To succeed in making a living selling used books online, you will need to have ready-made answers to the following questions your readers or clients might want answered. These questions could be categorized as:
1. How do books sell on ebay?
2. How can one sell books on Amazon?
3. How can one sell books generally?
4. How can one become a seller on Amazon?
5. How can one get access to used books?

A book is a set of sheets of paper, parchment, or similar materials that are fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is a leaf, and each side of a leaf is a page. Writing or images can be printed or drawn on a book’s pages. An electronic image that is formatted to resemble a book on a computer screen, smartphone or e-reader device is known as an electronic book or e-book.

The term “books” may also refer to a body of works of literature, or a main division of literature (e.g., children’s literature) . In library and information science, a book is called a monograph, to distinguish it from serial periodicals such as magazines, journals, or newspapers. In novels and sometimes other types of books (for example, biographies), a book may be divided into several large sections, also called books (Book 1, Book 2, Book 3, and so on). An avid reader or collector of books or a book lover is a bibliophile or colloquially, “bookworm”.

A shop where books are bought and sold is a bookshop or bookstore. Books are also sold in some department stores, drugstores and newspaper vendors. Books can also be borrowed from libraries. Google has estimated that as of 2010, approximately 130,000,000 distinct titles had been published. In some wealthier nations, the sale of printed books has decreased because of the use of e-books, though sales of e-books declined in the first half of 2015.

A used book or secondhand book is a book which has been owned before by an owner other than the publisher or retailer, usually by an individual or library.
Used books typically become available on the market when they are sold or given to a second-hand shop or used bookstore; they are usually sold for about half or three-quarters the price of what they would cost new, though rare books and others still in demand or hard to obtain might sell for more than this.
Some new book shops also carry used books, and some used book shops also sell new books. Though the original authors or publishers will not benefit financially from the sale of a used book, it helps to keep old books in circulation. Sometimes very old, rare, first edition, antique, or simply out of print books can be found as used books in used book shops.

A reading copy of a book may be well-used, may include highlighting or marginalia, and is suitable for reading, but is not collectible. This is a term used in the used book business, to indicate the lack of collectible value, while claiming that the book is in sufficiently good condition for a purchaser whose interest is primarily in actually reading the book. A reading copy is typically less expensive than a collectible copy.
A number of small towns have become centres for used book sellers, most notably Hay-on-Wye in South Wales. They act as a magnet for buyers, and are located in country areas of great scenic beauty.

Bookselling is the commercial trading of books, the retail and distribution end of the publishing process. People who engage in bookselling are called booksellers, bookwomen, or bookmen. The founding of libraries in 300 BC stimulated the energies of the Athenian booksellers. In Rome, toward the end of the republic, it became the fashion to have a library, and Roman booksellers carried on a flourishing trade.
The spread of Christianity naturally created a great demand for copies of the Gospels, other sacred books, and later on for missals and other devotional volumes for both church and private use. The modern system of bookselling dates from soon after the introduction of printing. In the course of the 16th and 17th centuries the Low Countries for a time became the chief centre of the bookselling world. Modern book selling has changed dramatically with the advent of the Internet. With major websites such as Amazon, eBay, and other big book distributors offering affiliate programs, book sales have now, more than ever, been put in the hands of the small business owner.

How to Sell Used Books Online

Most sellers follow a similar procedure when reselling books.
1. Find out how much the book in question is selling for – When you come across a potential book to sell, hop over to Amazon and see how much it is currently going for. (BookScouter can help with this process as well and also tell you where you can get the biggest bang for your buck.) Keep in mind, you will need to pay Amazon’s fees. That’s usually around $2.35 + 15% of the sale price. For that reason, don’t sell things that will lose you money.
2. List the book for sale – If it looks worth your while to sell the book, head over to your seller account and get it listed. You can do a quick search here by title or ISBN to find the book. You will then be asked about the condition of the book, how many you have available, how you will ship it (Amazon gives you a $3.99 shipping credit for each book) and how much you want to sell it for. You’re probably going to want to go with the lowest listed price if you want to sell your item quickly. People wanting to purchase used books want them as cheap as possible.
3. Check your account every few days and adjust your prices. Amazon prices and the prices of other sellers can fluctuate a lot.
You can also follow these steps:
1. Enter the ISBN Number. This is usually found on the back cover of your item.
2. Get a Valuation. You can search for the worth of your book online.
3. Package your items. Print your free pre-paid postage label and attach it to your package.
4. Get Paid.

Best Places To Make Money Selling Used Books Online

You’ve finally accepted you’re never going to read Ulysses, and your college biology textbook is no more than dead weight. It’s time to clear off your bookshelves. But don’t send those unwanted titles to Goodwill just yet. You might be able to make good money as you declutter.
If you’re looking to empty out the attic, thin a book collection, or make some easy money, there are countless options for online selling. Here are your best bets for selling your unwanted used books online.

