Textbook publishers make a fortune off of college students. So do college bookstores, which often are overpriced. Fortunately, if you know how to use the Internet and are willing to do a little planning, college students can use technology to buy cheap used textbooks. Here's three steps to helping you save money on textbooks: (1) plan, (2) buy, and (3) sell.
1) Plan. The first step to saving money on textbooks is to find out what books your professors are using. Find out as early as possible, or else you won't be able to take advantage of good deals on textbooks! Professors have to choose the textbooks for their class well before the semester begins, so simply email your professor and ask what books you will need. Or call the secretary at the professor's department, who probably is in charge of gathering textbook orders from the professors.
2) Buy. It's never been easier to find great deals on college textbooks. Here's how to find the deals.
- Online stores. Go to any online bookstore that offers used books, such as Amazon.com, Half.com, or Powells.com. Look up your textbook, and see if anyone is selling a used copy. When looking at the price, remember that there's always a shipping fee, usually about $3.50. But you can often find textbooks cheap this way, even when you figure in the shipping. Another important point to remember: it can take up to two weeks for used books from online buyers to reach you, so buy early! And the most important tip? Buy used books online at the end of the semester. There will be many students selling then and fewer buying, so the books will be cheaper.
- Buy from a friend. This low tech solution will save you shipping fees. Find someone who's selling their books for the class you're about to take. Just check ahead of time to make sure the professor is using the same books.
- Buy an older edition. Here's the racket: a professor writes a textbook, and every few years a new edition of the textbook is published. When the new edition is published, college bookstores won't sell the older edition. But you can still find used copies of the old editions in used bookstores, online, and from your friends (who are screwed over as well, as the college bookstore won't buy back their books). Older editions often can be bought dirt cheap online, sometimes for a penny plus shipping charges! If you buy an older edition, though, proceed with much caution. Look at both editions of the book. (You can probably see the table on contents for each edition on your library website or on Amazon.com). If there are significant changes in the new edition, it might not be realistic to buy the old one. And never buy an edition older than the last one. If the professor assigns the sixth edition of a textbook, you might be able to use the fifth, but don't bother getting an edition older than the fifth.
- Get a library copy. If you know what books are being used ahead of time, you can beat the rush and get the books out of the library. This isn't necessarily efficient, though, as someone else can recall the books.
3) Sell. You can sell your books back to the college bookstore, but you can probably make more money selling books online or to a friend. Some tips:
- Keep your books in good condition, and you'll be able to sell them for more money! Keep markings to a minimum, and if you do mark the book, use light pencil markings. Avoid highlighting. Make sure the cover and binding stay in good condition.
- Selling online. It's easy to set up an account to sell books on an online bookstore website. If you're confused, get help from a friend. Here's an important tip: sell your books online at the beginning of the semester! This is when demand is highest, so you can sell your book for more. Remember, if you sell online, ship your books out promptly, or you'll get poor feedback on the site and won't be able to sell books as easily.
- Don't delay. Wait until the beginning of the semester to sell, but don't wait too long. A new edition of the textbook may come out, and you'll be stuck with a book that's hard to sell.
- Sell to used bookstores. Stores vary quite a bit in what they'll be willing to pay for your books, but give this low tech method a try. It's less hassle than selling online.
With a little work and some smart planning, you can save a good deal of money on textbooks. Good luck.
See also:
Free Textbooks for College Students
