Books Sales – Beware of Unlimited Consignments

Did you know books sold to distributor’s and stores on an unlimited consignment basis can be returned back to the publisher at any time (basically forever) and at the purchase price plus a storage fee?

I had no idea this could happen until I read an article posted in Publishing Basics. I knew about return policies but never knew distributor’s or bookstores would even ask for such a thing in a contract. After reading this article I’ve decided to ask my publisher about their policy.

Personally, I disagree with the whole book return policy thing…period. I believe the only circumstance that warrant returns is if the books are physically defective. Returns would have to be within a strict time frame and in the case of defects, the printer would then be responsible for all involved costs.

Why should books be treated differently than any other product? Most book clubs and stores get huge discounts off the retail price. Discounts can be anywhere from 33% to 55%. If a purchaser overestimates their need, it should be their responsibility to get rid of the overstock.