Amazon/Kindle returns

The thing is, most books (other then erotica) are seeing returning rates of only a 1-3 percent. If you are seeing more than that over a reasonable sample (e.g. 500 or more sales) it would be worth looking into what might be making the book returned more often (e.g. cover and blurb doesn't quite match the books genre) or making it appeal to lower quality readerships (e.g. pricing is too low).

Also, while Amazon has an open returns policy, it is not completely open season. They will terminate accounts of serial read-and_returners especially if they receive complaints that focus them on specific customers.

My own experience sounds pretty normal then. I've had returns, but not many, probably at most 2% if that.

I've only sold a handful of books, so having two returned within a week of each other is an unhappy event for me.

I have figured out why the kids' book might have been returned, and I will fix it today. The second was a romance, bought only a day after it went live. I'll recheck that one to see if it has the same issue as the kids' novel. Having conversion issues apparently.

If that's the case, then I understand. Been told also that my book covers stink .. . yet they apparently had been a draw. And if covers matter in these cases, why would anyone have bought the book in the first place? Would you feel a less than perfect cover is a reason for a refund? I myself wouldn't ask for a refund, because I care more about the story.

Okay, off to fix the issue with the kids' book. I'll be checking back to see if there's any other news on this question!

The covers matter if they make the casual customer think they might be buying a book of type A (e.g. chick lit) when it is actually a perfectly lovely book of type B (e.g. inspirational memoir). Customers often buy from cover alone so this incorrect perception can leads to buyers remorse and a return.

I don't get many returns. I think the most I ever got in one month was 10 and that was when I was selling thousands of units a month.

I saw a spike in returns this month and a number of others on kboards have mentioned the same. One per book, bought and returned right away, for all titles under one of my pen names (non-fiction).

Sometimes it's people pirating the book. They borrow, steal, and return.

But it can also be new sign-ups to KU and new Kindle users. I know when I signed up for KU the return a borrow button was in the same location as the return for a refund option and I almost returned a book I didn't want to actually return, but just wanted to delete from my Kindle.

I will also say that I saw pretty much zero returns (on not that many sales admittedly) until I branched out into romance/erotica and then there were a few times I could watch someone work their whole way through a series, reading and returning as they went.

My best advice is don't take it personally and don't panic. Just chalk it up to doing business on Amazon.