How to Become a Book Reseller

A book reseller is an individual or company that buys books (both used and new) and then sells them at a higher price. It is not much different from a regular book seller, like a chain or online bookstore, but resellers commonly sell to unusual, small, or hard-to-reach markets. For instance, a book reseller may sell his books at a small-town festival or through eBay. To become a successful book reseller you need to make a few connections in the book distribution industry and continually hunt for price deals on popular titles.

Things You'll Need

• Wholesaler or distributor

Instructions

1. Establish a niche for your new book reselling business. Try to narrow your target market to a certain genre, like mystery fiction or self-help titles. Over time customers will come to you immediately when they're looking for brand new titles in the genre.

2. Establish a business relationship with book distributors and wholesalers like Baker & Taylor and Ingram. Apply for a buyer's account, which will allow you to access the full library of the wholesaler's books in print at volume discounts.

3. Call book publishers that print books of genres you're interested in selling and ask to establish a direct relationship to buy books. You may be able to take advantage of lower per-book prices compared to a distributor or wholesaler but the publisher may require upfront payment (no credit). Buy in volume (five to 10 or more) for the best deals.

4. Collect used and unwanted books from friends, family, and shop at used bookstores that offer deep discounts in your area.

5. Establish a book reseller website or store. Many book resellers distribute their titles through online outlets like eBay, Borders, and Half. You can also establish a small website equipped with a shopping cart in addition to selling at third-party outlets. Consider the cost of opening a small book store or selling your books from a stand on the street in your city (call your city's permits and licensing department for permission and more information).

6. Price each of your books according to demand. If a title is out of stock, hard to find, or a collectible item, set the price above retail. Otherwise, keep the price at or below what similar retailers are charging for the book.

7. Advertise your book reselling business through word of mouth to friends and family. Distribute business cards as well as fliers that list your most popular titles and website or store address to people in your area. Consider using pay-per-click advertising services to get the word out about your book reselling website.

Tips & Warnings

• Monitor the prices and discount rates of your competitors online and update your catalog of books regularly.

• Inform customers that you will gladly fulfill specific title requests. Add information about how each customer can submit a special order on your website, business cards, and fliers.

References

• Biz Covering: What Is a Reseller

Resources

• Book Market: List of Book Distributors