Best Books on Dropshipping – A Short Guide to Help You [2024]

When first getting into ecommerce, one of the areas with the least amount of friction to simplify starting a business is dropshipping. 

The revolution that the Internet has brought to our way of living is gigantic, changing how we communicate, spend our time in books, have fun, and even how we buy. With the Internet, countless opportunities for small businesses have appeared. Even though it seems that nowadays, everyone can start an online store without much knowledge, not every company will succeed.

To succeed in your online dropshipping business, you must constantly educate yourself and stay aware of market trends. And to help you on this journey, we have listed the 20 best books on dropshipping.

What Is Dropshipping?

Before addressing the best books on dropshipping, we will first explain what dropshipping is.

Dropshipping is an online business model where the seller does not have his own inventory. Instead, the entrepreneur uses third-party inventory in the sales process.

In this type of business, the seller offers a showcase where you expose products from national or international suppliers. In this relationship, the salesperson merely intermediates the relationship between the actual supplier of the product and the consumer.

Simply put, the customer sees a product in your store that he likes and places an order, you take your commission for the sale made, and you tell the supplier about the order placed. Then the supplier will ship the product directly to the consumer. This is why dropshipping is trending at the moment.

You do not need an inventory because you only order the product from the supplier after the customer has already made the purchase. This prevents you from having too many items in stock without generating profit.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Dropshipping

Dropshipping is a modality that allows you to do business practically and straightforwardly in the digital environment. With this model, you don’t need to worry about product delivery logistics or stock management.

You do not need to have an inventory, and the actual supplier of the product is the one who sends the goods to the consumer, including responsibility for exchanges and returns.

Because of this, dropshipping is an excellent option for those who want to start a business with little investment. It is an affordable model in which you only pay for an item after the customer confirms the product purchase. In addition, the structure required to operate a dropshipping business is relatively simple because it does not require a team, just a website or even social networks.

However, despite its many benefits, dropshipping has disadvantages and risks. The first difficulty to be mentioned is low profitability. With the business model trend, dropshipping has a lot of competition.

Many online stores sell items from the same suppliers, which makes the profit margin small since the seller works with a commission for selling the supplier’s product. Therefore, it would be necessary to sell a significant amount of products to have a considerable profit.

Another difficulty is the lack of control and tracking of the goods sent. This occurs because, in dropshipping, the business is totally dependent on third parties. Therefore, your brand may be at fault if deliveries do not happen as expected.

Another issue is the possibility of errors concerning the quantities of products in stock. Considering all this, it is indispensable that those who intend to start dropshipping have good and reliable suppliers.

Some of the Leading Dropshipping Platforms and Suppliers

Platforms

• Magento
• OpenCart
• Square
• Shopify
• WordPress – WooCommerce.

Suppliers

• Megagoods
• Doba
• AliExpress
• CJ dropshipping
• Spocket.

20 Best Books on Dropshipping

Dropshipping 101, by Frederic Gosset

A book that can cater to beginners and even professionals in dropshipping. Frederic Gosset raises several points everyone should learn, such as passive income, work culture, tax considerations, and work ethics. The subjects are as diverse as possible, but they will add much knowledge to your professional life.

In his book, Gosset explains that passive income is a way to generate income with as little effort as possible. And dropshipping can even become a great way to be your primary income. In this sense, the author points out that for anyone tired of having a boss pointing out what you should do all the time, it is crucial to start your own business. Dropshipping will allow you to see the connection between excellence and results.

When you work full-time in a work environment, there aren’t many options. It doesn’t matter if you hate or love your coworkers; changing your work environment is almost impossible. However, you can create your own work culture by working with dropshipping. You can hire the people you want or remain a solo drop-shipper entrepreneur. Happiness in your work environment will be much closer than you imagined.

One more critical point from Frederic Gosset’s book is about tax considerations. The author mentions that income taxes are essential depending on where you live or work. And if you have a home office, some countries may exempt your rent and a portion of your mortgage from taxes. Hire an up-to-date accountant on your country’s tax laws for more information.

In this way, Frederic’s book “Dropshipping 101” becomes an indispensable tool for updating yourself on the most diverse subjects involving this market branch.

