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How to sell books online

Short answer

To sell used books, list them on Amazon or eBay by ISBN, where buyers search for the exact edition, and sell cheap paperbacks locally in bundles. If you wrote the book, sell signed copies from your own site and keep the reader's email, while Amazon reaches readers who'd never find you.

Two ways to sell, and which is yours

Resell books you own

Scan the ISBN, check what that edition sold for, and list on Amazon or eBay. Textbooks, out-of-print titles and signed first editions are worth the effort; common paperbacks rarely are. An app or marketplace does this better than a store.

Best for

Shelf clear-outs, textbook sellers and used-book flippers

Sell a book you wrote

Authors sell signed copies, bundles and preorders from their own site. A book at one price is a one-time item, which Replo's checkout sells directly. You ship the copies yourself or through a printer that fulfills orders.

Best for

Self-published authors with a newsletter or loyal readers

Where to sell books and what each platform charges

Fees for selling books
Amazon (books)$0.99 an item, or $39.99 a month15% referral + $1.80 closing feeBooks have no referral minimum, but every sale pays the $1.80 closing fee.
eBay (books)250 free listings a month, then $0.3515.3% + $0.30, or $0.40 over $10Books pay a higher final value fee than most eBay categories.
Your own site (Replo checkout)Your Replo plan2.9% + $0.30 card processingReplo checkout runs on Stripe, and Replo's docs list no extra per-sale fee.
MercariNothing until you sell10% selling fee, no processing feeThe 10% also applies to buyer-paid shipping, and buyers pay their own protection fee.
Facebook MarketplaceNothing until a shipped saleShipped: 10%, $0.80 minimum. Local pickup: freeBusiness shops on Facebook no longer take payment; buyers check out on your website.

On cheap books, fixed per-sale fees and postage take a large share, so the price matters more than the platform. Sell low-value titles locally as bundles instead.

What you keep on a $20 used hardcover

Each platform's fees on one $20 sale, before shipping, taxes, monthly plans and any ads you choose to buy.

  1. Your own site (Replo checkout)$19.12 kept, $0.88 in fees
  2. Mercari$18.00 kept, $2.00 in fees
  3. Facebook Marketplace$18.00 kept, $2.00 in fees
  4. eBay (books)$16.54 kept, $3.46 in fees
  5. Amazon (books)$15.20 kept, $4.80 in fees

Product pages brands run ads to

Real product pages that brands are sending Meta ads to right now, captured from Replo's ad library, and one thing on each worth copying.

  • Wonderbly page for two personalized I Spy books, with a story-style headline, review count and delivery window

    Wonderbly

    I Spy You! personalized search-and-find book

    32 Meta ads linked here

    Opens with a scene-setting headline, then a delivery window and "Preview all 34 pages before you buy."

    See the page
  • Taschen book page with a floral still-life cover, US$30 price, series thumbnails and a pre-order button

    Taschen

    The National Gallery. Paintings, People, Portraits. 45th Ed.

    3 Meta ads linked here

    Lists the specs buyers check (hardcover, 6.1 x 8.5 in., 2.55 lb, 512 pages), then a short press quote.

    See the page
  • Little Yeti order page with a baby book personalization form and four cover colors on the right

    Little Yeti

    My very first day personalized book

    6 Meta ads linked here

    The product page is the personalization form itself: name, birth date, weight, then a Preview Full Book button.

    See the page

Launch checklist

  • Scan or type the ISBN so your listing matches the exact edition, format and printing buyers search for.
  • Grade condition with Amazon's book terms (like new, very good, good, acceptable) and match each definition exactly.
  • Note highlighting, margin notes, library labels and water damage, since each one changes the grade that applies.
  • Say whether a used textbook's access code still works, since some codes are valid for only one user.
  • If you publish your own book, give each format its own ISBN: paperback, hardcover and ebook are separate products.
  • Pack each book snugly in a box or padded mailer with board at the corners so covers arrive unbent.

Build your author site and shop

Replo builds an author site on your own domain that sells signed copies at one price and grows your reader list.

The prompt Replo starts from

Build a site for my book, [book title], by [author name]. Make a homepage with the cover, a short pitch and reader reviews, a page to buy signed copies, a sample chapter page, an about the author page, an events page, and a newsletter signup for readers who want the next book.
Build my storeStart for Free

Frequently asked questions

What is the best site to sell used books?
Amazon and eBay, for most books worth selling. Both let buyers search by ISBN, so your exact edition shows up. For low-value paperbacks, a local bundle on Facebook Marketplace saves you postage and per-sale fees.
How do I know if a book is worth selling?
Look up its ISBN and check recently sold prices, not asking prices. First editions, signed copies, out-of-print titles and current textbooks are usually worth listing. Common bestsellers and book club editions often aren't worth the shipping.
Do I need an ISBN to sell my own book?
No, not to sell copies from your own site or at events. An ISBN identifies the title, edition and format, which is how retailers and libraries find a book, so get one before wider distribution. Each format, like paperback or ebook, needs its own.
What does acceptable condition mean for a used book?
On Amazon, acceptable means all pages and the cover are intact, though shrink wrap, dust covers or a boxed-set case may be missing. Pages can have limited notes, highlighting or minor water damage, as long as the text is readable.

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