Front-End Work
Steve Mettee, founder of Quill Driver Books and blogger for TheWriteThought.com, recommends publishers concentrate more on the front, rather than the back, end when looking to minimize returns.
"Review large orders," he says. "Then, when appropriate, ask retail or wholesale buyers to modify them downward. Sell books into markets that don't have returns. These markets don't have to be retailers—schools, libraries, businesses for premium use, and nonprofits for fundraising come to mind."
Cover Story: Rethinking a World With No Returns
Front-End Work
Steve Mettee, founder of Quill Driver Books and blogger for TheWriteThought.com, recommends publishers concentrate more on the front, rather than the back, end when looking to minimize returns.
"Review large orders," he says. "Then, when appropriate, ask retail or wholesale buyers to modify them downward. Sell books into markets that don't have returns. These markets don't have to be retailers—schools, libraries, businesses for premium use, and nonprofits for fundraising come to mind."