Are you considering a venture into dropshipping books? If yes, you’ve chosen a promising path in the world of e-commerce. Starting a book dropshipping store presents a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs due to their low entry costs and broad consumer appeal. Yet, while it holds substantial potential, it also brings forth its share of challenges. Many newcomers struggle with essential questions: “What are the hottest book products that can captivate consumers?” and “How can I establish trust with reliable suppliers?”.
In this comprehensive guide on dropshipping books, we’ll uncover the trending book products and trustworthy suppliers. As you delve into this resource, you’ll gain the know-how to select the right books to sell and ensure seamless customer satisfaction, paving the way for a flourishing dropshipping business in the book niche.
Is Dropshipping Books Worth It?
Today, the digital world is taking over the book industry, especially with the rise of eBooks. However, in contrast to popular belief, physical books remain popular and in demand. In fact, the book industry thrives with innovations in publishing technologies and the expansion of reading interests.
According to a statistics forecast, the book market will increase to 159.3 billion USD in 2028. Therefore, dropshipping books is a worthwhile business to start.
To give us hindsight, we’ll review different types of books consumers enjoy reading. Plus, we can source books for lower costs, allowing us to sell them competitively.
Overall, dropshipping books is a low-risk and high-reward venture. Moreover, this business model doesn’t require us to maintain physical inventory, so we’re free from losses due to unsold stocks. Thus, with these benefits, we can secure the profitability and popularity of dropshipping books.
Dropshipping Books Sale Stats Around The World
When dropshipping books, it’s crucial to understand the global landscape of this industry. By examining sales statistics and trends worldwide, we can gain valuable insights into the dynamic and evolving market of dropshipping books.
The information we can get from doing so will help us identify lucrative opportunities. Moreover, it can provide a comprehensive view of the challenges and potential rewards that lie ahead. So, without further ado, let’s dive into the global statistics to understand what’s happening in dropshipping books.
Book Sales on A Global Level
The global book market has always been a lucrative industry with many opportunities for entrepreneurs. While the rise of ebooks and digital platforms may have altered the landscape, physical books still hold a significant market share.
Print Books Statistics
Print books continue to dominate the global market, generating over $64.35 billion in revenue as of 2023. Although there has been a decline in print book revenue over the past decade, there are signs of a steady recovery. In fact, print book revenue’s projected annual growth rate is estimated at 1.08%, reaching $67.14 billion by 2027. It indicates that there is still a substantial market for physical books.
Online Sales
Online sales have seen remarkable growth, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, online channels facilitate over 25% of all book sales worldwide. This number provides a significant opportunity for dropshippers to establish their online presence and access the global customer base.
Top Book Markets: The United States, China, and Germany
When considering dropshipping physical books globally, it is essential to identify the top book markets. The United States takes the lead, controlling over 24.7% of all global book sales. China follows closely with a 19.4% market share, while Germany accounts for 9.2%. These three countries collectively contribute to a significant portion of the global book market.
Book Sales in The United States
Statistics show that the U.S. print book market is thriving, presenting an excellent opportunity for those looking to start a dropshipping business in the book industry. Here are some key points to consider:
Market Health
788.7 million printed books sold in 2022, and this figure indicates a strong and healthy market. Despite a slight drop from 2021, the sales figure remains higher than in previous years, showcasing the continued demand for physical books.
Dominant Format
Trade paperbacks account for 60% of all book sales, making them an excellent product to focus on when dropshipping books. Most readers prefer this format, and stocking them in your online store can attract many customers.
Seasonal Sales
Statistics show that bookstore sales in the United States peak in December, January, and August. However, December consistently sees higher sales figures, indicating the popularity of books as holiday gifts. This peak presents a golden opportunity for dropshippers to capitalize on the festive season and market books as ideal presents for loved ones.
Holiday Gift Market
Annual surveys have consistently shown that around 30% to 40% of consumers plan to purchase books as presents during the holiday season. This trend highlights the gift-giving potential of books, making them a lucrative product category for dropshipping entrepreneurs.
Book Sales in The United Kingdom
The UK publishing industry experienced a record-breaking year in 2022, with significant physical book sales growth. This fact presents a promising opportunity for entrepreneurs interested in dropshipping books in the UK market.
