How Authors Can Profit from the Used Book Market
With the used book market growing at a faster rate than new books, it’s important for authors to tap into inclusive ways to connect with readers and monetize their used books.
July 31, 2025
With the used book market growing at a faster rate than new books, it’s important for authors to tap into inclusive ways to connect with readers and monetize their used books. Keep reading to find out:
How big is the used book market?
3 reasons the used book market is thriving
Do authors make money from used books?
The innovative new way authors can unlock used book profits
Want to add a Quilltips Jar to your book to potentially earn money from the used book market? Find out how here or keep reading below.
How Big Is the Used Book Market?
The second-hand book market is expected to reach $48.5 billion globally by 2032, up from $25.6 billion in 2023, which indicates a 5.95% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), according to Credence Research. In the United States alone, the second-hand book market is anticipated to reach $8.6 billion by 2032, up from $5.3 billion in 2023, which indicates a 5.6% CAGR.
To put this data into perspective, the global book market—which includes academic publishing, trade publishing, self-publishing, ebooks, and audiobooks—is expected to reach $198.2 billion by 2030, up from $156.4 billion in 2024, representing a 3% CAGR, according to Stellar Market Research. In the United States, the book market is projected to grow at 4.2% CAGR from 2025 to 2030, according to Grand View Research.
Higher average selling prices and broad distribution mean that the retail book market is still larger in revenue terms, but the used market has become a major force and is growing faster than the retail market.
3 Reasons the Used Book Market Is Thriving
Today’s used book business popularity is a result of socio-economic trends, technological advances, and value shifts.
1. Second-Hand Books Offer Reader Savings
It’s no secret that used books can offer significant savings to voracious readers, but let’s dig into how much savings second-hand books offer and why.
How Much Can You Save Buying a Used Book?
Used books are often 50% to 80% lower priced than new books, making preloved books a frugal choice for readers who want to purchase books at a fraction of the ever-increasing retail cost.
Average book prices range depending on format:
New hardcover book: $20 – $30
New paperback book: $10 – $20
eBook: $0.00 – $15
This means a $30 novel can typically be purchased at a second-hand store for as low as $6. The cost of a used book may depend on the condition of the book. If the book is in pristine condition it can be priced higher than if it contains highlighting, dog-eared pages, and a worn cover.
It’s worth noting that not all second-hand books are less expensive than new books. First editions of now-famous books, special editions with limited print runs, and books that are no longer in print and therefore not easily available elsewhere can garner hefty price tags. First-edition copies of Lewis Carrol’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, for example, fetch up to $3 million.
Why Are Books Getting More Expensive?
Just like eggs, housing, and fuel oil, book prices have been increasing over the past decade. Manufacturing priorities, tariffs, and labor strikes contributed to rising book costs.
Paper Shortage: Amid the rise in ecommerce and sustainability initiatives that favor paper over plastic, paper mills reduced high-quality paper stock production to capitalize on the demand for packaging products. The paper shortages of 2018 drove book production costs up as publishers competed for paper stock. In 2019, it was reported that publishers were struggling to print enough copies of books to meet reader demand.
Tariffs: In September 2019, 15% tariffs were placed on books—excluding children’s and religious books—printed in China, which was reduced to 7.5% in February 2020. Tariff policies are fluctuating, but as of July 2025, the 7.5% tariff on non-exempt books manufactured in China remains in effect.
COVID-19: In 2020, COVID-19 resulted in reduced supplies and a labor shortage across industries. Publishers faced increased costs related to paper, ink, shipping, and distribution.
Labor: Inflation, the reevaluation of work-life balance that resulted from facing a global pandemic, and longstanding lean salaries led book publishing professionals to push for fair compensation for their work. In 2023, the union at HarperCollins Publishers went on strike, negotiating a starting salary of $50,000 for incoming staff, which as Book Riot points out, is “just above a living wage for a single working adult in New York City (that clocks in at about $46,800).”
All of these costs were passed along to readers. Ingram Spark, for example, raised print book prices 10% to 12% in 2021. More recently, Readers First reported that publishers increased print prices on Amazon an average of 3% from May 2022 to December 2023, with Simon & Schuster increasing 8.1% and Hachette increasing 11.5%.
