Selling books online
Are you an avid reader looking to sell books after you’ve read them? Or perhaps you’ve recently read an amazing book that you want to send to a friend or loved one? Sending a book in the post couldn’t be easier and cheaper with our fast and reliable parcel delivery service.
It's generally quite cheap and easy to sell books and send them in the post, which makes them perfect for buying and selling online. There’s a range of sites you can you use to sell your books online; generally, you’ll use an eBay or Amazon seller account to sell any unwanted items or you can bulk sell unwanted books, CDs and DVDs via trade-in sites.
Our guide will help you consider all the things you need to know before you start to sell books online, including how to safely send them in the post.
Selling books online: Marketplace vs. trade in sites
Selling books online through sites like Amazon and eBay takes a bit more time but they’re generally the best option for making more money and securing higher mark up on prices, especially if your book is rare. You can also incorporate the cost of posting your book to your seller to make even more profit.
How to sell books through an online market place
1. You will already have a seller account or will need to set up seller accounts
2. Do your research on how to price your book
3. List your book for sale with all details, including imagery, description, postage and packaging options
4. Once your book has sold, send it to your seller
5. Get paid!
Read more about how to sell your unwanted goods on eBay and things to consider.
Selling books on trade-in sites like ‘’Ziffit’’ or ‘’We Buy Books’’ is often much quicker and easier, but you can run the risk of being quoted a fraction of the price you could secure elsewhere. They will, however, create you a label for your sold items, meaning post and packaging is generally free.
How to sell used books through a UK online trade site
1. Enter the ISBN number
2. Get a valuation
3. Print off labels and post
4. Get paid!
Pricing books to sell online
If you’re selling books online in the UK through Amazon or eBay then getting the items to your seller quickly and in a good condition is essential to maintaining a good seller rating. When sending with DHL eCommerce UK you get a fast, cheap and reliable parcel delivery service, plus lots of help and advice.
Benefits of sending books by post
Speed of delivery
Your parcel will be delivered the very next working day after collection or depot drop off.
Ease of booking a delivery online
As a seller, you can link your eBay account directly to DHL eCommerce UK, meaning you can seamlessly import the information of your buyer to the booking form.
Collection from your door
We’ll collect from your home or work address the day after your booking and multi-parcel discounts are available on some UK services (terms apply).
Packaging your parcel
We have lots of helpful advice on how to waterproof and package your parcel, so you can ensure your items arrive quickly, safely and securely.
Sending your Books in the Post
One of the biggest challenges when selling books is setting the right price. First, do your research and find out how much the same book is being sold for elsewhere; there might already be a number of listings at lower prices than you expected. You may need to weigh up whether it is actually worth selling the book, considering how much money you’ll get back including the cost of postage. Taking time to do your research also enables you to see how many people are already selling it, what they say about it and perhaps even how rare it is. Find out more about how to package your books for shipping.
Popular books to sell online
Many sites recommend selling non-fiction books on all sorts of topics; art, antiques, collectibles, photography, crafts, cooking, history, regional subjects, sports, cars, trains, motorcycles and music. Other books which sell well are:
- Large coffee table books on any of the topics above
- Children’s books and pop-up books
- Hardcover books about crafts and hobbies
- Regional and geographical books
- University textbooks
What condition should my books be in?
To get the best price for your book or books they need to be in quite a good condition; generally the best-selling books are in a ‘used like new’ condition. Selling a battered book with missing pages and a ripped cover will decrease its value, so it’s worth asking yourself whether it’s worth selling anything in this condition.
Ideally your book won’t have any:
- Tears to the cover
- Stains or water damage
- Missing or damaged pages
Don’t try to be sneaky – forgetting to mention those tea stains on multiple pages could negatively impact the review your recipient gives you, which in turn will affect your trustworthiness as a seller.
If you want to sell books and send them quickly, easily and safely then don’t hesitate to get in touch with us and book your delivery today. Our customer support is available Monday-Friday from 7am until 10pm. If you’d like any more help and advice on selling your book online then please head to our help section.