Rising Sales Figures
According to the Publishers Association’s report, the UK witnessed the highest-ever level of book sales in 2022. Physical book sales reached a staggering 669 million copies, showcasing the enduring appeal of printed books. Undoubtedly, these impressive figures indicate a substantial market for dropshipping books in the UK.
Profitable Genres
Fiction continues to be a popular genre, with a remarkable 9% increase in sales, reaching £797 million. This number presents an opportunity to curate a collection of bestselling fiction titles for dropshipping.
Additionally, children’s books witnessed a 1% increase in sales, highlighting the demand for educational and entertaining literature for young readers. Unquestionably, entrepreneurs can tap into this market by offering a wide range of children’s books through their dropshipping business.
Export Market
The export market for UK books experienced an 8% increase in sales, accounting for £4.1 billion. Notably, Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper series emerged as a bestselling export, further enhancing the global reputation of UK literature. Entrepreneurs can leverage the popularity of British books internationally by dropshipping these titles to customers worldwide. Doing so allows for a broader customer reach and increased revenue potential.
Book Influencers and BookTok
The A Year in Publishing report acknowledged the influential role played by book influencers, particularly on the social media platform TikTok. Without a doubt, the BookTok community has been instrumental in reigniting people’s passion for reading and driving book sales.
Book Sales in China
As China’s book retail market evolves, entrepreneurs have significant opportunities to venture into dropshipping books. Despite an overall drop in the market during the first three quarters of 2022, specific categories have showcased impressive growth, making them ideal targets for dropshipping.
Growth Potential in Literature and Art Books
During the first three quarters of 2022, literature and art books in China experienced a noteworthy retail sales growth of 12.4% compared to the year before. This growth reflects the strong demand for these genres among Chinese book buyers.
Diversified Genres and Languages
China’s book market encompasses a wide range of genres and languages, providing ample opportunities for dropshipping. Whether it’s fiction, non-fiction, self-help, or educational books, catering to different reading preferences can help attract a diverse customer base. Furthermore, considering the linguistic diversity of China, offering books in various languages, such as English, French, and Dutch, can further broaden the potential customer base.
20+ Best Dropshipping Books To Sell
Now, we know that the book industry is far from dead. Therefore, let’s jumpstart our dropshipping books business by identifying the best products to sell.
Before diving into our list, remember that we can dropship fiction and non-fiction books. However, we must avoid selling copyrighted books, as they are intellectual property protected.
So, here are the top dropshipping books categories that made it to our list:
Let’s get started with our trending books list.
1. Art & Entertainment Books
The top spot in the trending dropshipping books categories belongs to arts and entertainment. This book category covers various topics related to different artistic expressions and media. By selling these books, customers can enjoy art therapy and enticing reads.
To give us an overview, Google Trends shows the constant popularity of art books in customer searches worldwide. Thus, we are confident we have a substantial market for these products.
Here are great art and entertainment books to dropship:
- Performing Arts Books
- Design Books
- Interior Home Design Books
- Adult Coloring Books
- Tattoo Idea Books
- Pop Culture Books
- Painting Books
- Fashion Books
- Photography Books
- Sketch Books
Beginner’s Tip: Boost your average order value (AOV) by adding art materials to coloring book purchases. This simple upselling technique enhances the customer experience and encourages them to spend more.
2. Fiction Books
As a highly anticipated dropshipping book category, fiction is a literary work from pure imagination. Regarding physical attributes, fiction books come in paperback or hardcover options. Furthermore, these dropshipping books are available in different paper materials like matte or glossy, so be sure to offer both options.
Notably, fiction books compose about 52.88% of all print book sales in the USA as of 2022. With this figure, dropshipping fiction books is a definite way to generate massive sales.
Add the following top-selling fiction genres to increase your sales:
- Romance
- Mystery
- Thriller
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Action & Adventure
- Poetry
- True Crime
Beginner’s Tip: Offering creative bookmarks as freebies, such as metallic clips, will help us gain customer loyalty, resulting in repeat sales.
3. History Books
Another superb dropshipping book category is history. As non-fiction works, history books document and analyze past events, people, and cultures. Likewise, these books are perfect for historians, students, academic professionals, and enthusiasts.