2. It’s Now Easier to Purchase Used Books Online
Hunting for gems at used bookstores is still an avid pastime for many readers, but it isn’t ideal if you are searching for a specific textbook or the latest New York Times bestseller. After all, it isn’t typical to know in advance what titles would be available to purchase.
Online used book shopping has made it significantly more convenient to locate the exact title, author, and even edition desired. Readers no longer have to drive around to multiple stores and cross their fingers to find what they’re looking for.
It’s not surprising that online bookselling is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.6% from 2024 to 2032, according to Stellar Market Research.
3. Readers Care About Sustainability
Sustainability is becoming a key consideration when making purchases, with Millennials and Gen Z three times more likely to be willing to pay more for sustainable products than their Baby Boomer counterparts, according to a McKinsey & Company study. While 16% of respondents to the World Economic Forum cite the higher cost of eco-friendly products as a deterring factor to adopting a sustainable lifestyle, the significant discount for used books makes second-hand book buying a win-win for sustainability-minded bibliophiles.
Do Authors Make Money from Used Books?
Authors don’t earn royalties from used books. Furthermore, they’re not profiting from the rise in book prices and are just barely keeping up with inflation.
Despite book prices increasing for the reader, Book Riot pointed out authors themselves have “not seen any meaningful increase in what they earn as an advance.”
Likewise, the Authors Guild 2023 Author Income Survey indicated the median income from books by full-time authors was $10,000 in 2022. While this is an increase from the first year of the survey—2009’s figure of $6,250—when adjusted for inflation, it amounts to a gain of under $500 over 16 years.
The Authors Guild defines book income as inclusive of: “advances, royalties, and fees from licensing and subsidiary rights.” Noticeably absent from this list is used books, which is because it's atypical for authors to receive any financial considerations for their books reselling.
What’s more is that authors don’t receive access to data on the number of books resold through second-hand bookstores or online used bookstores. This means they have little insight into the true popularity of their books, which may be experiencing new life on the second-hand book market the way solar panels have garnered a cult following on Facebook Marketplace and eBay and vintage Hermes Birkins are twice as valuable as new ones.
Launched this summer, Quilltips is reimagining possibilities for authors to take advantage of the used book market, offering the potential for profitability through reader-contributed tips and expanded market reach.
The Innovative New Way Authors Can Unlock Used Book Profits
Quilltips enables you to add a QR code to your books that readers can scan to send a monetary tip directly to you, leave feedback, join your email list, and follow your social media and website.
Quilltips Jar — Tips
Your Quilltips Jar allows readers who purchase your used books at a fraction of the retail cost to support you by tipping an amount of their choosing.
Not only does this help you get a cut of the growing second-hand market that you would otherwise never see, but in some cases it could even help you outearn what you would receive in royalties. Most books do not sell through their advance so most authors never receive royalties at all. Authors with a traditional publishing deal who do earn royalties typically see 5% – 15% royalties on print books, resulting in earnings of about $1 – $4.50 per hardcover book sold. A Quilltips tip of $5 exceeds most royalties, but even a smaller tip can oftentimes help you outearn royalty profits.
Here’s an example to illustrate how a reader can tip you through Quilltips while still paying cumulatively less than retail price:
A $25 hardcover book with 10% royalties earns $2.50 per book sold.
If that hardcover book is in moderate condition, it might sell on the used books market for 65% off, which is $8.75.
If the reader sends the author a $3 tip with Quilltips, then their "all-in cost" is still only $11.75, less than half of what they'd pay in retail. The author would earn more from this transaction than they did in royalties from the original sale!
Quilltips Jar — Messages
Readers can also use Quilltips to message you. This could provide you with invaluable insight into your book’s reach and feedback on your content, as well as helping to foster community.
You can choose to like and respond directly to reader notes in your Quilltips Jar, providing a digital autograph experience for your readers.
By corresponding safely online with readers, you can build a base of superfans who are so passionate about your book that they help spread the word about your book to their community, pre-order your next book, and enable you to use your author platform in other ways, such as speaking engagements and courses.
Community engagement can provide opportunities for greater profitability than book sales alone.
How to Add a Quilltips Jar to Your Book
Adding a Quilltips Jar to your book is easy:
Complete Stripe onboarding so you can receive payments (it just takes 5 minutes!)
Generate and download your custom QR code
Add your QR code to your book
