Clearing Inventory: The Publisher’s Overstock Mark
The mark indicates a book is overstocked. Publishers sell these books at a discount to clear inventory. These marks include dots, stripes, stamps, stickers, or labels on the cover or spine.
Overstock books are sold at wholesale to libraries, bookstores, and online retailers. They offer affordable prices for budget-conscious readers. Overstock Books provides a convenient site to browse, search, and securely buy books.
Publisher vs. Author
Scholastic provides educational materials and is not a publisher. Bloomsbury Publishing printed the Harry Potter books. A publisher and author differ.
Publishers may inaccurately estimate sales, leaving excess inventory known as remainder or overstock titles. Remainders allow publishers to recover some costs. Overstocks are often unshipped print runs sold to discount dealers.
The terms remainder and overstock cause confusion. Overstocks tend to be unmarked and more expensive than remainders. Remainder marks prevent returning unsold copies as new.
Remainder Marks and Their Purpose
What is a publisher’s remainder mark? Remainder marks are marks made on hardcover books that publishers consider excess inventory. The marks help ensure book sellers can’t return them to publishers for full price.
These remaindered copies are often available wholesale, so libraries and bookstores may purchase them for resale. Publishers often mark overstocked books with a stamp, sticker or label on the cover or spine indicating "Publishers Overstock Copy," "Printings Remainders," or "Excess Inventory.”
When new books release, bookstores stock ample inventory. If the book doesn’t sell well, bookstores can return unsold copies for refunds. Now publishers have lots of unsellable books. Destroying them would be wasteful so steep discounts are offered. Remainder marks differentiate discounted copies so they can’t be returned as new stock.
Remainder marks are distinct symbols conveying a book’s remaindered status, typically sold discounted through alternative channels. Examples include dots, stripes, or labels on the cover or page block. Next time you see a remainder mark grab that book and enjoy discounted reading!