Undeniably, the vast search volume of people worldwide proves the high demand for history books. The web search activities of consumers back this claim, according to Google Trends.
Enjoy huge profits by dropshipping these in-demand history books:
- World History Books
- Military History Books
- Modern History Books
- US History Books
- World War II Books
- Ancient History Books
- European History Books
4. Children’s Books
Our next dropshipping book idea is no other than children’s books. Children’s minds are the most curious, so we can offer enticing reads to perk up their imaginations. Remember to consider the age range, genre, theme, language, and reviews of books to ensure they’re suitable for our intended audience.
In 2022 alone, the total sales of children’s books amounted to 250.76 million. This figure has increased by 11.37% since 2018, making children’s books one of the fastest-growing categories in sales.
Check out these in-demand book choices for children:
- Children’s Coloring Books
- Children’s Comic Books
- Anti-Tear Cloth Books
- Geography Books
- Children’s Early Learning Activity Books
- Racing Letter Books
- Math Books
- Reusable Water Drawing Books
- Writing Books
- Dictionaries
- ABC Workbooks
- Books With CD Audio
- Animal Books
5. Graphic Novels
At the fifth spot, graphic novels are sought-after dropshipping book choices due to their dynamic plots and vibrant characters. We should include several genres like fantasy, romance, comedy, and other popular themes when dropshipping these products. Plus, dropshipping the latest releases can attract a larger audience to our stores.
According to Google Trends, many consumers are interested in graphic novels based on their web search activities. Thus, graphic novels are among the most popular and widely-read books ever.
Here’s a list of the most interesting graphic novels that customers will love:
- Manga
- Science Fiction & Fantasy Manga
- Superheroes Comic Books
- Anime
- Nonfiction Comic Books
6. Cookbooks
Professional and amateur chefs would agree that buying cookbooks is a delightful experience. Therefore, we should add the best dropshipping books under this category. As such, cookbooks can help people learn new techniques, discover fresh ingredients, and expand their culinary horizons.
Cookbooks gain a massive volume of web searches over a long period based on Google Trends. As a result, dropshipping cookbooks can secure many potential customers for our business.
Get ready to satisfy your customers’ hunger with these high-profit potential cookbooks:
- Cooking Methods Books
- Regional & Ethnic Cookbooks
- Health & Healing Cookbooks
- Quick Recipe Cookbooks
- Vegetarian Cookbooks
- Cookbooks For Entertaining
- Vegan Cookbooks
- American Cookbooks
The Top Book Dropshipping Suppliers
At last, we have the best dropshipping books to sell in our stores. The next step to our dropshipping success is picking reliable suppliers that offer these top products. With that said, here are the best dropshipping books suppliers that we can work with:
Without further ado, let’s explore what each supplier can offer our dropshipping books business.
1. AliExpress
First on our list of the best dropshipping book suppliers is AliExpress. With millions of products on its website, AliExpress is an excellent source of the most trending books.
Key Features
- Dropshipping-friendly
- Competitive prices
- Domestic warehouses
- Global shipping
As a dropshipping-friendly supplier, AliExpress provides us with the best products and services. For instance, it has the AliExpress Dropship Center, where we can search for best-selling books to sell. Plus, competitive prices in the platform lead to maximized profit margins.
Additionally, AliExpress manages numerous distribution centers worldwide. Similarly, it serves customer orders around the globe with its flexible shipping options.
2. Banggood
Like AliExpress, Banggood is a China-based supplier offering hundreds of thousands of dropshipping books products. As a dropshipping-friendly supplier, Banggood gives loads of benefits to our online business.
Key Features
- High-profit margins
- Local warehouses
- Fast shipping
- Exclusive deals
Banggood offers low prices for its products, such as books. As a result, we can sell these items at reasonable costs and achieve increased profits.
Besides that, Banggood has over ten domestic warehouses that fulfill customer demands worldwide. These warehouses follow a systematic logistic structure, paving the way to faster shipping arrangements and a greater market reach. To top it all off, Banggood offers exclusive deals to online sellers, like free membership and access to personalized product suggestions.
