Amazon is an excellent way to sell books without going through the lengthy publishing process. You can publish any book you want there, but some are much more profitable than others. 

If you’re considering selling a book on Amazon but don’t know where to start to yield the most profit, we’re here to help. Let’s look at 10 types of books you can sell on Amazon for a profit. 

1. Textbooks

Unsurprisingly, textbooks are the most popular books to buy on Amazon. This is the most searched-for book category on Amazon, too. 

Textbooks are incredibly lucrative as there are countless students needing them every year. Amazon often allows you to set a slightly cheaper price, too, meaning that most of their business will come to you. 

Look for textbooks that have been published recently, as older textbooks might be outdated and worthless. 

The general rule here is that you should sell textbooks that are the most useful for people – the more someone can learn from your textbook, the more money it will be worth. 

2. Fantasy Books

Fantasy books are the most consistent at generating income from fiction categories. But why? There are a few reasons. 

Fantasy books are best for generalized reading. Many sellers regard these books as worthless and move on to another type of book to sell.

This means that fantasy books are widely untouched, leaving the market wide open for you. 

Another reason is that first editions of fantasy books are widely sought after. If you find a first edition, you could be sitting on a lot of money. 

Fiction books can be lucrative when you know where to look, and fantasy is the ideal genre for making money. 

3. Business Books

Some business books will fall under the category of textbooks, but there are also plenty of business books that do not.

Business books is an umbrella term for memoirs, business how-tos, self-help books, and more. 

The category is so large that it is bound to be more lucrative than others. Plus, people buying business books tend to have more disposable income than people buying other book categories.

You might choose to put the price up because of this. 

There are plenty of different types of business books that you can sell, so you won’t be restricted in what you want to offer. 

4. Audio Books

Audiobooks are another common genre that the majority of booksellers ignore. This means that the market is unsaturated, and you can take full advantage of this. 

Just remember to sell audiobooks with no scratches on them, and make sure that all of the discs are included. 

One thing about selling audiobooks on Amazon is that the customers tend to prefer a lower price.

If someone is selling the book for less than you are, they’re likely to opt for the other seller. 

Audiobook buyers tend to prioritize a lower price over fast shipping, so keep the price as low as you can with longer shipping times. 

5. New Books

New books are always going to be worth more on Amazon than older books (unless you’re selling sought-after first editions). 

Of course, there is a degree of risk that comes with selling new books, such as if it’s not very good or the marketing of it fails.

However, new books have the potential to be a goldmine. 

The rise of book publishing on social media is amazing for booksellers. A new book can go viral within a matter of minutes, and sell out instantly. 

This is more likely to happen to new books, so take the risk and opt for newer books to sell rather than older, cheaper ones. 

6. Book Box Sets

Book box sets are often collector’s items and therefore can be worth a pretty penny when being resold. It’ll cost more for you to buy the stock, but the profit you can gain is more than worth it. 

Look for box sets with custom artwork, collector’s edition books, extra information, and other features that would make it more valuable to readers. 

7. Computer Books

Books that can make people money, are going to make you more money when selling them. Plus, they’ll be easier to shift – as everyone wants to better themselves, right? 

Computer books are an excellent option to sell, as everyone is always needing to learn more about the subject. In a digital world, computer skills are vital. 

The best computer books to sell include topics such as programming, software, and computer architecture. 

While computer books might not be the most interesting books to read or sell, they are highly lucrative and are sure to sell well on Amazon. 

8. Biographies

Biographies are always going to be lucrative because people enjoy reading about their favorite celebrities or influential people. 

While we have been talking about newer books being the way forward, this is not necessarily  true for biographies. 

In any other category, older books will have outdated knowledge and have a lower worth. But biographies are still relevant and interesting no matter how old they are. 

So, you can sell older biographies for as much as new ones. Older ones might even be more lucrative as they could be rarer! 

Sell biographies for a range of influential people that many different people would enjoy. Don’t just stick to famous people in the present – this market is oversaturated.

9. Manga Books

Manga books are amazing. They’re basically one large story composed of dozens of little books, meaning that if the buyer doesn’t buy all of the books at once, they won’t be able to read the entire story. 

The risk of them not being able to find the next part is often reason enough for the buyer to buy all of the manga books in one go. As you can imagine, this is incredibly lucrative. 

Imagine that a manga book set has a total of 15 books, and you can sell each for $30. That’s $450 right there! If you find a manga box set to sell, you’re in for a real treat. 

10. Romance Books

Finally, romance books are a great place to start selling on Amazon. The market is highly saturated, but it still continues to be one of the most popular genres out there. 

Who doesn’t love a romance book? Older romances, newer ones, and everywhere in between – a romance novel could be the most lucrative on your Amazon store. 

Romance books are particularly popular on social media, so look for the ones that are being most talked about.

These are sure to earn you more money from the sheer volume of sales, and you might even be able to raise the price if demand is high enough. 

Summary

Thanks for reading! If you’re looking to sell books on Amazon, you cannot go wrong with any of these 10 topics. 

The most lucrative books to sell on Amazon are textbooks, business books, and computer books. 

If you prefer selling fiction, though, look for fantasy or new books. 

Audiobooks and manga books tend to have an unsaturated market, meaning that you can swoop in and charge more for these books. 

We always recommend that you have a good book-scanning app to use when at a book fair.