardless of how you choose to operate

your return policy the key to having a good return

policy is to respect your customer and keep their best

interests in mind at all times while simultaneously

respecting your inventory.

Figuring Out The Postage Problem

It can be a serious hassle to spend significant

amount of time at the post office attempting to figure

out shipping rates and costs. If you want to sell books

professionally, you will have to become efficient at

streamlining your shipping process. One of the best

tools that a seller can make use of to make the

shipping process easier is online postage.

Using an online postage process will significantly

reduce the amount of time that you have to spend at

your local post office. Within a few seconds you can

print the postage yourself instead of waiting for a clerk

to apply the correct postage to your packages for you.

Online postage is also great for record keeping.

Many professional businesses keep records of

everything they ship and save the postage receipts in

a file cabinet or other place.

If you are unsure of where to find an online

postage vendor, I’ve listed several that should be

helpful to you:

� - Shipstream Manager: The Shipstream

manager postage system is operated by a

company called Pitney Bowes. It’s extremely

popular among small business owners.

� - Endicia: This postage system is great if you

have a laser printer that you want to make use of.

This service has a range of great features and its

users have access to other options such as

insurance and delivery confirmation.

� - Click-N-Ship: This service is provided by the

U.S. postal service. You can use Click-N-Ship to

print shipping labels online. Another U.S. postal

service system is called USPS Shipping

Assistant.

When using an online postal service, expect to pay

a monthly fee. Services charge different fees based

on the amount of postage you plan to print out each

month. Fees can be as low as $10 per month or as

high as $20 per month depending on the online

postage system that you use.

Keeping Track of Your Inventory

There is nothing worse than a seller that lists a

book that he doesn’t actually have. Unfortunately,

incidents like this happen all the time because the

seller was a bit unorganized with how they kept their

books in order. These types of incidents can be

extremely frustrating for the buyer and embarrassing

for the seller. Fortunately, you can avoid these types

of situations by keeping track of your inventory and

keeping it in good order.

The successful booksellers all develop some type

of system in which they keep a close eye on old and

new inventory and the number of copies that they

have of a particular book. This saves both money

and time. The most common ways to keep track of

books is alphabetically or by SKU number. Although

it may look cool to order your books by color-code,

this method of organization simply isn’t practical and

is actually quite chaotic.

It’s important that you have an efficient system of

storing and retrieving your books. You should also

have a system set up in which you ship your books

out in an organized fashion to prevent any mix-ups

such as shipping the wrong book to the wrong buyer.

In the book-world time is money and being organized

will effect the amount of time that you spend

searching for titles that would be much more

retrievable had you organized them correctly.

Not only is it important to keep track of your

books in a way that is efficient for business, but it’s

also important to keep track of your books in a

computer program as well to serve as a confirmation

to the books you do and don’t have. There are a

number of computer programs that are developed

especially for business owners that need to keep

track of their inventory in a computerized and savvy

way. However, if you don’t want to spend money on

fancy programs you can always use a simple Excel

spreadsheet to keep a list of your inventory and keep

tabs on what you’ve sold and acquired lately.

There are a few other things that professional

sellers need to keep in mind when organizing and

storing their books. The tips below will help them

have a more efficient and prosperous business:

- Don’t place your books in an area where the

sunlight hits the book directly. Over time this

could cause the book to fade or turn yellowish in

color.

- Don’t place your books in an environment that is

too humid. Some booksellers may be tempted to

use their basement or attic as a place to keep

inventory but these places can be dusty and

moldy. Mold has the potential to grow on

anything, including the pages of your books. If

you have your books in an area that is

considerably moist then consider purchasing a

dehumidifier to remove moisture from the air.

This will help your books smell and look fresher.

- Don’t place books on the floor. Books that are on

the floor are more likely to retain moisture.

Books on the floor can also easily be trampled on

or face damage due to an unexpected flood.

- Stand your books upright on your bookshelves. If

you stack your books on top of each other this

can make it more difficult to get to a book that

you need and end up being a time waster. Place

your books in an upright and alphabetical or SKU

position so that you can easily find them without

damaging other books.

Once you’ve established the perfect place to store

your inventory make sure that you can keep your

books there for a significant period of time, preferably

indefinitely. Books are heavy and difficult items to

move around. It’s best that you establish your books

in a good location to avoid the potential headache and

hassle of having to move them later. If you run out of

space in your room and on your shelves, always

remember that you can potentially rent out storage

space if necessary. However, the wiser thing to do is

to simply clear out inventory that hasn’t been selling

and is simply taking up space.

