I still remember with horror every late summer in high school, before the new school year began, when I had to load my scooter and go and sell used books at the student market. Of course, in the end there was always a chat and the day passed, but I really would have preferred to be able to sell all those books from the comfort of my home. Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option at the time. Today, however, not only can you sell used school books online, you can take advantage of this sector and create a real business directly from your home library.
Why sell used books online
The reasons for selling used books online can be endless.
Maybe you’ve accumulated a bunch of old school books that you want to get rid of, or you want to sell all those old necklaces you were eager to read years ago, from the Steamboat to Goosebumps. And why not, maybe all those hours spent staring at your library led to the inspiration that prompted you to open an e-commerce of books. Yes, because the book market – especially in Italy – does not seem to want to stop. Also thanks to the pandemic, in 2020 alone the publishing market grew by 2.4% , reaching the astonishing figure of 1.54 billion euros at the cover price. Ah, and this only in Italy! These are just some of the (good) reasons for selling used books online. And then, let’s face it, why shouldn’t you turn your passion for books into a profitable business?
How to sell used books: a business hidden in your bookstore
Whether it’s novels, thrillers, school books, or a mix of different literary genres, selling used books online can be a really great business opportunity.
It’s all about being prepared and being ready for what selling used books online entails.
But what are the best ways to sell used books online?
- Create your own site on Shopify
- Sell used books on social media
- Sell used books on an external marketplac
Create your own site on Shopify
Have you ever thought about selling used books online latvia email address on Shopify? I know I know. That seems like a disproportionate undertaking, but I assure you that creating your own ecommerce is much easier than you think. No programming knowledge or skills required, you can try Shopify for 14 days and start selling used books online in minutes.
To give you an idea of how simple and intuitive it is to create an ecommerce with Shopify, we have also made videos that guide you step by step.
These are the main steps:
- Sign up for Shopify and start your 14-day free trial.
- Configure your online store.
- Choose one of the dozens of templates available and customize it as you wish.
- Add the best Shopify apps to sell used books online.
- Promote your ecommerce and start selling.
Ah, and always remember that you might as well think about selling books online following the dropshipping business model!
Sell used books on social media
If the idea of creating your own website scares you, or if you only have a few used books to sell online and an ecommerce is not the best solution, you can turn to social media.
In particular, I recommend that you use Facebook and Instagram.
If it’s really any book, you can use the Facebook Marketplace . Just click on “Create new ad”, select “Item for sale” and customize your listing with different details, such as photo, price, condition, description and more. Once the ad is complete, you can choose whether to hide it or show it to your Facebook friends and publish it only on the Marketplace or even within your groups. If, on the other hand, you have several books to sell and you want to start a real business (simultaneously or as a first step before opening your own e-commerce) then you should use the shopping features offered on Facebook and Instagram .
Here’s how to sell used books online on Facebook and Instagram:
- Create a Facebook page to sell used books
- Add the “Shop” tab from your page settings
- Configure your Shop tab
- Add books to sell online
- Create a professional Instagram account
- Connect your Instagram profile to your Facebook page
And here, in six simple steps, you can start tagging products on your Instagram posts, create sponsored ads on Facebook, take advantage of Stories and Reels and many other strategies to sell used books online directly on your favorite social channels. Clearly, as your business grows, you can leverage other social media not only for direct selling, but also to assert your brand and mission.