Let’s Talk About Book Returns
The Hidden Cost of “Returnable” Books and Why It Matters to Authors, Publishers, and the Planet
Most readers—and many first-time authors—have no idea that books can be returned to the publisher. We’re not talking about a customer returning a damaged copy. We’re talking about bookstores and retailers sending back unsold inventory … months later … for a full refund.
It’s a century-old practice that continues to create waste, hurt authors and small publishers, and cost the industry millions every year.
Let’s pull back the curtain on this outdated system—why it exists, how it works, and why more and more indie and hybrid publishers are saying: Enough is enough.
What Are “Returnable” Books?
Book returns were introduced in the Great Depression to incentivize bookstores to stock new titles. Publishers told booksellers:
“Order as many as you want. If they don’t sell, send them back.”
Fast-forward nearly a century, and this system is still in place, especially for traditionally published books.
Here’s how it works:
Retailers (like Barnes & Noble or independent bookstores) order books wholesale—typically at a 40–55% discount.
They display them on shelves for a few weeks or months.
Unsold copies? They ship them back to the publisher.
Publishers refund the retailer and either re-warehouse or pulp the books.
That’s right: many of those returns are destroyed because storing them is too costly.
The percentage of books returned to publishers varies by format and sales channel, but industry averages typically range between 20% and 25%.
However, specific formats—especially mass market paperbacks—often experience much higher return rates, sometimes reaching up to 48%, according to Publishers Weekly. Historically, return rates were even higher, with some exceeding 50%, particularly before the rise of digital publishing and print-on-demand models.
Wait—They Can Return Books When?
Books can typically be returned:
For up to 6 months with IngramSpark (if enabled).
For up to 12 months or more with many traditional publishers.
Even beyond that, in some extended return arrangements.
This means a bookstore could order 200 copies of your launch-day memoir, keep them for a few months, and return 198 of them next spring—and your publisher would still be on the hook.
The Hidden Cost for Authors
What does this mean for you, the author?
Your sales numbers might look good at first … until the returns hit.
You may be paid royalties only to later have them retracted due to returns.
You’ll likely never know which copies are still out there, unsold.
Your book could be pulped—literally shredded—without your input.
If you’re a small or hybrid publisher (like Highlander Press), absorbing those costs can jeopardize other books on the list or threaten the viability of the business.
It’s one reason many indie publishers choose non-returnable models.
It’s not to punish bookstores. It’s to protect authors. And to align with sustainable publishing practices.
The Case for Print-On-Demand and Non-Returnable Models
Here’s what’s changing:
Print-on-demand (POD) allows books to be printed only when ordered, reducing waste and overhead.
Sustainability is now a core concern—pulping thousands of unread books is no longer defensible.
Warehousing costs are rising—especially for smaller publishers.
Over-ordering is a risk everyone is trying to minimize.
By using POD + non-returnable terms:
Publishers only produce what’s needed.
Bookstores order more intentionally.
Authors get more accurate sales data.
The industry takes a step toward sustainability.
Will some bookstores hesitate to stock non-returnable titles? Yes. But many will still support local or niche authors, especially with a strong one-sheet, a good pitch, or consignment options.
And increasingly, readers don’t care if a book is sitting on a shelf. They care that it’s available.
What Authors Can Do
Ask your publisher: Is my book returnable? If so, what’s the policy?
Consider encouraging print-on-demand production to reduce risk
Use a book one-sheet to pitch your book to indie bookstores with transparency
Focus on direct-to-reader sales through your website, events, or newsletters
Educate your audience—most people have no idea books are pulped at scale!
Your Book Deserves a Future, Not a Landfill
At Highlander Press, we prioritize sustainability, print-on-demand, and author-focused publishing strategies. We don’t enable book returns—and we tell our authors and readers why.
Because your words shouldn’t be part of a broken system. They should be part of the solution.
Want help bringing your book into the world without playing by outdated rules? Visit highlanderpressbooks.com/submissions to learn more about how we publish differently—and with purpose.
Yes, yes! I run Madville Publishing, and we are currently fighting this completely unsustainable model with returns. But contrary to Deborah's assertion, we have not found it's easy to get into bookstores unless the books are returnable through Ingram and set to that magical 55% discount. We are always happy to deal with bookstores directly, but they'd rather use Ingram. I talked with fellow small publishers at AWP this year, and heard that some of them have gone to a "Return and destroy" model to overcome the trememdous financial burden of first paying for the returned books, then paying the associated fees for those returns ($3 per book).
The other thing I learned was that even if the books are set to "Return and deliver," which means the books come back to us, the copies that originally shipped to the bookstore are pulped anyway, and new copies are printed to be "returned" to us. And, of course, EVERYBODY involved, the bookstore, and the publisher is charged a fee. The third option we have as POD publishers is "Do Not Return."
We started out using the "Do Not Return" and not selecting that full 55% discount that Amazon requires, but our authors demanded we make those books more available to the bookstores. We thought... sure. Things can't get worse. Things got worse. So, I agree wholeheartedly with Deborah that this issue must be brought to light. If we were not hobbled at every turn, small publishers might be able to help our authors more.
The way into most indie bookstores is to place your books yourself--usually on consignment--and at the stores we love, they'll usually host an event to help you launch your book.
So, do visit your local bookstores and set up events! Buy a box of books from the publisher. This is also how you keep the most money for your books.
I never realized people could return books so long after purchase. Such a waste to have them destroyed. Couldn’t they donate them to a thrift shop, school district, or homeless shelter? I guess it is probably not worth their time.