How to Start Dropshipping Books: A Beginner’s Guide in 2024

Dropshipping books in 2024 presents a lucrative opportunity for online entrepreneurs, with the global eCommerce market expected to reach $6.33 trillion by 2024. Despite the rise of digital formats, physical books remain in high demand, with 65% of adults in the U.S. reading at least one print book in the past year.

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to start a successful book dropshipping business, from choosing the right niche and suppliers to help set up your online store and marketing your products effectively.

Is it possible to dropshipping books?

Absolutely, you can dropship books. Books are a great choice for dropshipping because they are small, easy to ship, and have a global demand.

To begin dropshipping books, you must create an online store and connect with reliable book suppliers. When a customer orders a book from your store, your selected supplier will handle the packaging and shipping directly from their warehouse, ensuring the book reaches your customer without you having to manage any inventory.

Read more: How To Start Shopify Dropshipping: A Comprehensive Guide

Advantages of Dropshipping Books

One of the biggest advantages of running a dropshipping business is that you don’t have to keep any inventory. This means you can sell books without worrying about the extra costs of storing and shipping products, allowing you to focus your resources on attracting customers.

Dropshipping books offers many other benefits, such as:

• Expanding Market: Even with the rise of e-books, audiobooks, and digital readers like Kindles, physical books are still in high demand. In the US alone, 65% of adults have read a print book in the past year, showing that the market for physical books remains strong.

• Vast Product Range: With an estimated nearly 160 million unique book titles available globally as of 2024, you’ll have an enormous selection of products to offer in your dropshipping business.

• No Storage Fees: Storing books can be expensive, especially if you need a lot of space. However, with dropshipping, you don’t have to worry about storage costs or potential damages, as the books are shipped directly from the supplier’s warehouse to the customer.

• Potential for Passive Income: Once your online store is set up and connected to a reliable book supplier, you can automate much of the process. This allows you to generate income without being heavily involved in the day-to-day operations.

• Diverse Niches: With so many books available, there are countless niches you can explore. Finding a specific niche can help you target a particular audience and build a successful, profitable dropshipping business.

Steps to Begin Dropshipping Books

Pick Your Niche

When starting a dropshipping business for books, one of the most important steps is to choose your niche. While you might be tempted to offer a wide range of books, such as coloring books, children’s books, fiction, biographies, cookbooks, and encyclopedias, it often works better to focus on a specific area.

By narrowing down your selection, you can better target a specific group of book lovers. This lets you customize your marketing efforts to meet the interests and needs of that particular audience, which can enhance your chances of success. To help you with this process, consider the following steps:

• Research different types of books to identify potential niches.
• Choose a specific genre or category to focus on.
• Know what your target audience likes and prefers.
• Develop marketing content that specifically appeals to your chosen niche.
• Monitor and adjust your niche based on customer feedback and sales performance.

Create Your Shopify Store

Once you’ve selected the types of books you want to sell, the next step is to set up your Shopify store. This will be the online space where customers can browse and purchase your books. Ensure that your store reflects your brand identity by incorporating your brand colors, fonts, and visual elements. Providing some background information about your store can also help establist credibility and trust with potential customers.

To capture attention and drive sales, use high-quality images of book covers and consider highlighting your bestsellers. Here are the key steps to follow:

• Create your Shopify store: Set up your online store where customers will view and buy your books.
• Customize your store design: Use your brand’s colors, fonts, and images to create a cohesive look.
• Add store information: Include details about your store to build trust with visitors.
• Display high-quality book images: Use clear, attractive images of book covers to draw attention.
• Highlight bestsellers: Feature popular titles to encourage more sales.

To help set up your Shopify store, you can refer to the following articles:

• How To Make Your Shopify Store Look Professional: 8 Tips to Follow
• How to Buy a Shopify Store? 9 Essential Steps You Should Take
• 2024 Ultimate Guide on How to Create a Shopify Store

Find a Book Supplier

The next step is to find a dependable supplier for the books you want to sell. Start by looking into various dropshipping companies that focus on books. Pick a supplier that has the range of books you need for your store. Make sure you know how each supplier works and any costs they might have. Here’s how to go about it:

• Research dropshipping suppliers: Look for companies that specialize in books.
• Compare book selection: Choose a supplier that offers the variety of books you want to sell.
• Understand supplier operations: Learn how each supplier manages orders and shipments.
• Check for fees: Find out if there are any fees or costs associated with using their service.

Develop a Marketing Plan

Develop a marketing plan that incorporates various strategies to get the word out. Consider using social media, email newsletters, affiliate marketing, search engine optimization, and paid advertising to draw attention to your store. These techniques will help attract book enthusiasts to your site. Once you have a customer base, focus on maintaining their interest by offering loyalty programs and conducting regular marketing campaigns to encourage repeat business. Here’s a breakdown of the steps:

• Create a marketing plan: Detail your approach for promoting your books.

• Use social media: Share posts and updates about your books on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

• Send email campaigns: Reach out to potential and existing customers with newsletters and promotions.