Maintaining the integrity of your books is crucial if

you want to make a maximum profit from your books.

Some good tips include:

- Storing your books in an efficient and clean manner

- Keeping your books away from small children

- Keeping your books away from pets

Books can pick up odors and crayon markings if

they are constantly around small children and pets.

Pets and children are both inquisitive creatures that

have the potential to destroy your inventory. Most

professional sellers with children and pets are careful

to store their inventory in a place that is pet and child-

free.

Books can especially be a danger to small

children that may feel inclined to climb your

bookshelves. For this reason, if you store your books

on shelves where small children live, you should

make sure that the shelves are extremely sturdy and

strong and will not tip over if they are climbed on.

If you plan on making more than just supplement

income from your bookselling venture, then it's

necessary to make sure that you have enough space

to store all of your books. Professional sellers that

work at least forty hours a week at selling books have

an inventory of at least three thousand books. Make

sure that you have enough room to store adequate

inventory. You may find yourself doing a bit of spring-

cleaning in your home to create room for your

newfound business. If your business is successful,

you always have the option of moving into a new

business location or expanding your own home.

Do You Need an Assistant?

When a business begins to thrive it’s only natural

that the daily tasks of the business will become too

complicated and overwhelming for just one person to

handle. If you plan to manage a highly successful

bookselling business that generates six figures each

year then it is likely that you’ll probably need to hire

an assistant at some point.

It can be hard for an entrepreneur to delegate

tasks to someone else if they have become

accustomed to doing everything on their own for a

considerable amount of time. Some entrepreneurs

are actually fearful about allowing someone else to

take over their duties, but delegation can be a time-

saver as well as a life and business enhancer if it’s

done properly. There are a couple of ways in which

you can gauge whether or not it’s time to hire some

help.

First, if you are selling more than two dozen

books a day, and you are finding it increasingly

difficult to keep track of emails, orders, and shipping

dates, than you probably need some help. Also, if

your business has been consistently generating more

than enough income for you to live comfortably and

still pay someone to take care of some of your duties,

then this is another indication that help should be on

the way.

Some professional booksellers and

entrepreneurs rush to hire someone else before a

new person is actually needed. This can be costly

and also detrimental to the individual you hire if you

cannot provide them with the type of job security they

are looking for. Before you hire someone, make sure

that you have used all of your own resources and

invested in computer programs and organization

systems that will help you do your work more

efficiently.

If you have gotten to a point where you think it’s

best that you hire someone to help you then take out

an ad in the local paper or online with a list of the

characteristics you are looking for in an individual

along with the types of skills your assistant will need

to do their job correctly. It’s also helpful to remember

that you can choose to hire someone to work in your

home or office with you, or they can work virtually if it

is possible and their duties will not require them to be

onsite.

Next, screen the applicants based on their

experience and personalities to ensure you find the

right fit, and then start conducting your interviews. A

professional bookseller that manages to secure a

great assistant can go much further than a seller who

is frazzled and worn-out from their business because

of mounting duties they can no longer handle.

Hiring an employee is a big step and as a

professional bookseller it is one that you have to

make sure that you’re ready for. With an employee

you will need to keep a payroll record and pay into

social security and state taxes. In addition to this, you

should expect to pay worker’s compensation

insurance and ensure that your employee can file for

unemployment benefits in the event you need to let

the employee go.

In the United States, it’s illegal to hire someone

without filling out the appropriate paperwork and

paying the appropriate taxes. This type of hiring is

usually called “paying cash under the table”. When

you hire someone illegally, there can be steep

penalties and fines imposed on you and your

business.

You can get around some of the headache

involved with processing a new employee by opting to

hire an independent contractor. In this case, the

person is not considered an employee, but it’s always

best that the role of an independent contractor and

what they are entitled to is explained to your

employee in detail before you start working together.

Running Your Business in Legally

Every business owner has to deal with the

legalities of owning and operating their own business.

If you are generating more than two thousand dollars

per year, the government will be more than interested

in the amount of money that you’re making. Taxes

can be a tedious and time consuming journey, but all

business owners must keep track of their expenses

and income if they want to run their businesses legally

and ethically.

