Historically, publishers have allowed booksellers the right to return unwanted, unsold, and/or overstocked copies of books. These books are considered “returnable.” Retailers and bookstores typically will not order a book unless it is returnable. As books are returned, booksellers expect to be reimbursed for the cost (i.e. their purchase price/wholesale price) of any books they return. IngramSpark supports standard industry conventions by allowing publishers to designate whether or not their books can be returned. Publishers can select the return status for a book at the time of the title setup. The return status can also be changed at any time and will be updated in our system at the end of each week.
Instructions: How to Pull a Print Sales Report to View Returns
How do I know who returned my books?
How Much Am I Charged for Returns?
Publishers can offer one of the three returns options
Shipping Costs for Returned Books in the U.S. Market
What Happens When the Returns Status is Changed?
When Am I Charged for Returned Books?
PUBLISHERS CAN OFFER ONE OF THREE RETURN OPTIONS
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RETURNS
Recently, there have been changes in the way booksellers are ordering books. Many online retailers who sell books will no longer purchase books that are non-returnable. Having a book available as non-returnable can affect the availability messaging on websites. You as the publisher can decide if you want to give bookstores, retailers, and libraries the option of returning unsold books. You have three options to select from:
- Yes-Deliver- Available in the U.S. Market only
Select this return status if you want your book to be sold as returnable and you would like the returned book shipped to you. IngramSpark cannot guarantee the condition of the book being returned. (This return option is only available for books sold in the United States or Canada.)
Returns to US addresses - If you select this option, you will be charged for the current wholesale cost of each book returned, plus a $3.00 per book shipping and handling charge.
Returns to non-US/international addresses - If you select this option, you will be charged for the current wholesale cost of each book returned, plus a $20.00 per book shipping and handling charge.
- Yes-Destroy- Available in all markets EXCEPT Global Connect and Sharjah
Select this option if you want to allow your book to be sold as returnable and you do not want to receive a physical copy of the returned book. If you select this option, you will be charged only for the current wholesale cost of each book returned. No shipping and handling fees will apply. IngramSpark will destroy and pulp any returned books received if this option is selected.
- No or Non-Returnable- This option is available in all markets
Select this designation if you do not want to allow your titles to be sold on a returnable basis. IngramSpark will not accept returns from booksellers for any title so designated. Returns can be very costly and if you are not financially prepared for returns, this may be your best option.
Publishers should be financially prepared for the cost of returned books.
HOW MUCH AM I CHARGED FOR RETURNED BOOKS?
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Ingram will charge the publisher for the wholesale cost of returned books at the wholesale price that is active in our system on the date that the return is processed, plus any applicable shipping and handling fees, if the yes-deliver returns status is selected:
Returns to US addresses - If you select this option, you will be charged for the current wholesale cost of each book returned, plus a $3.00 per book shipping and handling charge.
Returns to non-US/international addresses - If you select this option, you will be charged for the current wholesale cost of each book returned, plus a $20.00 per book shipping and handling charge.
- If you select the yes-destroy return status, you will be charged only for the current wholesale cost of each book returned at the wholesale price that is active in our system on the date that the return is processed.
- Many booksellers will not purchase books to stock /display on their shelves that are not returnable. Returns can be very costly and you should be financially prepared for returns.
The following is an example of how compensation is calculated and the cost of a returned book, in US dollars:
$25.99 Retail/List Price of the book
-55% Wholesale discount distribution partners receive
$11.70 Wholesale price the distribution partners pay Ingram
-$7.14 Print cost for a 6x9 (229x152mm) 400-page BW Interior paperback + 1% Global Distribution Fee
$4.56 Compensation earnings
Click HERE to learn more about compensation payments and minimum payment requirements.
If the book is returned, we charge the publisher back the wholesale price of the book, which is what the wholesaler or distributor paid us, $11.70 + shipping and handling, per book, as described above.
This amount is deducted from compensation earnings. If the publisher has not earned enough compensation for the amount of the returns, the publisher is invoiced for the amount owed for returns.
SHIPPING COSTS FOR RETURNED BOOKS
Returns for US Addresses: Publishers will be charged for the current wholesale cost of each book returned, plus a $3.00 per book shipping and handling charge, effective March 8, 2022.
Returns to non-US/international addresses: Publishers will be charged for the current wholesale cost of each book returned, plus a $20.00 per book shipping and handling charge.
WHEN AM I CHARGED FOR RETURNED BOOKS?
Returns will be deducted from the publisher’s compensation for sales in the month that the returns are received from the reseller (in the case of “Yes-Destroy” titles) or the month that the return is shipped to the publisher (in the case of “Yes-Deliver” titles).
At the end of each fiscal month, Ingram will post the net amount earned by the publisher (publisher compensation earned less the cost of returns) in that month to our accounts payable system. Said net amount earned will be paid in accordance with the payment terms contained in our print-on-demand agreement.
