Why Donate Books Instead of Trying to Sell Them

You have a bookshelf full of books you're not reading anymore. Your first instinct is probably to make some money by selling them. You've heard about people selling books on Amazon, listing them on eBay, or bringing them to used bookstores. How hard could it be?

The reality is much less appealing than it sounds. Selling books is time-consuming, often unprofitable, and frustrating. After trying the popular methods—Amazon, eBay, buyback sites, used bookstores—most people realize that donation makes far more sense.

Let's look at what actually happens when you try to sell used books.

Last verified May 2026 · Original research by Josh Eldred

The Amazon Marketplace Reality

Amazon Marketplace is the default choice for many people selling used books. The process seems straightforward: find the book's ISBN, list it, wait for a buyer, ship it out, profit.

Except that's not what actually happens:

• You're competing with hundreds of other sellers of the same book. To sell, you often have to match lower prices.
• Most used books list for pennies to a few dollars, not the original retail price.
• Amazon takes a 15% commission on most book categories (20% on others).
• Shipping costs common reading copy range minimum, often eating your entire profit.
• After fees and shipping, a book listed at a few dollars nets you nearly nothing.
• Books sit listed for months before selling, clogging your inventory space.

The math doesn't work. A a few dollars sale minus 15% commission (pennies) minus shipping (a few dollars) leaves you negative.

eBay Sellers Quickly Become Disillusioned

eBay has a larger used book community, but the problems are similar:

• Final Value Fees average 12% of sale price.
• Competitive pricing pressure keeps book prices low.
• You have to photograph, describe, and list each book individually.
• Buyers message with questions, negotiate, sometimes return books.
• A single listing takes 10+ minutes of your time.
• If you have 50 books to sell, you're looking at 8+ hours of work.

By the time you've listed 10 books, you've invested hours for maybe modest value in revenue. The hourly rate is terrible.

Buyback Sites Pay Almost Nothing

Sites like Amazon Trade-In, Better World Books, and similar buyback programs offer quick payment with no listing required. That sounds ideal—until you see the offers.

Buyback sites typically offer pennies to pennies per book, even for books that are only a few years old. Popular bestsellers might get common reading copy range. But they also reject thousands of titles outright. Books considered outdated, low-demand, or in insufficient condition are simply declined.

A a few dollars buyback offer sounds better than nothing from a used bookstore—but just barely. And that's only if the site accepts the book at all. Most books are rejected, leaving you back at square one.

Used Bookstores Reject 80% of Submissions

You box up books and haul them to a used bookstore, hoping they'll buy them. The staff flips through your selection and rejects the vast majority.

Used bookstores have limited shelf space and curate their inventory carefully. They typically accept only 15-20% of books offered. Outdated editions, soft-cover wear, low-demand titles, duplicate categories—these all get rejected. You're told "no thanks" for 80% of what you brought.

Those rejected books are then your responsibility to transport home. Now you're back to the original problem.

For the 20% they accept, stores pay pennies to a few dollars per book, often less. A collection of 50 books might generate common reading copy prices if you're lucky.

The True Cost of Selling Books

When you add it up, the costs of selling used books are substantial:

• Your time photographing, describing, and listing (the common reading copy to mid-range zone/hour value)
• Packing materials and shipping costs
• Marketplace fees (12-20% of sale price)
• Transportation to used bookstores or shipping pick-up points
• The emotional frustration of rejected books and slow sales

By the time you factor in your time, most book sales generate negative return on investment.

Donation: Fast, Easy, and Actually Works

Donation removes all the friction. You don't have to:

• Photograph each book or write detailed descriptions
• Monitor listings and manage buyer messages
• Pack books carefully for shipment or negotiate shipping costs
• Handle returns or disputes
• Wait months for slow sales to clear your shelves
• Haul boxes around town hoping someone accepts them

With donation, you do one of three things:

1. Schedule a free pickup: I come to you and collect your books. You don't haul anything.
2. Use a 24/7 drop box: Drop off books whenever it's convenient, anytime of day.
3. Visit my location: Bring books directly and hand them over in minutes.

That's it. No waiting for sales, no shipping costs, no messages to answer, no rejections.

Yes, I'm For-Profit. That's the Difference.

Let's be direct: New Mexico Literacy Project is a for-profit operation. I resell books I can and donate children's books free to UNM Children's Hospital, residential care facilities for adults with developmental disabilities, and school libraries in small New Mexico towns. I'm not a charity.

But that's exactly why donation with me works better than trying to sell yourself. You're not volunteering your time and effort—you're offloading the work to us. I handle all the sorting, organizing, listing, and distribution. You don't have to do any of it.

The books that have value get resold. Books that don't have resale value I work to keep in circulation through other channels. Your books go to readers who benefit from them.

You get the benefit of clearing your space right away, with zero effort. The books get redistributed. Everyone wins.

The Bottom Line: Donation Wins

Here's a side-by-side comparison:

When you think in terms of time value, donation is wildly more efficient. Your time is worth something. Most people's hourly rate is higher than what they'd make selling used books.

Donate your books, clear your space, and move on with your life. That's the smart choice.