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Half or more???? 25%, usually, and you get it back after a year.
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(This is from a few posts ago, talking about the money withheld from an author's check to cover anticipated returns.)
With the last paper book I published, earlier this year, the publisher held more than 68% against returns. I have an author friend who recently reported that his publisher withheld even more than that.
A book sold at Costco is a specially negotiated deal that won't pay the author a royalty based on the normal, full retail price. There will probably be a paragraph in the contract about books sold at a steep discount or promotional discount or somesuch, sharply reducing the royalty. So, no, if you buy a $30 book at Costco for $15.99, the author is not getting his usual royalty based on $30. Even with books sold at a chain like Barnes & Noble, B&N might have demanded such a stiff discount that the lower royalty will apply.