3. eBay
Another over-the-top dropshipping supplier where we can find trending book items is eBay. This multinational company has long established its name in eCommerce, making it one of the best dropshipping book suppliers.
Key Features
- Huge book selection
- Fast shipping
- Buyer and seller protection
- eBay feedback system
As one of the largest online marketplaces, eBay provides vast book choices for dropshippers. With various book categories ranging from fiction to non-fiction, we’ll find exceptional book ideas from eBay. Likewise, eBay facilitates fast and convenient shipping through its global warehouses.
Among its features, eBay is well-known for its exceptional customer service. In fact, it has buyer and seller protection, so both parties can ensure that orders are delivered timely and issues get resolved efficiently. Finally, eBay has a feedback system that enables us to identify which books sell fast and which don’t convert to sales.
4. AutoDS Warehouse & Private Suppliers
AutoDS stands out as a reliable and efficient dropshipping books supplier. With their wide range of products, automation tools, and support services, they want to help dropshippers succeed in their businesses. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced dropshipper, AutoDS has the resources to assist you in achieving your goals.
Key Features
- Multiple trusted global suppliers
- Affordable products
- Dropshipping-friendly
AutoDS provides automation tools for dropshippers and helps connect them with suppliers globally. Moreover, we offer support and resources to help dropshippers achieve dropshipping success.
Specifically, we have live chat support, ensuring you have assistance whenever needed. Our 1-to-1 chat support and help center are available 24/7 to address any questions or concerns.
5. Alibaba
Our fifth dropshipping books supplier is Alibaba, an Alibaba Group affiliate company. With millions of products available online, Alibaba is a reliable platform for searching for trending book ideas.
Key Features
- Competitive prices
- Supplier verification program
- Branding solutions
One of the things that dropshippers love about Alibaba is the low prices of its products. Undoubtedly, customers will return to our stores when we sell good quality books at reasonable costs.
To ensure that we’re doing business with legitimate suppliers, Alibaba has a verification program that helps secure our payments online. Moreover, the platform provides branding solutions, allowing us to establish our business reputation through branded packaging or logos.
6. Walmart
Next, we have Walmart, a large-scale company in terms of revenue. This dropshipping books supplier operates discount hypermarkets, grocery stores, department stores, and an online marketplace.
Key Features
- Extensive book categories
- Flexible delivery arrangements
- Perks and discounts
- Price match guarantee
Being a large company, Walmart provides multiple book categories online, such as history, romance, arts, literature, and other extensive options. Walmart also offers next-day delivery in the USA, permitting a fast and convenient fulfillment of customer orders. Plus, it enables domestic and international shipping to connect with broader markets worldwide.
Furthermore, we can find deals and discounts on books, which can help us allocate competitive pricing on our products. Last but not least is Walmart’s price match guarantee. This feature allows us to request a refund when a product’s price decreases after we purchase it.
7. Amazon
Amazon traces its roots to being a pioneer in selling books online. Today, this eCommerce giant offers a vast array of dropshipping book categories on its website.
Key Features
- Vast book catalog
- Domestic warehouses
- Fast shipping times
- Practical return policy
Since it started as a bookseller, Amazon has become one of the biggest book suppliers. It offers chart-topping and up-to-date book choices at reasonable prices. In addition, its vast product catalog includes fiction books, children’s books, and textbook categories.
Besides that, Amazon has over 100 warehouses that offer same-day and two-day shipping options, allowing us to deliver customer orders swiftly. On top of that, Amazon extends high-quality service to its clients. With its 30-day return policy, buyers can return items without questions.
Tips For Having A Successful Dropshipping Books Store
There you go with the top six book dropshipping suppliers! If you’re planning to start a dropshipping books store, there are several strategies you can employ to ensure its success. Here are some tips to help you build a profitable dropshipping business:
Read reviews
Before choosing a supplier or specific books to sell, read reviews from customers who have purchased from them. Doing so will give you an idea of the quality of their products, shipping times, and customer service. Given that, look for suppliers with positive reviews to ensure customer satisfaction.
Gather all the information
Next, when dropshipping books, gathering all the necessary information about the books you plan to sell is essential. The information you must get includes details like the weight and size of the books, as this will affect shipping costs. Knowing these details will also help you accurately calculate pricing and profit margins.