If returns received in a given month exceed sales by an amount that causes Ingram’s payables balance to the publisher to become negative, Ingram reserves the right to send the publisher an invoice for the balance due to Ingram, and the publisher has an obligation to pay Ingram for the amount invoiced, as per the IngramSpark agreement.
For “Yes-Deliver” titles, Ingram may choose to hold returns, and not charge the publisher for said returns, until an economical shipping quantity of total returns is received for all of the publisher’s returnable titles.
When returns are received and processed by Ingram, the number of books returned will appear as a negative amount on the online Publisher Compensation Report in the Returns column. The wholesale cost of returned books is also listed and the amount is deducted from or netted out against the compensation to be paid to the publisher, for book sales of the returned title.
HOW DO I KNOW WHO RETURNED MY BOOKS?
Returns are processed through Ingram and the information for the retailer who returned the book(s) is proprietary. We are unable to provide any specific retailer information. To find out how many books were returned and when the books were returned, you can generate a print sales report through the online Publisher Compensation Payment Report of your IngramSpark account.
To change the return designation for a title, log in to your IngramSpark account and click on the title to be updated, which takes you to the Title Page. Click the PRINT INFO button and scroll down to the PRINT PRICING section. Click the EDIT button and make the changes. Then click the SAVE button.
Once you save the change, it will reflect on your IngramSpark account and the information will be sent to retailers at the end of each week. Price changes occur weekly in order to ensure a smooth metadata update with retailers. If you prefer visual instructions, you can watch the video at the bottom of this article to see how to do this.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE RETURN STATUS IS CHANGED?
Please continue reading below for more information regarding returns status changes, as different changes affect titles in different ways.
*If the terms of a title change from either “Yes-Deliver” or “Yes-Destroy” to “No”, Ingram will provide notice of the change to all retailers; however, booksellers will continue to have the right to return books for a period of 180 days from the date notice is provided to the booksellers, and the publisher will continue to have the obligation to reimburse IngramSpark for the wholesale cost of the books being returned, plus any applicable shipping and handling charges.
**When the status is changed from “Yes-Deliver” to “No” please be aware that any books returned during the 180 day period will be handled pursuant to the “Yes-Destroy” designation, meaning the books will be destroyed and will not be returned.
*If the returns status changes from “No” to “Yes-Deliver” or “Yes-Destroy”, booksellers are able to return books immediately from the date notice is provided to the bookseller. The publisher should be aware that booksellers may return unwanted or overstocked books from the effective date of the change, regardless of when the books were originally purchased. Therefore, publishers should be prepared for the consequences of changing historically non-returnable books into returnable books.
If a title is transferred from one publisher to another and the same ISBN is used, the return history will also follow that ISBN. The new publisher could receive returns for books that were actually sold by the previous publisher.
If a title is canceled, so it is no longer available for distribution and the title is returnable, booksellers have 180 days to return any unsold copies and the publisher is responsible for the cost of those returns.
If a publisher decides to change the terms of a title from returnable to non-returnable simultaneously with the submission or transfer of the title to IngramSpark’s print-on-demand program, retailers may treat IngramSpark as the Vendor of Record. At that point, the retailer can return already existing stock to Ingram for a period of 180 days following submission as a non-returnable title to IngramSpark, and the publisher agrees to reimburse IngramSpark for the cost of said returns in accordance with this returns policy, per the IngramSpark Global Agreement.
Additionally, as the Vendor of Record, it is possible (although rare) that IngramSpark will process returns originating from an order you submitted. For example, if you supply copies of your book to a store for an in-person event and there is excess inventory, you should consider coordinating with the store for how the excess inventory is handled. If the inventory is returned to Ingram, it will be processed as a return and you will be charged accordingly.
Returns can affect publishers in both positive and negative ways, making it important for publishers to understand the nature of returns in the book world.
Instructions: How to View Returns
- Log into your IngramSpark account and Click on REPORTS
- Click on Sales
In the “Returns at a Glance” report section, select the number of days of returns you would like to view.
You can also view the returns within the Compensation report.
The Print Sales Report will provide the following information when viewed online:
- ISBN
- Title
- Author
- List Price
- Wholesale Discount distribution partners receive
- Wholesale Price distribution partners pay us
- Quantity Sold
- Quantity Returned
- The Net Quantity sold (units sold minus returns)
- Sales is the total compensation earned before returns
- Returns show the wholesale cost deducted from earnings
- Net Sales is the compensation amount after returns are deducted
- The print charge for all copies
- Net Pub Comp is the amount of compensation earned
- At the bottom of the report, you will see the grand total.
NOTE: If there were no sales, a report will not be produced.
Can I limit how many books a retailer can return?
No, when your book is set to returnable a retailer can return any quantity they choose at any time.
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