Stripped Book

A stripped book is a mass market paperback that has been stripped of its cover in order to be pulped and recycled as a result of lack of sales. The covers are returned to the publisher as evidence that the books have been destroyed and the books are discarded or recycled into paper or cardboard products. However, many stripped books end up back on the marketplace, and are sold at places like flea markets. As a result, beginning in the 1980s, most publishers of mass market paperbacks insert a warning on the copyright page, often containing the note:

If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as "unsold and destroyed" to the publisher and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this "stripped book."

Hardcovers are usually disposed of as remaindered books rather than stripped books. A few hardcover titles, such as Angus Oblong's Creepy Susie, carry the above warning, though hardcover books are generally returned whole, not just the cover itself.