Reuters If you're looking to sell books on Amazon, follow these steps to set up a seller account, post books for sale, and ship or use Fulfillment by Amazon to send books to your customers.
- You can make a few extra bucks and clear out some space in your home by selling your books on Amazon.
- Setup an individual account and pay $0.99 per item, or if you plan on selling more than 40 items per month, you can choose a professional account and pay $39.99 per month - both have closing fees based on the item sold.
- You can either wait until the item has sold and send it directly to the customer or use Fulfillment by Amazon, which allows you to send it to Amazon and have them take care of the rest.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Channeling Marie Kondo and getting ready to rid your home of unnecessary clutter, like old textbooks?
Why not sell your books on Amazon? You'll make some space in your home and a few extra bucks in the process.
Plus, it's easy to get started and you can choose to send the books direct to the customer or to Amazon and have them take care of the rest.
How to start selling books on Amazon
Before you can start selling books, you'll have to setup your seller account, and to have a seller account you'll first need to have a shopper account. Make sure you have the following information before you get started:
- Passport or Driver's License
- Bank account information for Amazon to deposit money
- Credit or debit card for fee payments
- Credit card or bank statement
Note: Amazon will have to verify your tax and payment information. This process may take several days for Amazon to complete. So, don't expect to start selling immediately.
To create a seller account:
1. Go to Amazon.com.
2. To the right of the upper search bar it will say "Hello, Sign in." Click here to be taken to the sign in page. If you're already signed in it will say "Hello," followed by your name. Click here and you'll be taken to your account page. In this case, you can skip to Step 5.
Christine Kopaczewski/Business Insider Sign into your account or click through to it if you're signed in.
3. If you already have a shopper account, you can now sign in. If you don't have an account, click "Create your Amazon account" at the bottom of the page. You'll be asked to provide your name, email address, and a password. You'll then have to verify your email address.
4. You'll now be signed in and your name will appear next to the search bar. Click there to go to your account page.
5. Scroll down to "Other accounts" you'll see "Seller." Click on this option to register yourself as a seller account.
Christine Kopaczewski/Business Insider Choose "Seller" from the "Other accounts" section.
6. You'll be taken to the "Sell on Amazon" page where you'll setup your account, read about the selling process and view pricing and FAQs. At this point you'll need to decide whether to become a professional seller or an individual seller.
- Professional Sellers pay $39.99 per month to list as many items as they want.
- Individual Sellers have no monthly fee but pay $0.99 per item.
Both options have closing fees associated with the item you've sold. So, if you plan on selling more than 40 items a month, becoming a professional seller is the most cost-effective option.
Christine Kopaczewski/Business Insider
Click "Start selling."
7. If you want to be a seller, click the "Start Selling" button in the center of the page or top right corner. This will open up a menu where you can decide whether you'd like to be a professional seller or individual seller.
8. There are now four steps you must complete to setup your seller account. Firstly, enter your "Legal Name." If you're an individual seller, this is your name. If you're a professional seller, enter your business name and your name. Read and accept the agreement and press "Next."
Christine Kopaczewski/Business Insider Enter your name as an individual seller or business name for if you're a professional seller.
9. Second, enter your business address, your "Business Display Name" (the name customers will see), your website if you have one, and a cell number to use for verification purposes. You'll have to verify your phone number by getting a code via text or phone call, and then entering it on the web page.
10. Third, set up a billing method and deposit method. The billing method will be the credit or debit card you want to use to pay your monthly fee, or per item fee, and any closing costs. The deposit method is the bank account where Amazon will send your payments.
11. Finally, you'll now go through a "Tax Information Interview." It's not a real interview, just a process for you to provide Amazon with your tax information. You'll have to confirm whether or not you're a US citizen, enter your address and Social Security number, and sign your name by typing it in. This will generate a digital W-9 document. Verify the information is correct and click "Submit Form."
12. You'll now go through an identity verification process using a passport or driver's license. Enter your information and upload images of your chosen form of identification. Upload a bank or credit card statement with the account number and monetary values blacked out, but everything else visible.
13. The verification process may take several days to complete. Amazon will notify you when you're verified and can start selling.
How to post an item for sale
Once Amazon has verified your information, you're ready to start selling. You can list an item that is already on Amazon or add a new item.
1. Search for the book you wish to sell by using the title or the ISBN. You can search as if you were going to buy the book yourself. Make sure the search category is set to "Books."
Christine Kopaczewski/Business Insider
If the book is not already listed for sale, Amazon will direct you to make a new listing. You'll need images of the book and a blurb.
2. When you find the book you want to sell, open its product page. Now scroll down and find the "Sell on Amazon" button - it's on the right of the screen, under all of the current for sale listings.
Christine Kopaczewski/Business Insider Click "Sell on Amazon."
3. Set the price for the book you wish to sell. You'll be able to see what it is currently listed for, so use these values to create a competitive price. As a new seller, you may need to set your price lower than other sellers until you build up your reputation.
4. Select whether the book is a hardcover or paperback and provide a brief description of the condition.
5. Select your shipping method. You can choose to send the item directly to the customer or use Fulfillment by Amazon (see below for more information).
6. Save and list your book for sale on Amazon.com
7. Monitor your listing and be ready to send it to the customer once sold (unless you're using Fulfillment by Amazon).
How to use Fulfillment by Amazon
Amazon now offers to store and send your items for you once they're sold. This is called "Fulfillment by Amazon." They'll also provide customer service for your items, and process returns. Items sold this way are eligible for Amazon Prime free two-day shipping, which may help attract more customers to your items.
For shipping costs, you'll pay Amazon based on the weight of the item. This fee covers picking up your order, packing it once sold, shipping it to the customer, customer service, and dealing with product returns.
For storage, you'll pay a monthly fee based on the cubic feet your items take up. Be warned, this fee can almost quadruple over the holiday period (October-December), going from $0.69 per cubic foot to $2.40 per cubic foot for standard-sized items.
Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:
How to contact a third-party seller on Amazon
How to cancel an order on Amazon
How you can archive your Amazon order history to keep it private
How to return rented books to Amazon
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