Confused about closing fee for paperbacks. Is it really that high?
I just listed a few books from a distributor. Authorized to resell and all that, but I was very surprised to see the closing fees. Does Amazon really take $4.14 of every $5 book I sell? I listed them using the UPCs to search for the items and then listed all as new as they are directly from a distributor.
Confused about closing fee for paperbacks. Is it really that high?
I just listed a few books from a distributor. Authorized to resell and all that, but I was very surprised to see the closing fees. Does Amazon really take $4.14 of every $5 book I sell? I listed them using the UPCs to search for the items and then listed all as new as they are directly from a distributor.
8 replies
Seller_MyXY4Myx9zVcR
It really is not worth it for an individual to sell books on Amazon for less than $10-15.
Low book prices still work for the megasellers and the charity sellers, who get their books for free, use volunteer labor and can take advantage of bulk rate shipping with the USPS.
Seller_nRFmxiQg4EGrw
Fees for books are 15% of the total price (including shipping charges), plus $1.80; if you are an individual seller, another 99 cents on top.
So for a $5.00, plus $3.99 shipping, total cost is $8.99
15% is $1.35
Add $1.80 = $3.15
Assuming you have an individual account, add 99 cents gets to $4.14.
So yes, that is the fee charged for a book listed at $5. Amazon will pay you $4.89. Note that you still have to pay shipping out of that amount, which for a MM paperback will be about $4, plus packaging materials.
Upgrading to a Pro account costs $39.99/month, but saves the 99 cents per sale, so if you sell 40+, it's a no brainer. Even if you sell less, it can be worthwhile, as it makes you eligible for the BB, as well as giving you access to business reports.
But bottom line, it's hard to make much money selling such low priced books.
