A visible indication, usually a pen stroke or stamp, utilized to the sting of a guide’s pages, usually the underside edge. This mark signifies that the guide was offered by the writer to a the rest seller at a considerably diminished worth, usually resulting from overstock or a title’s declining gross sales. The presence of this mark usually signifies that the guide is non-returnable to the writer. For instance, a black line throughout the underside of a hardcover signifies it was offered at a reduction.
Such markings are necessary for a number of causes. They permit publishers to clear extra stock with out disrupting the retail worth of books nonetheless being offered at full worth. From a client perspective, the presence of the mark can sign a discount, permitting entry to books at a extra inexpensive price. Traditionally, this follow has allowed publishers to handle unsold stock successfully, stopping warehousing prices and probably recouping some income from titles which may in any other case be destroyed. For collectors, the existence (or absence) of a the rest mark can typically have an effect on a guide’s worth, relying on its rarity and situation.