Dropshipping, by Ronald Anderson

This book is a step-by-step guide on how to make money online, increasing your passive income. Among the objectives listed by the author Ronald Anderson is to teach the reader about dropshipping in general, presenting its pros and cons.

Anderson makes a comparison of various online platforms where you can sell. Also, he lists the pros and cons of each for you to make a more informed decision. The marketing channels are also striking topics in the book. The author cites how to optimize your dropshipping store to increase your sales.

In addition to the above topics, Ronald carefully answers simple questions, such as “What is dropshipping?” and “How does dropshipping work?”. However, more complex ideas are also present in this indispensable book. Addressing what dropshipping niches are, for example, is covered in his book, with an analysis of competitors and more.

This book is correct if you are starting your own business or want to improve your dropshipping knowledge. You were packed with excellent information that can help you build strategies to set up or improve your dropshipping business with confidence.

E-Commerce Empire, by Peter Pru

The excellent book “E-Commerce Empire” by Peter Pru brings valuable lessons to the reader. Contrary to many authors, Peter says dropshipping may not be the best way to make money online in 2023. And this is because of the considerable competitiveness and reliance on paid ads. With lead generation business models, you leverage Google to drive your organic, hence free, website traffic. Instead, you will generate leads you sell to small business owners for a profit.

In his book, one of the topics covered is that you can have little to no inventory to start your dropshipping business. In short, dropshipping is about finding a great product and connecting with a reliable supplier who handles fulfillment. However, with a low barrier to entry and a competitive market, old methods like sourcing cheap stock from China won’t be ideal for 2023.

A differentiating factor for this author is his Youtube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/@ecommerce.empire.builders/videos). He does weekly live broadcasts every Wednesday and Friday. You can learn a lot from Peter Pru for free. Pru’s reputation is solid as a great entrepreneur, writer, and creator of online courses.

Product Research 101: Find Winning Products to Sell on Amazon and Beyond, by Renae Clark

Suppose you are just starting with product research and sourcing. In that case, this book has many questions about where to find ideas or a perfect winning product, where to find good selling products that others are ignoring, and missing out on great opportunities. This is the book for you.

It doesn’t matter if you are starting or an experienced salesperson; this book will be of great value to you. This book is for the new or struggling seller purchasing private-label or wholesale products.

In summary, you will learn about:

• What are the basic steps to finding best-selling products
• How to come up with new product ideas and look for trends
• How to validate the demand
• How to find the best suppliers
• How to analyze data to help you choose a product.

Renae Clark says she put this book together as a guide to help you in as many ways as possible. This book is for those who can say, “Hey if everyone buys the top 100 selling products, won’t that saturate the market?” the book is designed to help you find great products from many different approaches. This way, you will be confident enough to find a product or start your e-commerce business.

Dropshipping: The Ultimate Guide to Building a Six-Figure Ecommerce Business, by Timothy Winterborn

A must-read for every beginner who knows nothing about dropshipping but wants to become an expert: Thomas Winterborn created this book as an introductory read, which is not ideal if you already know the basics, and for that reason, not recommended for any reader who already has basic and intermediate knowledge of what drop shipping is.

The Ultimate Guide to Building a Six-Figure E-commerce Business focuses on the author’s personal experience in this area. Winterborn discusses how to select products, market to your target audience, and how to find suppliers.

Even though you can learn and select the right products, find your suppliers, and market to your chosen niche, you will be helped to organize your strategies more methodically.

Although the above concepts seem simplistic, this is not a bad thing. Beginners can get overwhelmed with too much information at once. With this work, the guiding principles are in evidence, greatly helping to achieve success in dropshipping.

Dropshipping E-commerce Business Model 2022, by Phil Ortiz

Phil Ortiz describes that dropshipping is a vast industry, and there is always something to learn about it. And in the market, few books will cover the most critical subjects in the dropshipping landscape. And in this book, you will find everything you need, according to the author.

Packed with details and information about dropshipping, tons of information will help you become a successful drop shipper. Ortiz describes valuable details on optimizing your website, tips for managing inventory, how to design a store, personal branding, and other dropshipping hacks.

One of the most notable chapters in this book talks about scaling up marketing. Phil Ortiz also teaches you about Twitter (currently referred to as “X”), YouTube, Pinterest, and diverse additional social media channels that you can use to promote your online dropshipping store.

