selling books on Amazon - tips for more profit

coffeeandfags

Oooohhhh just read the Amazon forum and we are being called allsorts!!
Might just have to go out of my way to keep this thread alive and well!!!

coffeeandfags

apprentice_tycoon

I've just had a quick look through the postings, it seems that I'm 'crazy and naive' for giving away 'trade secrets' how's that? anyone who has ever done anything in their lives whether it's a success or failure has a story to tell with a few pointers on how to do it better next time, I just cut out a bit of trial and error and gave people a leg-up.
Maybe I had a larger audience than if I'd been chatting at the pub but I have had so many benefits from these pages that I wanted to give something back. I never seem to see any special offers, competitions or great deals to pass on to everyone here, all I have is a little experience to share and none of my 'trade secrets' are any that people couldn't have worked out for themselves eventually.
It isn't as if Amazon is a secret organisation, and I would have thought that for every new seller from MSE there is bound to be a new buyer that hadn't considered looking there before.

On the plus side there were a few nice comments about how nice and generous we are sharing our tips, that's OK, I like that.

PS Amazon people - I'm not a 'him'

payless

Ohhh , never saw that one when I posted about the discussion forum

the first post there been deleted.... wonder what it said

se999

Apprentice Tycoon - Sorry to hear about the Amazon forum. Fortunately Old Style MSE is as it is because there are people willing to give as well as take, which is why it works and why people want to join in. If there weren't people like you and the other regular contributors it wouldn't work, and it wouldn't have the character it has.

To be honest, them getting upset means the tips given are good

I'm relatively new to MSE, but enjoying it, and I think this is one of the best threads I've seen, and it's obvious you've put a lot of work into looking after it after setting it going, which is why it's an ongoing thread and not stopped yet.

So thank you from me anyway.

apprentice_tycoon

Well, it could have been worse, they don't know who I am - I had been considering adding my photo to the 'who's who' thread but I think that I'd better not....

zzzLazyDaisy

apprentice_tycoon wrote:

Well, it could have been worse, they don't know who I am - I had been considering adding my photo to the 'who's who' thread but I think that I'd better not....

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

I lurve this thread... it is so friendly and informative...

Well done AT.... if they send out Da Boyz, tell us, we are *cough* right behind you

coffeeandfags

squeaky wrote:

Liquorice one's or fruities?

Must be liquorice, coz its left a foul taste in my mouth!!!

coffeeandfags

PS just as they are quick to moan about new sellers, i dont see any of them moaning about the loads of Feng Shui books they must have shifted in the last couple of weeks!!
A.T. youve done nothing wrong......my mini "Richard Branson" is making a killing and loving every minute of it!!

lex

Hello,

Thanks for the info on this thread - some really good information here. I have sold quite a few things on Ebay, but found some of my books didn't sell. Actually am quite peeved, because I gave away a couple of massive boxes...grrrrrrrr.

Anyway, just wanted to get a few things straight. Amazon give me about £2.75 for postage. Then they deduct 49p for admin. Then I also have to pay 86p for the completion fee and 17.25% of final fee?

So for a cheapish non-fiction paperback type book that weighs 210g, is going to cost around £1 to post.

If book sold for £1, I would make around £1.23. If it sold for 1p I would make around 41p. For this one book I thought about there are quite a few listed at 1p already. So is it worth listing mine at all?

If there are quite alot of books listed, even at a huge variety of prices, but you aren't willing to sell at the lowest price - is it worth listing at all? For example another book I want to sell, has 25 new copies already selling at between £2.99 and £8.99. It would cost at least £2.15 to post 1st class. Would those people with experience list anyway? And just wait a bit longer, or do you not bother. How many are listed before you decide it isn't worth it?

Also, does having no feedback hinder your sales?

Any help greatly appreciated.

se999

Hi Lex,

I've sold on Amazon already, and as lots of posters have said, you don't necessarily list all books on Amazon, some are better sold elsewhere, i.e. I sold Scholastic 'Horrible' childrens books on ebay in batches of 4 per listing, got a far better return.

You obviously know how to work out the sums, so only list the ones that will make you a profit after all costs including postage/package/admin..

Everyone has to make their first sale & get their first feedback, but if you price items correctly you will do it, you just have to price according to the condition of your book relative to the books aleady on offer. I personally prefer no feedback from a new seller to a seller with dubious feedback on Amazon & Ebay.

Hope this helps

P.S. For selling on ebay I carefully checked out what was likely to sell, and also if it was the same buyers each time!! Sometimes the market dries up!!
Sometimes people are on holiday!! I did carefully time Ebay sales, with 10 day listings to end on Sunday nights, to catch a full week and 2 weekend's searches, to maximise the people with my items on watchlists. If items had bad track records on ebay I didn't list them.

apprentice_tycoon

Hi Lex, welcome to Old Style.

You asked about the 1p paperback, I personally don't bother trying to sell them, I'd sooner give them to the charity shops or car boot them.
You also asked if it was worth listing if you weren't prepared to take the lowest price. If you are happy to sit it out I'd wait, the lowest priced book might sell the very next day which would give yours a better chance immediately. Also think of something to write in the box like 'UK seller' or 'same day dispatch' that might make your sound better than the others. Your feedback will help but I wouldn't worry if you don't have much, maybe you could mention that you are new and eager in the box too.