Let Us Help You Get Started Selling Books on NearbyReads
For individuals and businesses with too many books and not enough time, NearbyReads will help set your seller account up
You have books to sell. You understand the value of participating in a local book marketplace. But the reality is that photographing each book, writing descriptions, setting prices, and managing buyer communications requires more time than you can commit.
You're busy. Between work, personal obligations, and everything else competing for your attention, spending hours creating individual listings isn't realistic.
Meanwhile, those books continue occupying valuable space in your home. The potential income sits unrealized. And your neighborhood loses access to titles that other readers would appreciate.
You need a solution that doesn't require you to do everything yourself.
NearbyReads Managed Services is a great fit for anyone that:
- Has a lot of books: If you have 50+ books to sell, professional management becomes increasingly valuable relative to the time investment required for self-management.
- Has limited time: Professionals with demanding schedules who want marketplace participation without the administrative burden.
- Is not comfortable with technology: You understand the value of selling locally but prefer someone else handle the digital aspects.
- Wants to make sure you're doing NearbyReads optimally: Professional pricing research and listing optimization typically generate better sales outcomes than self-managed accounts.
- Is selling valuable collections: Rare books, first editions, or specialized collections benefit from professional presentation and pricing.
- Plans on ongoing participation: If you regularly acquire and sell books, ongoing management eliminates the recurring time investment of listing new inventory.
Two Ways To Help You Get Started:
Starter Services
We create your account, list your books, and hand you a fully operational seller profile.
What's included:
- Complete account setup and optimization
- Professional book listings with accurate descriptions
- Competitive pricing based on market research
- High-quality photos (if needed)
- Initial onboarding consultation
- Account walkthrough and training session
What We Do Not Cover: Meeting buyers at agreed locations or arranging delivery. We handle everything else.
Best For: Sellers who want professional setup but plan to manage ongoing communications and sales themselves.
Premier Services
We create your account, list your books, and handle everything including listings, buyer communications, scheduling, and account maintenance on your behalf.
What's included:
- Everything in One-Time Setup Service
- Ongoing buyer communication management
- Coordinated pickup scheduling
- Inventory updates as books sell
- New listing creation for additional books
- Direct notifications when sales occur
- Priority support
What We Do Not Cover: Meeting buyers at agreed locations or arranging delivery. We handle everything else.
Best For: Sellers who want completely hands-off participation in the marketplace.
What to Expect Starting with NearbyReads Managed Services
Step 1: Submit Your Book Photos
Take photos of your books ensuring titles are clearly visible. You can photograph:
- Individual books (one photo per book)
- Collections of books (multiple books in one photo)
- Bookshelves with titles visible
Book title must be legible. Author name is helpful but not required.
Step 2: Onboarding Consultation
Schedule a 30-minute video or phone call with your dedicated account manager. During this call:
- Review your books and selling goals
- Discuss pricing strategy for your specific titles
- Establish communication preferences
- Answer any questions about the process
- Set expectations for timeline and next steps
Step 3: Professional Listing Creation
We'll processes your submission within 3-5 business days:
- Research each title for accurate information
- Write clear, accurate descriptions
- Set competitive prices based on market data
- Upload high-quality photos
- Optimize listings for local search
- Ensure all required fields are complete
You receive notification when your account is ready for review.
Step 4: Account Walkthrough
Schedule a follow-up call where we:
- Walk you through your completed seller profile
- Demonstrate how to access your listings
- Explain the messaging system
- Review pickup coordination best practices
- Answer questions about managing sales
- Provide tips for successful transactions
For one-time setup clients, this concludes our service. You're equipped to manage independently.
Step 5: Ongoing Management (Premier Services Only)
Schedule a follow-up call where we:
- We monitor your account daily
- Respond to buyer inquiries within 4 hours
- Coordinate pickup times and locations
- Notify you directly when books are sold
- Provide pickup details (date, time, location, buyer contact)
- Update inventory as sales complete
- Add new books as you provide photos
Seller Responsibility: Show up at scheduled pickup times with the correct books, or arrange delivery through our delivery service.
FAQ
- How do I submit my book photos? After scheduling your consultation, you'll receive secure portal access for photo uploads. Simply take clear photos of your books and submit through the portal.
- Can I add books later if I use one-time setup? Yes. You can list additional books yourself or request another setup service for new inventory batches.
- How quickly do books typically sell? This varies based on title popularity, condition, pricing, and local demand. Popular recent releases in good condition typically sell within 2-4 weeks.
- What if I want to cancel ongoing management? Provide 30 days notice and we'll transition account control back to you. No penalties, no hassle.
- Do you handle shipping? No. NearbyReads is exclusively for local transactions with in-person pickup. We can coordinate with our delivery service for local delivery, but not cross-country shipping.
- How do I get paid when books sell? Buyers pay you directly at pickup via cash, Venmo, or your preferred method. We don't process payments or take a percentage of sales.
- What about meeting buyers in person? All pickups should occur in public locations: coffee shops, libraries, bookstores, parks. We provide safety guidelines and best practices.
- Can I review listings before they go live? Yes. During the account walkthrough, you'll see all listings and can request adjustments before we activate your account.
- Do you offer delivery services? Yes, separately. Our delivery service connects sellers with local drivers for a per-delivery fee. Learn more on our Delivery Services page.
Get started on NearbyReads today!
Fill out the form in the link below to get started with Starter or Premier services from Managed Services