Amazon FBA, Dropshipping Shopify, Social Media & Affiliate Marketing, by Steven Sparrow

Is financial freedom important to you? Does making money sound like an exciting idea? Are you looking for an online business without having an immense fortune or extraordinary skills to start? If your answers were yes, this book is for you.

With a wealth of experience, Steven Sparrow has a 7-figure online business, and he shares a lot of knowledge in this book so that you can realize your model of success. And especially for people who can’t let their careers and lives be taken out of their hands.

Called the Online Business Bible, this work by Sparrow features four of the best online businesses that work and are profitable. And these business models are presented to the reader quickly and practically as a guide from the idea, administrative procedures, and your first product to the optimization of offers.

The four chapters describe Amazon FBA, Dropshipping, Affiliate Marketing, and a final business approach, which is overlooked without proper attention, like social marketing. Don’t waste your time looking for miraculous ways to get rich and succeed; it will only kill your free time. Dedicate your study time to books like this, which build your life and business.

Dropshipping & Shopify – A Step-By-Step Guide for Beginners, by Robert Kasey

The author of this book, Robert Kasey, is a great online entrepreneur and affiliate marketer. He started his journey with affiliate marketing, later moving on to types of businesses that can be done on the Internet.

If you are considering starting your dropshipping e-commerce business, don’t start without reading this great book. You have two clear options for dropshipping and creating a business from scratch. The first one is to waste the precious time of your life watching endless live videos, reading too many pretentious blogs, and following “gurus” on Twitter (currently known as “X”). And the second option is by far the smartest: investing your time in a comprehensive, simple, easy-to-read, up-to-date, step-by-step e-commerce and dropshipping guide for every kind of beginner.

You have undoubtedly heard about dropshipping. In that sense, you’ve heard about how to make money on eBay, Amazon, and several other Shopify dropshipping business models. However, what do you know about e-commerce and dropshipping? By the end of this book, you’ll learn everything about how to make money online, be an all-inclusive expert on how to make money online, understand all the pros and cons of online dropshipping, and finally, take the next step confidently.

The Ultimate Guide to Dropshipping, by Mark Hayes and Andrew Youderian

As the book title suggests, this is a comprehensive, easy-to-read, well-written guide, ideal for first-time drop shippers. If you are looking for an excellent and best book on dropshipping primer, this work can be a great choice.

Andrew Youderian provides a broad overview of the dropshipping business. Also, he covers other relevant areas on the subject. You will be able to learn about everything from how to find a product, expand your eCommerce business, and even set up your business.

The author describes that some challenges are knowing if you had the right product idea before selling it in your online business or setting up SEO camps. You will be instructed what to do when a customer places an order, whether your website is attractive enough for a first impression of a first-time visitor, among other valuable tips.

The author’s long history with online marketing is combined with practical examples to help you save time. This is essential reading for any entrepreneur considering success in dropshipping.

Dropshipping, by Lauren Hawkins

Rated as one of the best books on dropshipping of 2021, Dropshipping by Lauren Hawkins is an easy-to-understand book. You will learn tips on how it works for some particular people and straightforward instructions that will make you take action from the second you read it.

This book clearly explains the concept of dropshipping without being too generic. Instead, Lauren directly cites practical actions to apply in your online store. Dropshipping: a guide for making your dropshipping business successful, with as much detail as possible to start this process successfully, outperforming your competition and achieve desired goals.

If you are considering starting a business on eBay, Amazon, or similar platforms, “Dropshipping” will teach you the best instructions on what you should and should not do. You will also be guided through the pros and cons of selling on big platforms, such as the previously mentioned ones: Amazon and eBay. Without presenting you with false hopes, by following these ideas, you will be able to have great results in no time.

Dropshipping Secrets Ultimate Business Guide, by Kaden S. Coziar

This is not exactly a recommended book for Dropshipping beginners. There are several recommendations in this article of books that you, the beginner, can start with. Therefore, “Dropshipping Secrets Ultimate Business Guide” will not teach you what to do from the beginning. However, it will show you some dropshipping secrets you can’t find anywhere else throughout the book.

