Is Selling Books On Ebay Cheaper Than Publishing?

Discussion in Stores Reviews, Comments & Complaints started by Kieranlewix • Oct 25, 2017.

  1. Kieranlewix

    KieranlewixMember

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    I have a book that I want to publish. Recently a friend of mine advised me to convert it into an ebook and sell on eBay. I have been considering the idea and I think it is awesome. Selling it as an ebook will mean I can send it directly to the buyer's email address which removes the shipping costs. I will also not need to incur any cost of publishing. With the ebook, I will also be able to sell unlimited copies. What do you think about the idea?
     
  2. Theo

    TheoWell-Known Member

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    What would you gain from selling it on eBay and not Amazon or Smashwords? Think about it, eBay is not a place people look for e-books is it? You have to go where your audience are likely to be and that isn't eBay.

    As for Amazon, you pay a percentage commission and Smashwords too, but these are small costs as all ebooks make little profit. It's volume sales that matter. Personally I don't think it's a good idea, but if you have the time to list then then by all means.
     
  3. Kieranlewix

    KieranlewixMember

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    You seem to know much about this Theo. I would appreciate some more insight on the matter. You have said that one has to pay a small commission on amazon and smashwords. Is that before or after selling the book? Is the commission cut from your earnings or is it something you have to pay before the sale?
     
  4. NinetyEighty1

    NinetyEighty1Active Member

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    I have to agree with Theo, books usually get a lot more attention on Amazon. I would have to go with publishing one on Amazon, to see where exactly it gets you and how much profit you can make from it. There is a higher chance it will sell better there on ebook or hard copy than on ebay.
     
  5. luri

    luriActive Member

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    If you have an ebook, it is better to publish on Amazon. Amazon has a free ebook publishing program called Amazon Kindle. Good thing about publishing on Amazon is your book is available on Amazon site. Generally speaking, people do not look for ebooks on ebay. If you have a website, you can also sell it directly from your website.
     
  6. Theo

    TheoWell-Known Member

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    I've published on both Smashwords and Amazon and even though Amazon take a slightly bigger cut I sold more. We're talking pennies here so it's best to price to sell rather than to make money. Basically with Amazon you choose the price you wish to sell it, the higher the price obviously you get more but people are drawn to cheaper books. Therefore you need to look at what people are prepared to pay because if you overprice yourself anywhere then you sell zero.
     
  7. Happyflowerlady

    HappyflowerladyWell-Known Member

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    Another place that you might check out is called “Book Gorilla”. They sell ebooks for new writers, and they will also give away a free Kindle to people (in a drawing) when you sign up as a follower of a new writer.
    I am not a writer, but I like to enter the drawing, and I can also get some good bargains on ebooks from there , so I check it every day.
    I am not sure what all they offer to the writer; but it might be worth checking out.
     
  8. Theo

    TheoWell-Known Member

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    The only thing with Book Gorilla and Book Bub which is similar s that you pay for your book to be listed
    (

    Log In

    ) plus you need at least 5 reviews on the US Amazon page and none to be less than 4 stars. Therefore, it's only worth it once you have marketed the book and use these sites to increase sales.
     
  9. tonyb

    tonybActive Member

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    I think the best and most cost effective way to sell your books would be to convert them to ebooks and put them up on sale at Ebay. The cost of having to publish and send them via postmail to prospective customers may significantly make the book more expensive. In my view, it's more convenient making ebooks and delivering them via emails to clients.
     
  10. iamawriter

    iamawriterActive Member

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    That is a good idea as you have total control. There are so many businesses that sell their product on the Net but not necessarily through eBay. You can create an Ad and post it on several social networking sites too.
     
  11. walter12

    walter12Active Member

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    I would have to say no, since publishing gives you far more exposure and recognition than selling on ebay which is really limited.
     
  12. Happyflowerlady

    HappyflowerladyWell-Known Member

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    I am not a writer, but I am a reader, and I totally agree with the advice from Theo that it makes more sense to list the book on Amazon and not on ebay. When I am looking for a book on some subject, the very first place that I look is on Amazon, usually for the Kindle version as opposed to a print version; but even when I want a printed copy for some reason, i still look on Amazon first.
    I will sometimes compare the prices for a print book between Amazon and ebay, but I seldom purchase the book from ebay.
    Another thing that Amazon does, is that they put some new books out for free for a day or so, and this helps to get people reading the book andleaving book reviews. Even though it does not make the seller any money when they do this, it works out for thebest, because the sooner you get some good reviews, the better the book will start selling.
    Actually, I get requests from writers to read their book and review it, and they send me a free copy to do this, so that is something else you might want to try doing once your book is online.
     
  13. luri

    luriActive Member

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    If you have acquired resell rights, selling books on ebay can be a good idea. In that way you are a book seller and you are selling books online. However, if you are a writer and want to sell your book. Publishing onAmazon or other similar publishers is a better idea. Yo will not only earn royalties for every book sold, but also earn a reputation as a writer.
     
  14. tallulah

    tallulahActive Member

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    I totally agree with what everyone has said here. Amazon is a great place to sell your e-book. You can also make use of their marketing platform to market your book. You can also choose to market the book yourself via social media platforms or direct sales to your Amazon page.
     
  15. walter12

    walter12Active Member

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    I agree with you as well, selling books on Amazon is good if not better than selling in offline stores, since it's pretty popular and safe.