Top Ten Tips for an Amazon Marketplace Bookseller

wife and I recently got an online book-selling businesshas to endure being trampled upon by herds of
up and running, using Amazon Marketplace as ourwildebeest in transit and you won’t go far
storefront. It has taken a while, but after a year wewrong. Wrap it like it’s a present for a dear
now have a well-established presence andrelative.
respectable daily sales. We would like to share our top6. Give excessively good customer service when
tips for getting up and running, to help other people tosomething goes wrong. Invariably some things
cut down their learning curve. Here are our top ten tipswon’t go smoothly and sometimes it will be
for how to build a successful business as an Amazonyour fault. Even if you aren’t entirely to blame,
Marketplace bookseller.you will get repeat custom and avoid the dreaded
1. Focus on new books rather than second-hand onesnegative feedback by apologising quickly and sincerely
- unless you have highly specialised knowledge youand offering a partial or full refund.
won't know which books will sell at a vast profit and7. Streamline your mailing process. This will be the
which will just moulder on your shelves. With newbiggest timesaver you can implement. If the service is
books you can see before you even buy them howavailable to you, have your postal service pick up from
high they rank on Amazon's bestseller lists. We won'tyour house or office, use hand stamps and average
normally buy in books below 10,000th position.weight tariffs and generally do whatever you can to
2. Find your niche - the hottest new novels might notminimise the time you spend on this part of the
give you the best return, as all of the supermarketsprocess.
are likely to be discounting them heavily and their8. Keep on top of your prices. When your business
moment of glory may not last more than a fewgrowth warrants it, you will probably use software for
weeks. But classic children's books like the Gruffalothis, but you will see a big difference in your sales if
and the Hungry Caterpillar are still selling well decadesyou adjust your prices to get to the top of the list of
after they were written. And some specialist areas likevendors just before key buying periods such as
travel books are not too affected by passing fads.Sunday afternoons.
3. Advertise your store outside of Amazon - for their9. Have multiple suppliers. Don’t risk your
own purposes Amazon makes it very hard to findbusiness on one source of new stock, as they can
your bookstore unless you know the exact internalchange the rules without consulting you. Keep abreast
address. For that reason you need to give it out as farof where your fellow marketplace vendors are
and wide as you can. People won't just stumble uponobtaining their books – the users of Amazon
it, unless they are looking for the exact books youvendor forums are very helpful and surprisingly
stock so you will have to make an effort to get yournon-competitive in their sharing of information.
name out there.10. Think ahead. Boxed sets which are cheap in
4. Pack and send within 24 hours if possible -Springtime might be just what you need for the
Customer service, it goes without saying, is whatChristmas present buying season. If space permits,
differentiates the serious sellers from the fly by nights.stock up in advance and you can multiply your profits
If you are going to be around for the long term you willon good gift books three or four-fold.
be dependent upon repeat sales and there is no betterI hope this has given a flavour of how you can give a
way than by exceeding the customer’sboost to your online business. A lot of these tips are
delivery expectations.relevant whatever the nature of your online business.
5. Pack to cope with abuse. Assume that your bookGood luck in all your endeavours!