The author explains many drop shippers’ mistakes when running an online business. It explains why specific strategies may work for one dropshipping store and not others. Dropshipping online is about many unique, individual, and particular actions. It cannot be copied as many amateur sellers think. Suppose an e-commerce business is successful with a specific strategy. In that case, it doesn’t mean it will necessarily apply to you.

Do you aim to make money while traveling or sleeping? This is a must-read book for you. Get knowledge and information on how to automate your store so you can sit back, think, and relax while still making money. In addition, Coziar demonstrates how his innovative system was studied and researched for three years. And this system allowed him to make five figures on his online store’s first day of operation, which led him to financial success.

Dropship Institute, by Cory Eckert

An extensive book of more than 500 pages, “Dropship Institute” is considered one of the most detailed books in the segment. You are the most diverse subjects in the world of dropshipping you will find in this book. Some of the relevant topics will be listed below:

• How you can increase conversion rates
• How to find the right products
• How you can get good reviews from your customers
• How to negotiate and find suppliers from the USA
• How to optimize your online business
• How to set up your first dropshipping store
• How to turn customers into long-term members.

This book offers a step-by-step guide and a detailed plan for starting to be successful with your dropshipping store. Cory Eckert will help you determine whether dropshipping is for you or not.

You will learn how to select the ideal products for your niche and do this in the best possible way. You will also learn how to optimize your website and stand out from the Shopify dropshipper crowd. Learning how to get a return on your investment is a crucial topic of this book, which will be essential in your journey.

The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich, by Timothy Ferriss

Are you considering starting a dropshipping business and working only 4 days a week? If yes, the book “The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich” will be right for you.

The 4-Hour Workweek is for those who want to succeed in the dropshipping business; however, they do not aim to work with it for many hours daily. This book includes over 50 real-life case studies of successful drop shippers who have used a 4-hour work week. They were demonstrating their strategies, plans, and work-life balance.

Throughout the tips and examples, you will be able to learn how to select products, market to your chosen niche, and find suitable suppliers. The information regarding strategy organization is done methodologically, helping to set up your online store.

If you do not have a business plan for your dropshipping business, be sure to insert this reading into your daily life so you can list a to-do list before starting your journey in the dropshipping business world.

Own Your Niche, by Stephanie Chandler

The challenge of finding your niche of ideal customers is the real deal in the dropshipping business. You can even have the sleekest website and be prepared for any adversity. Still, you won’t succeed in the dropshipping business if you don’t have expertise in your niche. You must choose the right product to connect with your target audience, boosting sales.

You’ll know you’ve found your ideal customer when they make you successful by demonstrating their passions and interests. And once you’ve found your target audience, your dropshipping business will experience steady traffic growth.

In this excellent book by Stephanie Chandler, you will also discover how social media channels and blogs can assist you in owning your niche. These play an essential role in the process as well.

It’s not necessary to be an expert in every possible area. You will need to know precisely who you are selling to and what you are selling. And for these reasons, the book “Own Your Niche” is one of the best book on dropshipping options in 2021.

The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love by Chris Guillebeau

Are you a person who aims to invest in your startup? If you are, then Chris Guillebau’s book “The $100 Startup” is the ideal book to read from the best books on dropshipping. The book has about 50 real-life case studies of world-class entrepreneurs worldwide.

The author has provided clear and easy-to-read guides from people who have experienced starting a dropshipping business with low investments in his book. Throughout the book, you will notice that dropshipping business is all about techniques. Guillebau covers the funds invested initially and how his building process went over the weeks.

Arturo encourages his readers to go for the passion they think could be profitable. In this sense, you can do something you love, having personal satisfaction. In the work, the reader is also informed of several mistakes that can be made and that there are several ways to avoid them, assuming the role of a guidebook for developing your startup.

500 Social Media Marketing Tips, by Andrew Macarthy

A definitive guide will teach you about affiliate marketing, marketing guides, e-commerce, and the marketing strategies that dropshipping giants like eBay, Shopify, and Amazon use. 

The authors do not fail to inform the reader about the challenges you might face when starting your own dropshipping business. And some of these challenges are crucial, such as the right product idea before selling it on your online business or even setting up SEO camps, whether your website is attractive enough for an excellent first impression from a first-time visitor, and at the end, what to do when a customer places an order.

