The World Wide Web is a thriving market place and the book business online is thriving. In 2006 Amazon one of the largest online book sellers was listed by Fortune magazine as a USD 8.5 billion dollar company with USD 359 million in profits. Other major online book sellers are Powell’s and Barnes and Noble.

More and more people world over are buying books on the internet as it is not just convenient but cheap too! Buying books online has several advantages as you can buy not just new books but slightly used books or even antiques or collector’s items.

Here are a few tips on how to get the best deal:

1. Surf the internet to find different stores that are stocking the title you want. Often different online stores will have priced the title at varying prices. So, do a bit of comparison shopping to find the book you want at the lowest possible price.

2. Look for offers like free shipping at purchases of over USD 25. This means you will save even more if the book you want is priced at over USD 25.

3. Find out whether you can purchase the book at an online store against your credit card reward points. Many stores have promotions and tie ups with credit card companies to promote sales.

4. Consider buying a used book. Online stores often sell used books and these are often in “just like new" condition and are sold at really low prices.

5. In case you need or are thinking of buying more than one book then look for “bouquet offers" where you can avail great discounts when you buy 3-5 books simultaneously.

6. Visit auction sites online like eBay and bid on the title you want. Very often bids start as low as USD1. If you are in luck you can get the book for close to nothing.

7. Use online discount coupons to purchase books. Many websites offer discount coupons in e-mailers and news letters. So sign up for news letters and make the most of the discount coupons offered.

8. Wait for festive season sales or clearance sales and buy the books you want during the special offer periods.

You can be an e-commerce savvy shopper and benefit greatly from the lower than retail pricing and greater discounts. The online market place is thriving but you need to protect your interests by being a smart shopper and protecting your interests by taking the appropriate security measures.