W H Smith BookCycle scheme praised for sustainability but concerns raised about author compensation

Industry figures have praised the potential of BookCycle – the W H Smith buy-back scheme – to reduce book waste, while others have raised concerns about the lack of compensation for authors. 

The scheme, which was announced at the end of October, allows customers to swap unwanted books for money off any purchases with the retailer. It is run in collaboration with the company Zeercle, which will help resell the old books at reduced prices and recycle or donate a small number of books that cannot be resold due to their condition. 

“Everyone loves a bargain, but as the Fairtrade movement has shown, a good deal for the consumer can add up to a poor deal for the producer,” Nicola Solomon, chief executive of the Society of Authors (SoA), told The Bookseller. “Most authors receive full royalties on books sold by high-street bookshops, and the physical presence of books on the high street showcases the importance of reading, culture and learning.

“Second-hand books have an environmental advantage and it is great to see books shared and loved. However, authors rarely receive royalties or other payments from sales of second-hand books.”

In order to take part in the scheme, customers need to first scan their books, the condition, popularity and demand of which is assessed using Zeercle’s technology. They can then select a participating W H Smith high-street store to return the book to and sign up online to complete the online process. Upon dropping off their second-hand books in-store, customers will receive an e-gift card and can use that in any W H Smith shop or online via the retailer’s website. 

The scheme has received mixed responses from the industry, with some saying that it will be a welcome development and others raising questions about its viability and the purpose behind it.

Karen Sullivan, publisher at Orenda Books, said that this scheme is a positive move towards a more sustainable and affordable path for books, while also highlighting the impact it could have on the sales of new books.

She said: “The initiative shows awareness of the need to consider both the environment and the cost of living crisis. More readers will be inspired to head into W H Smith bookshops to buy new books, and anything that does that can only be good.”

The SoA’s chief executive also said that, although authors will not be paid royalties through the resale of second-hand books, if this scheme encourages readers to buy new books then that will be positive for authors who will receive full royalties on those titles.

But Solomon also urged the retailer and Zeercle to subscribe to the AuthorShare scheme in order to compensate authors for any sales that may be missed because of the new scheme.

Solomon added: “With the launch of AuthorSHARE in June 2021, authors now receive a royalty on used copies of their books from used-book retailers World of Books and Litalist. We believe that all used book retailers – particularly one as high profile as W H Smith – should join this scheme to provide equity and reward to authors and to help fund the writing of new books to inspire, inform and delight.”

Agent Sheila Crowley also said that the Books Team at Curtis Brown welcomes “initiatives from all retailers who are working on strategies to increase sales and footfall into stores, but question whether this will be a lot of effort for little reward for W H Smith".

Crowley added: “Innovation and exciting campaigns for new titles and backlist would drive more sales throughout W H Smith’s high-street stores, plus cross promotions with their ever successful travel stores.”

A spokesperson from W H Smith said: “‘We’re committed to helping our customers with the cost of living and to encourage reading across all sections of the community. Our partnership with Zeercle delivers both, helping customers by giving them money back for books sitting on shelves at home, and enabling them to redeem that money for new books in our stores.”

Zeercle did not respond to The Bookseller’s request for a comment.