Sell what you know about
It’s always a good idea to sell books that you are knowledgeable and passionate about. Doing so will allow you to provide valuable insights and recommendations to your customers, building trust and credibility. Choose books in genres or niches that you have an interest in or expertise in, as this will make your business more enjoyable and sustainable.
Sell the right product
When dropshipping books, selling the right product to the right audience is essential. Make sure you have the right book edition, especially if it’s a popular title with multiple editions. Ensure that your books are in the correct language for your target market. Providing accurate and detailed product information will help minimize returns and customer dissatisfaction.
Have a unique selling point
A unique selling point in a competitive market can make your dropshipping books store stand out. Thus, consider offering additional services or benefits to your customers, such as personalized book recommendations, curated book collections, or exclusive author interviews. Differentiating yourself from other bookstores will attract customers and generate repeat business.
Following these tips can increase your chances of running a successful dropshipping books store. Remember to continuously improve your marketing strategies, optimize your website, and provide excellent customer service to build a loyal customer base. Also, keep in mind that your dropshipping business can thrive in the growing book market with dedication and effort.
Scale Your Dropshipping Books Business
Fantastic! We now have suppliers to provide us with trending books for our dropshipping books business. But wait, there’s more! Let’s uncover the secrets to dropshipping success through the following key tips:
- Product research
- Marketing
- Customer service
- Dropshipping automation
Product Research
Undeniably, conducting product research is the backbone of any dropshipping book venture. With an extensive selection of books we can sell, it’s crucial that we choose the right options that will lead to enormous sales.
With that said, the AutoDS Product Research Marketplace allows us to find best-selling books that will ensure great profits. To do so, we can access the profitability insights of books, including their source costs and retail prices. Besides that, the platform gives us information on shipping times, prices, and locations of different book choices.
Marketing
Aside from product research, we can also invest in marketing for our dropshipping books business. As such, we can utilize effective promotional strategies to gain optimum traffic to convert into sales.
Here are some proven marketing techniques we can adopt:
- Promoted Listings Standard
- Promoted Listings Advanced
- PPC Ads
- Influencer Marketing
- Email Marketing
- Content Marketing
- and more!
Customer Service
Moreover, satisfactory customer service is essential in giving clients the best shopping experience. When queries are properly and timely answered, customers will see our business as trustworthy and reliable. As a result, we’ll gain their trust and loyalty, expanding our audience base.
To extend top-caliber customer service, we can utilize the following strategies:
- Live chat
- FAQs pages
- Ticket submission
- Phone number
Dropshipping Automation
On top of everything, dropshipping automation is the ultimate answer to running an efficient and profitable dropshipping book business. With automation, we can save substantial time because dropshipping software streamlines all tasks for us. We can integrate with AutoDS in the automation of the following dropshipping features:
- Product Imports
- Complete Order Fulfillment
- Price/Stock Monitoring
- Automatic Price Optimization
- One-Screen Inventory Management
- and much more!
Undeniably, AutoDS provides worthwhile tools that can help us manage our dropshipping business more efficiently. Now, let’s hear some testimonials from famous dropshppers who partnered with AutoDS toward success:
As other dropshippers are now reaping the success of business automation, so can you. Begin your journey toward massive profits by partnering with AutoDS.
Frequently Asked Questions
Am I Allowed To Start Dropshipping Books?
Absolutely! Dropshipping books is allowed. As long as we adhere to eCommerce standards, we can safely and legally sell books. To do so, we must avoid offering copyrighted books and counterfeit copies.
Who Are The Best Book Dropshipping Suppliers?
We have several reliable dropshipping suppliers for books, such as Amazon, AliExpress, and Banggood. These dropshipping book suppliers offer extensive product catalogs, competitive pricing, and exceptional customer support.
What Are The Most Profitable Books To Dropship?
Art & Entertainment Books, Fiction Books, History Books, Children’s Books, Graphic Novels, and Cookbooks are the most trending ones. Due to the high demand for these categories, we can ensure huge profits when dropshipping these book ideas.
Conclusion
There you go with everything you need to learn to start dropshipping books. We highly recommend checking out our other blogs to learn more about this business model. Rest assured, these guides are comprehensive and value-adding!
