A common goal for many authors is to see their books displayed and sold in brick and mortar bookstores. For indie authors, it can be a huge boost for discoverability and sales. Their biggest challenge is in getting those big retailers to carry self-published titles. The sales of independently published books usually do not match that of traditionally published ones mainly because retail stores are not willing to risk stocking the work of unknown authors on their shelves, no matter how promising the book or the author may be. Like any other business, their main concern is profit.

The ability to return unsold books to publishers and book distributors is important for all booksellers. Our Bookstore Returnability Program is a necessary element in persuading bookstores to stock and carry self-published titles. It minimizes the risks involved with bringing in a book that may or may not sell. If a bookstore is considering a book from a new author that doesn’t have any prior sales history, the assurance that they can recoup losses if needed, thru returning unsold copies, may sway their purchase decision.

With Bookstore Returnability Program, booksellers can return books that they do not sell to the publisher. Returns can be costly. The books are shipped back to the publisher; the publisher shoulders the cost including shipping and handling fees. For the store owners, that means no excess inventory. On the authors’ side, the royalties earned are not charged back to them even if the books are returned.