In an agreement that is very similar to that of an affiliate you can retain the rights to resell a wide selection of ebooks that can produce several hundred dollars in net profit each month. I suppose what makes this venture popular with home-based businesses is that the hands-free nature of the business can allow them to work on other business projects while residual income is produced through ebook sales.

The benefit of reselling ebooks has to do with the ability to provide a selection of titles that appeal to a wide range of consumers. In some scenarios you can sell a personal ebook if you have one, but the primary sales will be through the reselling of other titles.

Why would authors allow you to resell their work when it's already for sale on the web?

The reasoning has everything to do with marketing and visibility. Essentially you become a part of the sales force for the book - one more store in a chain selling the ebook. By creating additional websites that make the book available the hope is the volume of ebook downloads will allow the ebook to provide increased revenue for all involved.

It is likely an ebook reselling business will not provide enough revenue to make it a viable stand-alone business, but it can provide a significant residual income that can reduce the overall burden of a home-based business startup.

Ebook reselling is one of the few examples of a home-based business that requires very little maintenance while continuing to allow for potential income even when you are away from the office. The automated shopping cart process and file download can all be managed without your direct involvement.

The overall dynamic of ebook sales is a potential boon to the publishing industry because it provides proof that a new distribution method is not only possible, it is also valued and a cost effective alternative. The end result is a quick start up for authors, publishers, and home-based businesses. For the consumer, immediate access to these ebooks from any location on the globe is a benefit traditional publishers can not always promise.

The many benefits of reselling ebooks make it a home-based business worth looking into as a supplement to an existing job or as a sideline for an existing entrepreneurial effort.