The contractual right of the retail bookseller to send unsold copies of a book back to the publisher for credit, under certain conditions (eg: minimum shelf time, resaleable condition, prepaid freight). Publishers normally establish a "reserve against returns" fund, to avoid paying an author for unsold books, and then attempting to recover any overpayments; which entitles them to manage the royalty account for an extended time. This practice increases administrative costs, reduces royalty payments, and grants an interest-free loan to the publisher from their writers.