In the United States, the IRS can demand to

inspect your business records at any time so it’s

important that you keep track of your progress, sales,

and losses. Keeping good records, financial

statements and not losing receipts will help you at the

end of the year when it’s time to file your taxes.

These documents will also be needed to verify and

answer any questions that the IRS may have about

your business practices.

In addition to dealing with taxes, there are

several ways that a business can be legally structured

and it’s important to figure out how you will legally

establish your business. You can establish your

business in two ways, as either a corporation or a

sole proprietorship. A sole proprietorship is the legal

term applied to businesses that have not incorporated

themselves. As a sole proprietorship you are

responsible for paying your own taxes and if your

business is sued for any reason, it is possible to have

your personal assets seized.

The next type of legal entity is a partnership. A

partnership is usually established when a couple of

people decide to run the business together. With a

partnership both parties are responsible for

contributing to the business and both also share in

any profits and losses. When it comes to

partnerships, one of the most common partnerships is

between a husband and wife that are entering the

book-selling world together. Although couples who

plan on operating the business together may be

tempted to establish a partnership, in some cases it

may be much better for tax purposes to establish

themselves as a sole proprietorship and simply put

the business in either the husband's or wife’s name.

Never create more paperwork for yourself and your

business if you can avoid it.

The final way to establish your professional

bookselling business is either as a corporation or a

limited liability company. In most cases, sellers would

rather establish themselves as a corporation or LLC

because of the tax and other benefits that are

afforded to these legal entities. In addition to

receiving tax benefits, corporations and limited liability

companies receive some legal protection in the event

they are sued.

Research each legal entity in depth before

deciding on how to establish your bookselling

business. If you are just starting off, you may just

want to establish yourself as a sole proprietorship

until your business generates more income.

However, if you are interested in the special

deductions that are applied to other entities and will

also find it useful to “write off” business expenses,

then choosing other legal entities might be your best

bet.

Is it Time to Open a Brick and Mortar Store?

Not every professional online bookseller wants to

open a brick and mortar shop. For other sellers,

having a physical store is a dream come true.

Whether or not to eventually open a brick and mortar

shop and take your business offline is a personal

option and preference that you have to determine for

yourself.

There are pros and cons to opening up a physical

store. The biggest benefit is the prestige associated

with having a brick and mortar business. For some,

selling online is an easier way to establish success

and opening a shop proves that you have the

ambition, drive, and intelligence to operate a

bookselling business. The brick and mortar shop is

also an indication of the success that you’ve had with

selling books, but there are also some serious

downsides to opening a storefront.

Booksellers must first remember that once they

open a brick and mortar shop, their new location will

need their constant presence for the first few months

of its operation. This can feel like a hassle for

booksellers that have grown accustomed to working

from the comfort of their home. Brick and mortar

stores do not offer the flexibility with store openings

and hours that working online provides. For this

reason, some sellers have no desire to ever open a

brick and mortar shop. Another downside is that the

time and investment it takes to open a physical

storefront can be costly. It takes a considerable

amount of time to get a store running and get

employees up to speed on how to successfully

operate your business. It’s up to you to determine if

you are willing to spend a significant amount of time

and money to get your physical storefront in good

condition. Some other potential hassles of a

storefront include:

- Shoplifters

- Dealing with sales tax

- Paying potentially high rent at your storefront

location

- Finding suitable employees to run your business

- Employee theft

Some of the benefits of running a storefront include:

- The prestige of operating a brick and mortar store

- The luxury of a physical location

- Added credibility

- Additional income if the storefront is successful

- The possibility of franchising

Figure out if the benefits of running a storefront will

outweigh the potential hassles. If you feel passionate

about opening a brick and mortar store and you have

the experience and income to support your dream,

then start gathering more resources, information, and

stay on the lookout for potential places to rent around

your area.

Should You Sell Ebooks? Recently, ebooks have become a hot commodity

and internet professionals and entrepreneurs are all

interested in the possibility of selling these digital

works of art in the marketplace. Some professional

booksellers may choose to stick with physical books

only, but digital files also have the possibility to bring

in money, and they are one of the easiest types of

books to maintain in an inventory because one copy

can sell a million times over.

In some cases, it’s possible to buy a collection of

ebooks that have resale rights. Unfortunately, ebooks

that can be bought as a collection and resold are

usually not the types of books that you will want in

your inventory. The books that are likely to be big hits

are the ones that are currently top sellers in their

physical format.