Start with Scouting Sites
Scouting sites are an excellent tool if you want to find the best buyback price quotes across several sites with one click. BookScouter.com and BookFinder.com are two good ones to start. These websites show what different companies will offer you for a given book. But be advised these rates are constantly changing with the market. It would be wise to make your book-selling project a one-day mission.
Take a book, plug in the ISBN number to a couple of scouting sites, and label the book with the best prices on a sticky note before you make your final counts. These scouting sites might direct you to sell your books with dealers, such as ValoreBooks, TextbookRush, and Chegg. Most of these sites are hit or miss depending on the book. Also, scouting sites can be unreliable, so check the actual buyer sites to confirm their rates.
Many book-buyback services require a minimum dollar amount or number of books to process your shipment. Always review the condition guidelines and other rules before shipping your books. Scouting sites will point you to dozens of different book buyers. The following are four of the most popular.

Amazon
• Buyback minimum: None
• How you get paid: Amazon gift card
The Amazon Marketplace is mysterious and ever-changing. And you might not be able to sell all the books on your shelf. (Certain textbooks and popular novels seem to be in higher demand.)
However, the books you can sell could add up to a decent amount of Amazon credit, which nearly anyone could find a use for. Your books must be in good condition — no water damage, marked pages, or damaged spines or covers. But unlike some websites, if Amazon rejects your book it will mail it back to you for free. Plus, there’s no minimum order, so it’s a good option if you have just a few books to sell.

AbeBooks
• Buyback minimum: $15
• How you get paid: PayPal or check
You can set up a professional seller account on AbeBooks. But if you only have a few titles to unload, using its book-buyback service might be more convenient. The site (owned by Amazon) claims to have the largest online buyback catalog. It says it “can usually beat your local college bookstore on price.” But you’ll need to have at least $15 worth of books to sell, and they must be in good condition. If your old textbooks don’t meet AbeBooks’ standards, they’ll be recycled, and you won’t get a penny.

Powell’s Books
• Buyback minimum: $9 or seven books
• How you get paid: PayPal or store credit
Powell’s, a five-store chain in Portland, Oregon, claims to be “the world’s largest independent bookstore.” It stocks over 2 million volumes and will buy your used ones to keep its shelves full.
Be warned that Powell’s “buyers are very particular about condition,” according to its website. Don’t try to send them former library books; advance reader copies; books with tears, broken bindings, or highlighting; or hardcovers without a dust jacket. (Powell’s website has a visual guide to problems that will cause it to reject a title.) Rejected titles are donated or recycled.
If Powell’s buyers do accept your book, you’ll get a better price if you take store credit. But they’ll also pay via PayPal.
• Buyback minimum: $10
• How you get paid: PayPal or check
Don’t let the name mislead you. Textbooks.com buys more than textbooks, so don’t discount it if you have paperbacks to sell. The site also sells used books directly to students and offers a “guaranteed cash back” option on some titles.
If you buy the book and sell it back at the end of the semester, you’ll get back half of what you paid, provided it’s still in good condition. Unlike some other sites, your books don’t need to be pristine — some writing and highlighting or creased pages are OK. (Water damage, broken spines, and other problems will still get your book rejected.)
Used bookstores and textbook sites aren’t the only way to clear out your library. If you have a lot of books to get rid of, you might want to bypass the middleman and sell directly to other book lovers. Read on to find out how.

Become a Professional Seller
Used books are big business. Smart traders in textbooks can make a profit by buying them in the summer when prices are low and reselling them in the fall when textbooks are in high demand. Others make money trolling thrift shops with scanners and smartphone apps that tell them the going rate for a book in the Amazon Marketplace.
If you are interested in dealing in the used-book business, consider signing up for a professional seller account with AbeBooks or Amazon. Fees for AbeBooks’ professional sellers start at $25 per month plus commission. On Amazon, you can sell as a professional for $39.99 per month plus fees, or you can list books individually for 99 cents each.
Another option is eBay, where you can get 50 free listings per month. You’ll pay a 10% fee only after the item sells. If you have vintage books to sell (especially those without ISBNs), you can open an Etsy store and pay a listing fee of 20 cents per item, plus fees after sales. Vintage items on Etsy must be at least 20 years old.

Beginner Book Seller Tips
When asked to share what new sellers should look for when scouting books. Lori replied, “The most important thing is to look to places where you can acquire books very cheaply. Fancy collector’s editions are generally worth the trouble of selling if you pay the right price for them, but most of the time, they aren’t worth what you might think. Unless you know for a fact that a book is worth money, be extremely cautious about overpaying. The same thing applies to first editions – I’ve acquired many firsts that only ended up being worth two or three dollars, so don’t let that fool you unless you’re familiar with a particular title. Also, it’s ironic, but in general, you want to avoid bestsellers. There are so many copies in existence that the used book markets are often flooded with them. I also tend to pick up books I’ve sold before – first, because I will already have a listing created, which saves me some time, and second, because I know it did sell, and believe me, there are plenty of books that don’t. Finally, consider your marketplace and how you will be creating your listings. It takes me less time to list individual books in a series than it does totally separate titles, so I will tend to favor those when I’m buying in bulk.”

Tools of the Trade
You can always ask interviewees for their favorite tools necessary for conducting business. You are in luck if interested in starting a book reselling business. You just need a smartphone and barcode scanner to get started. You can keep up to date on scheduled book sales at Booksalefinder.com. You can read more at Make A Living Selling Used Books Online