• Implement SEO: Optimize your website to improve search engine rankings and attract more visitors.

• Run paid ads: Use targeted advertising to reach a wider audience.

Best 5 Dropshipping Suppliers for Books

1. AmericanBookCo

AmericanBookCo is a dedicated wholesaler specializing exclusively in books, making it an excellent choice for those looking to start a book dropshipping business. With a wide selection of titles across various genres, this supplier provides a reliable and cost-effective solution for stocking your online bookstore.

Why choose this supplier?

• Focuses solely on wholesaling books, ensuring a comprehensive range of options
• Offers books in many different categories, including biographies, entertainment, history, and fiction.
• As a dedicated book supplier, AmericanBookCo is well-equipped to meet the needs of online bookstores.

2. Half Moon Bay

Half Moon Bay is a UK-based dropshipping supplier that provides a wide variety of products, including a notable selection of books. Known for its easy integration with Shopify, Half Moon Bay is an excellent choice for online retailers looking to expand their book offerings without the hassle of inventory management.

Why choose this supplier?

• Offers a reliable dropshipping service with a focus on quality products.
• Provides hundreds of book titles across various niches, catering to a wide audience.
• Allows for quick and seamless connection to your Shopify store, streamlining the sales process.
• No cost to use the service, though permission and certificates are required for dropshipping branded products.
• In addition to books, Half Moon Bay also supplies other products, allowing for a diverse online store inventory

3. Lulu Express

Lulu Express is a unique dropshipping platform tailored for authors and creators who want to print and sell their books. With Lulu Express, you can easily design, print, and distribute your books to a global audience, all while maintaining full control over your brand and creative vision.

Why choose this supplier?

• Ideal for authors looking to print and dropship their own books.
• Deliver your books to over 150 countries, expanding your potential market.
• Offers pre-built templates to help you design professional-looking hardcovers.
• Seamlessly connect your Lulu Express account with Shopify to automate the selling process.
• Free to use; you only pay for the printing and shipping of your books.

4. AliExpress

AliExpress is a major global dropshipping platform known for its extensive range of products, including a wide variety of books. With low shipping fees and a vast selection, AliExpress is a great option for building a diverse and cost-effective online bookstore.

Why choose this supplier?

• Thousands of books available across various genres and categories.
• Ships to over 200 countries and regions, allowing you to reach a broad audience.
• Typically offers very low shipping fees, making it a cost-effective choice.
• Includes books from different authors and publishers, providing ample options for your store.
• No upfront costs to use the platform; you only pay for manufacturing and shipping.

5. Amazon

Amazon , one of the largest and most well-known online marketplaces, offers a vast selection of books for dropshipping. Leveraging Amazon’s extensive reach and established customer base, you can easily populate your online bookstore with popular titles from a variety of genres and authors.

Why choose this supplier?

• Access thousands of books across countless genres and niches.
• Benefit from Amazon’s global reputation and large existing customer base.
• Amazon’s reliable fulfillment services and customer support enhance buyer confidence.
• Stock your store with books from well-known authors as well as niche writers.
• No cost to list products; you only need to cover shipping fees when fulfilling orders.

Read more: A Comprehensive Guide To Amazon Shopify Dropshipping

5 Tips for Achieving Dropshipping Success

To achieve success in book dropshipping, it’s essential to have a reliable book supplier. The quality of your customers’ experience largely depends on how efficiently and safely the books are shipped and delivered. Therefore, selecting the right supplier is vital for your business.

Here are some helpful tips for beginners to ensure you start on the right foot:

• Check reviews: Take the time to compare different book suppliers by reading reviews from other customers. Look for a supplier with a good reputation, especially from other book business owners who have had positive experiences.

• Gather detailed information: Make sure you get all the important details about the books from your suppliers. This includes information like the weight, number of pages, type of material, and color. Knowing these details can help you accurately present the products to your customers.

• Sell what you enjoy: If you have a favorite genre or a particular interest in certain books, consider focusing on that niche. Being passionate about what you sell will help you connect more effectively with your target audience and craft more effective marketing messages.

• Choose the right products: Carefully select the books you want to sell in your store. Pay attention to the specifics, such as the language, version, and other distinguishing features of each book. This ensures you’re offering the right products that meet your customers’ needs.

• Identify your unique selling point: With over 43,100 booksellers in the US as of 2024, it’s important to stand out. Think about what makes your store unique. Is it competitive pricing, a specialized range of products, or a focus on a particular audience? Highlighting what sets you apart can help attract and retain customers.

Conclusion

In conclusion, dropshipping books in 2024 offers a promising opportunity for aspiring online entrepreneurs. By carefully selecting a niche, setting up a professional online store, partnering with reliable suppliers, and crafting a strong marketing strategy, you can build a successful dropshipping business.

With the continued demand for physical books and the advantages of the dropshipping model, you have the chance to reach a global audience and create a thriving bookstore without the need for inventory management. Start exploring the possibilities today and take your first steps toward dropshipping success.