Some sellers have developed their writing skills

over the course of time. Buying and selling books

tends to help professional booksellers in the literary

department. If you can write, then it is also possible

that you could sell and market your own ebooks. In

this case, make sure that you write about a subject in

which you are well acquainted and already have

knowledge on. This will make it quite simple for you

to quickly write an ebook that is much more likely to

be successful. However, if you are interested in

tackling a subject in which you have little expertise,

this can still be done. Writing ebooks on subjects you

don’t know well will require research. Be sure to read

books on your subject as well as browse through

online resources that are pertinent to the topic you

want to write on. Selling your own ebooks can

generate more income to your bookselling venture if it

is done properly.

If you decide to write your own ebooks, then it’s

also critical that you have a marketing strategy ready

so that people can learn about your ebook. Ebooks

that you write on your own will have little exposure, so

it is vital that you create the exposure that the book

needs to sell. Some basic marketing strategies and

knowledge will help greatly with sales. Another

consideration when choosing to create and market

your own ebooks is to make sure that you register you

book and get an ISBN number. The ISBN number will

help you keep track of your book and will also aid in

protecting your intellectual property. ISBN numbers

are also necessary if you ever have the aspiration to

offer your ebook in a tangible form.

There are two prominent ways that you can sell

ebooks. You can either sell the book in a digital

format or in the form of a CD. The easiest way to sell

an ebook is in digital format, but some selling

platforms will only allow you to sell ebooks that come

in the form of a CD. For example, on eBay sellers are

only allowed to sell ebooks if they can be mailed to

the buyer. All selling of digital ebooks that are

emailed are banned on the site. Even if you have to

go through the hassle of sending an ebook in the

mail, it’s nice to know that CDs are very small

packages that can easily be sent in the mail for just a

few cents.

Should You Sell AudioBooks?

Ebooks are not the only hot commodity in the

marketplace right now. Audio books are also doing

quite well and gaining momentum. With sites like

Audible becoming increasingly popular among people

that love the idea of listening to a book anytime and

anywhere, the audio book is still alive and well.

Sellers that decide to branch into ebooks are

often more inclined to branch into audio books as

well. Booksellers with the ability to write, certainly

have the ability to speak on what they’ve written.

There are numerous places where professional

booksellers can sell their audio books, but if they have

their own website, this would be a good place to start.

Just like an ebook, an audio book will take great

marketing and patience to sell but can be profitable if

it the book is informative, insightful, and has generally

great information. Audiobooks are not only judged on

the content, but also judged on the enthusiasm and

voice of the reader. If you don’t feel comfortable with

your voice, you can always consider hiring someone

to speak your audio book into existence for you.

Booksellers that decide to sell audio and ebooks

are the ones who have already established

themselves as successful sellers with tangible books

first. If you are interested in venturing into audio

books and ebooks make sure that you have mastered

the art of selling physical books to customers. Being

a successful seller will increase your chances of

success when entering the audio book and ebook

arena.

Keeping Good Records of What You Sell It’s important to keep your books in order and

make sure they aren’t stacked on top of each other or

laying on the floor, but it’s also important to keep a

good record of what you sell. The better idea you

have of what sells and what doesn’t the easier

bookselling will become. Professional booksellers

that have been selling for years, have almost

perfected the art of bookselling and automatically

know which titles to stay away from and which ones to

choose with little research necessary. Eventually, this

will become a reality for you as well, but it will take

some time to get there.

Each time a book sells make sure that you record

the time of the sale, the name of the author, the title,

the genre, and the age of the book. Eventually, a

pattern of the most profitable books will begin to

emerge and you can further define what will bring you

money. Some niche booksellers developed their

specialty after careful consideration and analyzing of

which books have done well for them. You can

develop a specialty niche as well by keeping an eye

on your book sales.

There are various tools on the web that you can

download or purchase that can help you keep track of

your sales in a way that is efficient and helpful to your

bottom line. You can even have special business

intelligence software developed specifically for your

bookselling business. The right software will help you

identify problem areas in your business such as

certain genres or similar titles that consistently tank.

Good software will also give you a heads up on your

future because it should provide you with the ability to

forecast future trends in the bookselling market that

will help your business.

