Luke Sample Review (2026): BookTrades.biz and the Business of Reselling Books on Amazon

Luke Sample in One Minute

Luke Sample is known as a co-founder, with Jon Shugart, of BookTrades.biz, a program that teaches buying used and textbook titles cheaply and reselling them on Amazon. It combines training, live help sessions, events and pricing software that tracks millions of book titles.

It's been reported at $3,500 upfront plus $297 a month for the software after a 30-day trial, and its terms say refunds aren't guaranteed for lack of use or dissatisfaction. Here's what to know.

How Book Reselling Works

1. Find books priced below their Amazon value.
2. Buy them from suppliers, sales or bulk lots.
3. Ship them to Amazon's warehouses or fulfill yourself.
4. Sell them, often to students during textbook seasons.
5. Use pricing data to decide what to buy and when to sell.

What the Program Includes

What It Costs

Upfront fee$3,500

Software (11 months)$3,267

Total$6,767

On top of that, you'll need money for inventory and Amazon fees. See Amazon's seller pricing.

Things to Consider

• High fixed costs: nearly $7,000 in the first year before inventory.
• Seasonal demand: textbook sales peak at the start of semesters.
• Thin margins: fees and price drops cut profits.
• Refund terms: refunds aren't guaranteed.

Cheaper Ways to Try Book Reselling

You can test used-book reselling without a large upfront fee. Many resellers start by scanning books at thrift stores, library sales and estate sales with a free or low-cost scanning app, checking the Amazon price and sales rank before buying. Selling a few dozen books this way shows whether the margins and time involved suit you.

If it works, you can then decide whether paid software or training would help you scale. Keep in mind Amazon's fees for referral, closing and fulfillment on media items, and the time spent sourcing, listing and shipping. Many resellers find book selling a steady side income rather than a fast route to large profits.

Is Luke Sample a Scam?

No evidence suggests the program is fraudulent; book reselling is a real business. But the upfront and monthly costs are high and refunds aren't guaranteed.

Pros and Cons

Who It Might Suit

People committed to book reselling with capital for fees and inventory.

Our #1 Recommendation for Making Money Online in 2026

If BookTrades.biz isn't the right fit for you, here's what we suggest instead.

After comparing hundreds of programs over the years, we know what works and what doesn't. In fact, most of the business opportunities are either instant cash grab schemes or scams or they require experience. However, this beginner-friendly system stood out and is our #1 recommendation for 2026.

Other Programs Readers Compare

• We Flip It All review.
• Zen Arbitrage review.

Frequently Asked Questions

Our Verdict on Luke Sample

BookTrades.biz teaches a real model at a high price. Try cheaper reselling methods before committing.