Do you sell on Amazon?

Selling on Amazon Often Catches People By Surprise:
Do You Sell On Amazon?

If you sell on Amazon, are you happy with their service? Tell us your experience below. Very interested in seeing what you have to say.

Asking you the question because I know many who are switching their focus to selling on Amazon as a way to generate a solid income. Many go into thinking it’s a marketplace with millions of customers and opportunities yet forgetting it’s:

a search engine,
an ad platform,
a logistics company,
a rule-changing casino,
and occasionally a landlord that can lock the door without notice.

Many are hoping to –

Access to demand they could never create themselves
FBA as outsourced ops (until it isn’t)
Social proof gravity—“if it’s on Amazon, it’s real”

When in fact what they end up doing is –

Spending more time managing ads than products
Optimizing for Amazon’s algorithm instead of customers
Building Amazon’s asset, not theirs
Reacting constantly—fees, policy shifts, hijackers, suppressions

Amazon Is Not Quite What It Seems

Once they get into it, the realization sets in and they reconsider their original perspective as

Early on: “This is amazing.”

Mid-game: “This is… complicated.”

Later: either

“We cracked it and scaled profitably” (minority), or

“We’re trapped but can’t leave” (majority).

The sellers who seem least miserable usually:

treat Amazon as one channel, not the business
have margin cushions (or pricing power)
use it deliberately—as lead gen, cash flow, or brand exposure
know exactly when not to grow

So, if you aren’t currently selling but are considering it or if you are and you’ve had your reality shaken or are perfectly happy, I’d truly love to hear from you.

There Are Opportunities

There are fantastic opportunities because Amazon can be:

a cash-flow engine
a validation tool
a visibility channel

When used naively, it becomes:

margin erosion disguised as growth
operational drag
a business you don’t actually own

Amazon Seller Consultant

After working with Amazon sellers across stages—first SKU to seven-figure catalogs—the biggest misconception I see is this:

Amazon is not a business. It’s an amplifier.

It amplifies:

good products and bad margins
operational discipline and operational chaos
clarity of strategy and confusion about what you’re really building
Sellers who struggle often believe Amazon success comes from tactics: keywords, bids, hacks, launch tricks. Those matter—but only after something more foundational is in place.

The sellers who thrive tend to share a few traits:

They know why Amazon exists in their ecosystem.
Cash flow? Demand capture? Brand legitimacy? If the answer is “because that’s where customers are,” they’re already on unstable footing.

They price for reality, not hope.
They assume fees will rise, ads will be required, returns will happen, and Amazon will change the rules—because it will.

They don’t confuse growth with progress.
Revenue without control is just expensive validation. Profit, optionality, and resilience matter more than rank.

They build something Amazon can’t take away.
A brand, a list, a repeat buyer, a product moat, or at least a clear exit strategy.

Amazon rewards competence—but it extracts rent from dependence.
The platform isn’t evil; it’s just indifferent. Sellers who treat it as a tool tend to stay sane. Sellers who treat it as home often discover they’re renting.

The question every seller should ask isn’t “How do I win on Amazon?”
It’s “What am I using Amazon to win at?”

— Astra
From the desk of Astra — Amazon Seller Consultant
Astra is a frequent writer, contributor and editor of this site.

We would love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to leave a comment below.

The hope is to bring some insight into reality vs the hype so sellers are able to take full advantage of the platform while maintaining their sanity.

Thank You for Reading!
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📚 Recommended Reading for Aspiring Amazon Sellers

Amazon FBA Mastery: Amazon Sellers Guide to Help You Make Money by Selling on Amazon
Author: Marie O’Shea
A practical and approachable overview of the entire Amazon FBA journey — from product research to listing optimization and scaling your business. Great for beginners and intermediate sellers alike.
Arbitrage: The Authoritative Guide on How It Works, Why It Works, and How It Can Work for You
Author: Chris Green
A foundational resource on retail and online arbitrage — perfect for sellers interested in sourcing products and understanding the economics of Amazon selling.
Product Research 101: Find Winning Products to Sell on Amazon and Beyond
Author: Renae Clark
A focused guide on the art and science of product discovery — from idea generation and trend spotting to supplier sourcing and validation.
Amazon FBA Step By Step (Beginner’s Guide)
Author: Red Mikhail
A straightforward beginner‑friendly guide that covers the fundamentals of selling on Amazon, including setting up your account, finding products, and understanding the FBA process.

📚 Advanced Books for Amazon Selling Strategy

These go beyond beginner basics into mindset, strategy, business growth, and competitive advantage.

The Advanced Amazon Selling Guide: Our Blueprint to Growing Your Seller and Vendor Central Sales
Author: AMZ Advisers
A practical tactical playbook for scaling beyond the basics — covers analytics, sales strategy, and optimization for sellers aiming to grow revenue and sophistication.
Amazon Selling Blueprint: How to Find, Launch & Scale Your First Product on Amazon
Author: Scott Voelker
(Often referenced in top seller reading lists — covers deep private label strategy, launching with data, and optimizing conversion.)
Ride the Amazon Wave: The Pro Seller’s Guide to Private Label Success
Author: Tomer Rabinovich
Focuses on advanced private‑label product strategy and the thinking needed to build brand equity and defend margin.
The Amazon Sales Formula
Author: Michael D. Marani
Detailed guide with emphasis on analyzing category data, spotting product opportunities, and designing a scalable Amazon operation.

📺 Recommended Videos for Amazon Seller
These specific videos/channels combine practical education with real case context — ideal for learners at intermediate to advanced levels.

🎥 Amazon’s Own FBA Training

Amazon Seller University – “How FBA Works”
Overview of Fulfillment by Amazon, inventory flow, and real mechanics of Amazon logistics and seller tools. Sell on Amazon
Amazon Seller University – “Inventory Requirements for FBA”
Essential for understanding compliance and avoiding costly listing suppression or inbound rejections. Sell on Amazon

🎥 Deep‑Dive YouTube Content

“How to Grow Amazon FBA Sales: Traffic & Conversion” by My Amazon Guy
A tactical session on increasing visibility and conversion inside the marketplace (high‑view seller strategy content).
“Amazon PPC Master Class – ACOS Hacks” by My Amazon Guy
Excellent example of actionable paid‑ads strategy that goes beyond basics and digs into key performance optimization.
“How to Create an Amazon Storefront” by My Amazon Guy
Teaches about Amazon Brand Store setup — an advanced seller feature that strengthens branding and conversion potential on platform.