Recently I made my books non-returnable through Lightning Source as bookstores return policy with their distributors has them returning books left and right. Normally this wouldn't be a problem and most books do come back in good shape (I just found this out recently when Bookmasters sent used books to me as new) and quite resellable but Lightning Source's policy is to destroy all returned books regardless of shape. For the inconvenience, they offer to reprint a new book for $2.00 with no printing charge. For me this means I'm only out $2.33 instead of $4.33 and I have a new book to resell.
I called Lightning Source and asked about the possibility of having the returned books sent to me instead. Seeing now what good shape they come back in, I'd rather take my chances there even if it means paying a shipping charge to have my returned books sent to me. I was told that I could see the returned books though no real direction was given on just how to do this. I just sent them an e-mail to ask for more details. I'll let you know what they say when I get a response.
I'd like to add that I wasn't told in the beginning that returned books were automatically destroyed and most definitely would have reconsidered going with Lightning Source if I'd known this. When I shared this with my rep I was told that this was just how the publishing industry worked. If that's true, and every POD publisher works the same way, destroying or making the publisher pay for books that are returned and then destroyed . . . why does anyone use POD publishers? *gasp* :O
Addendum: They use them because bookstores can still order the book even if it's non-returnable. The bookstores just won't put them on the shelf. Of course even if they did shelf a few, they'd rarely be seen as two books tucked away in a genre section can hardly compete for attention against 50 of a larger publishers books thrown in your face when you walk in the door. ;)
Or they will do what some do...put them out on the clearance table just to get rid of them because they are...POD - oh the horror!
ReplyDelete;)
Between us both gal, we'll wake people up!
Ament!! ;D
ReplyDeleteTwo things this caused me to think. :)
ReplyDeleteOne, I used to work for a bookstore. They shoot for a book to have three "turns" a year, which means however many will sell within a year at least three times, that's what you stock. So if book X sells ten copies in a year, that means three books should be stocked. The store shoots to have its average turns among all its books be three to be considered profitable.
When books sit on the shelves for very long, then to not let it be a drag on the profitability of the whole store by taking up space a book that might sell could use, they either return it or discount it and try to move it that way. Either way, that means they aren't likely to be ordering that book again unless circumstances really change.
I think LS destroys them I would imagine because the cost of warehousing them is a lot greater than the cost of reprinting them. Not only would they take up space in a warehouse they'd have to pay for, but they'd have to pay employees to store them, catalog them, and retrieve them when needed. The cost for that is going to be much greater than printing another book when needed. After all, it is a POD and the whole idea of POD is you don't have to keep an inventory. It's how they keep cost down, and if they did keep them, they would be more expensive to use.
But I too hate to think of all that paper and such going to waste. I hope they at least send it to a recycling plant or something.
Oh and if you never had plans of returning books to me when they're returned from bookstores via Ingram or Baker & Taylor, Amazon etc . . . then tell me up front BEFORE I sign on. Not after I have to ask why aren't I given the option to have them returned to me instead of eating print cost.
ReplyDeleteNo. It's no consolation to be told that LS offers to "print me a new book" for just $2.00 waving the print fee so that I only eat some of the print fee on the destroyed book. Oh yes. That makes so much more sense.
Maybe there is an explanation that makes sense but it seems like I would've heard it by now, don't you think?
Sue...oh you really struck a nerve with me on the this last post.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing what publishers WON'T tell you or they offer you something to get you to sign with them and wouldn't you know it, it's conveniently NOT included in the contract you sign.
You're supposed to 'understand' it, and then they can screw you later on by claiming that being as it's not in the contract, they don't have to abide by it.
Is it any mystery why I went back to self-publishing?
In this instance I was made to feel very um . . . stupid? because I didn't understand that it made perfect sense for the provider of a product, in this instance books, to not be told that they, the provider of the product, had NO choice about what was done with returned products and no protection against said product coming back other than being offered a replacement for $2.00 with a waving of the printing cost they'd already been charged for the returned and now destroyed product.
ReplyDeleteExcuse me if I don't choose to feel stupid about not understanding that.
Still waiting to hear from LS.