As you read on, you will notice an expert knowledge of social media. Hundreds of strategies are presented on the latest platforms, such as Tiktok, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Pinterest, and many other networks. You will dramatically increase your brand awareness and drive traffic directly to your store. 

Most of the tips are simple, but they are crucial in the daily challenges that drop shippers face, and they are not aware of most of these problems often.

Your Guide to Mastering Dropshipping, by Chris Sharpe

This guide will teach you from the basics to the most advanced when it comes to professional dropshipper tactics. In this crucial book for people who aim for success in dropshipping, Chris Sharpe will teach his readers how to utilize numerous abnormal dropshipping methods. One fact reported by the author is that people don’t know that dropshipping is a complicated business and not a get-rich-quick scheme in a very short time.

Among the various topics in the book, the author reinforces with all his experience in the sector some subjects that will be very relevant to the reader, such as:

• Different dropshipping methods
• Successful Shopify
• Finding suppliers
• Getting in touch with suppliers
• Automation of your online store
• Avoid the mistakes.

The book details the main types of online income paths you might follow, such as dropshipping from AliExpress, selling on Amazon or eBay, etc. With rational writing, Sharpe makes perfect sense to everyone, avoiding jargon that might put people off starting in this business world.

Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill

A guide to achieving success. This is Napoleon Hill’s proposal, published in 1937, after the Great Depression. This work was received as an antidote to the difficult times of his time, remaining a bestseller for decades.

Even today, this book is seen as a philosophy of positive thinking and its sure steps, aiming to achieve relevant wealth and life transformation. Napoleon Hill says that our thoughts become a reality. In this sense, plans and principles are crucial to transform your thoughts into wealth, including visualization, affirmation, creation of a Master Mind group, planning, and a clear definition of a goal.

Among the various subjects presented in this work is that of sexual transmutation. According to the author, it is when you transfer the energy of your libido to other purposes. Big names in the business world have done this. This is a small example of the variety of content in this excellent work.

Dropshipping Guide, by Matt J. Marswood

One of the best books on dropshipping of 2020, this remarkable book will help you strategize how to make money with dropshipping as quickly as possible. According to the author, anyone can earn even from day one.

The book has 51 steps to be followed thoroughly, leading you to change your life pattern. The guide explains how to sell products on your website under your brand and correctly promote them. Moreover, Marswood helps you choose the most profitable sales platform and how to leverage it.

We have listed many topics present in the book which are very valuable:

• Great dropshipping approaches
• How to start a dropshipping corporation
• The budget you need to start your company
• The commerce channels you must invest in
• How to optimize your online store to maximize sales
• How to stand out and get ahead in the demand
• Dropshipping hacks, tricks, and tips
• How to create a powerful brand and image for your products
• Precise comparison of Amazon, eBay, and Shopify
• Deepening on Social Media.

Simple to read and understand. The author’s reading tone is fascinating and thought-provoking—an indispensable guide for beginners and intermediates in dropshipping.

Dropshipping 101: Ecommerce Without Inventory, by Daniel Threlfall

Dropshipping 101 is a valuable dropshipping guide. You will learn from A to Z about the methods used in this online business world in an easy and ultimately helpful way. The author explains every step by step and clears every doubt with question marks as if he knows every doubt that passes through the reader’s mind while reading the guide.

One of the topics covered by Daniel is how to choose your niche. That’s the million-dollar question: how do you get into a profitable place being a newbie? You can spend months finding niche products, but that’s not the most practical way to achieve dropshipping success. However, for the reader’s happiness, there are several tactics you can use to pick a remarkable niche in a matter of weeks, sometimes even in a matter of days, although it’s not good to rush things.

Remember that mistakes are common, and most entrepreneurs do not get where they are without making several mistakes. However, you will make your journey much more prepared. With this excellent book, you will fall and get up much faster and smarter with the right strategies.

Final Thoughts

These are just some of the many dropshipping best books that can be found. Dropshipping is an up-and-coming business that will only grow over the years.

To get into this business or stay in it, it is essential that you have the necessary knowledge and keep up to date with the trends in the industry. And there is no better source of knowledge than books.