When looking for software or other applications

that will help you manage your business and keep

track of your records you should find software that

has the following benefits:

- Saves you time

- Saves you money

- Can provide a detailed overview on specific

areas of your business

- Is user-friendly

- Is straightforward

Advertising and Marketing Your Business

Booksellers that use platforms such as eBay or

Amazon don’t always think about advertising their

business. In these cases, the platforms that they use

are so large that millions of customers are exposed to

their products each day. Some sellers think that with

such exposure, advertising is completely

unnecessary.

There are sellers that go the extra mile in the

success of their business by making advertising and

marketing efforts. There are a thousand different

marketing techniques that you can use to get the

word out about your internet bookselling business but

we will only go over a few:

Establishing Your Own Website

If you have haven’t established your own

website, but want to build a six-figure bookselling

business, then a website is mandatory. Your own

website has the potential to help people become more

familiar with what you have to offer as a bookseller

and is a great way to build brand recognition. A good

website will have great search engine optimization,

compelling content, and a list of how and where to

purchase your books. Selling your books from your

own website has become easier than ever with the

numerous merchant accounts available for people

interested in opening estores.

Using Social Networking Sites

There are numerous social networking sites that

are extremely popular. Two of the most popular are

Tweeter and FaceBook. These two sites have

millions of users and provide a great place for an

entrepreneur to quickly spread information about their

business and products. Setting up a Tweeter or

FaceBook account can help others become familiar

with what you do and attract new buyers. Be sure to

join specific FaceBook groups that are for book

readers. This way, you target your audience precisely

and spread the word about your business.

BookMark Advertising

Each time a customer purchases one of your

books, be sure to include a free bookmark that has

the name of your business, your URL, and logo. This

is a great way to give your customers a constant

reminder that you were able to provide them with the

books that they needed. Bookmark advertising is

relatively cheap and can be done quickly. You can

have your bookmarks printed professionally or even

do them yourself if you have the craftsmanship and

programs to create them.

The Future of Online Bookselling Looks Bright

Many professional sellers feel confident that

selling books online will help them generate a good

income for many years to come. Some industries

look bleak and unpromising, but the bookselling

industry simply grows bigger each year. As the

number of booksellers have increased over the years,

so have the number of book buyers and people are

reading now more than ever. Although bookselling is

considered a very competitive market, there are still

plenty of resources available for the select few that

want to consider selling books professionally.

Some professional booksellers feel that online

book selling, in particular, is still in infancy stages and

has not reached its full potential. This should be good

news for prospective sellers that need reassurance

they are entering a field where there is an actual

chance for real success.

With the right tools and knowledge, selling books

from the comfort of your home can be a rewarding

experience. Most booksellers feel good about their

jobs and enjoy bringing joy to millions of people by

selling them interesting stories and useful information.

If you are truly interested in selling books from

the comfort of your home, don’t hesitate to use the

information and insight that you’ve found in this book

to get started. The journey to becoming a

professional bookseller can be a bumpy and exciting

one. With patience and ambition it shouldn’t be long

before you understand the dynamic of bookselling

and begin to reap the financial and personal profits

that many booksellers experience each time they

make a new sale or make a customer happy.

There are countless reasons why people begin to

sell books to others and there are also countless

benefits that you will experience as you begin to sell

books profitably. People decide to enter the world of

bookselling for the following reasons:

- It brings them joy

- They could easily spend hours in bookstores and

libraries and actually love the time that they

spend there

- They want to work for themselves

- They understand that bookselling is something

they can do as either a hobby or profession

- Bookselling on the internet provides a flexible

way to work from the comfort of home

- Bookselling also provides the seller with the

opportunity to establish their own financial goals

and future.

If these reasons sound enticing to you, trying your

hand at bookselling could be a dream come true.

Limits of Liability / Disclaimer of Warranty: The author and publisher of this Book and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this program. The

authors and publishers make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability, fitness, or completeness of the contents of this program. They disclaim any warranties (expressed or implied), merchantability, or fitness for any particular purpose. The authors and publisher shall in no event be held liable for any loss or other damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages. As always, the advice of a competent legal, tax, accounting or other professional should be sought. The authors and publisher do not warrant the performance, effectiveness, or applicability of any sites listed in this Book. All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content, accuracy, or any other implied or explicit purpose. This manual contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. Copyright © 2008-2010 CzarNovel,Inc. All

Rights Reserved.