3 Easy Ways to Keep Independent Bookstores Alive
Published by the SCBWI Bulletin, winter 2021
Will you turn back time with me? Remember last fall, when we browsed our local bookstores, joined stimulating book talks, sipped hot java, and bought glossy magazines. We lingered at the help desk to learn about new releases, and picked up gifts for the holidays. We brought our children along to story hours and “Meet the author” events, and treated them to cherished, autographed books.
Then COVID-19 came. American businesses shuttered for months, and some closed for good. And as we battle a virus with no end in sight and feed our needs through Amazon, many independent bookstores—our neighborhood gems—teeter on the brink.
The pandemic isn’t the only assailant. The demise of brick-and-mortar bookstores is a long time in the making. In 1995, Amazon Books was the first kiss of death. Then big box stores cut deeper into business. Now COVID looms over the coffin, ready to lower the lid.
Consider these deadly October stats from the American Booksellers Association (ABA):
- 20% of American independent bookstores are in danger of closing.
- 35 bookstores have closed during the pandemic, averaging one per week.
Two tragic casualties, both conducting business for fifty years, are the tip of a growing iceberg: The Bank Street Bookstore in NYC closed in August, and the Book Nook in Monroe, MI is set to close near yearend.
A number of stores turned to crowdfunding to keep their doors open, including Papercuts Bookshop in Boston, MA; City Lights Books in San Francisco, CA; EyeSeeMee African American Children’s Bookstore, University City, MO, Rainy Day Books in Fairway, KS, and the longstanding Strand in New York, NY since 1927.
But consumers can make a difference in a sustainable way by changing their buying habits. Purchase books from Amazon alternatives that share their profits with indie bookstores…or buy directly from shops on the ground.
Three painless changes in how we shop can positively impact struggling stores.
Buy books from Amazon Alternatives
For printed books, discover Bookshop.org
To help a single, local store or a pool of stores across the country, patronize Bookshop.org—think mini Amazon for indies. Andy Hunter, founder and startup CEO, launched this national online platform in January 2020, with a firm commitment to bolster independent bookstores.
For book buyers, the process is satisfying. Click and pay online, receive a few-day shipping, and feel good knowing know that profits will be shared with independent stores.
For booksellers, the rewards are desperately needed. More than 7 million dollars has been raised thus far for indie stores.
Here are some specifics on how they benefit:
- 10% of regular sales on Bookshop.org are divided and distributed to ABA members that operate bookstores.
- A bookstore opting to sell through Bookshop.org earns 25% of the cover price on every sale they generate (30% during COVID).
- All orders are fulfilled by the wholesaler Ingram.
In collaboration with Ingram and the ABA, Bookshop.org offers socially conscious consumers a book purchasing alternative to the major online retailers. Buyers can shop from the homepage or shop on the affiliate page of their favorite participating store. More than 500 independent book sellers have created affiliate pages on this platform since its inception.
For audio books, visit Libro.fm.
Audiobook buyers can support a neighborhood store by purchasing through Libro.fm. This Seattle-based provider is a solid alternative to Amazon Audible, listing 150,000 new releases, including New York Times best sellers and staff recommendations.
Buyers on Libro.fm can purchase audiobooks one at a time or subscribe to a monthly membership ($14.99). And every buyer gets to select a bookstore to share in the profits!
Booksellers earn 15% on single sales, 10% on monthly memberships, and access Libro.fm’s customer service for their audiobook clientele.
Libro.fm currently partners with independent bookstore throughout the U.S and Canada by co-branding audiobook storefronts on the platform.
Engage with local bookstores
Brick-and-mortar bookstores are meaningful socially, culturally, and economically.
In a world with a mounting habit of online living, bookstores are neighborhood hubs with a personal touch, planning enriching activities for all ages that include readings, book clubs, and festivals. Local stores also support the work of local authors and keep tax dollars and hires within their communities.
Hipocampo Children’s Books, a Latinx owned establishment in Rochester, NY carries a large inventory of books representing diverse cultures while hosting learning programs and performances for kids.
Are you willing to step up?
While independent bookstores need your online support, they also want you back in their shops. Purchase directly, attend virtual and onsite events, opt in for newsletters, and chat them up in person and on social media.
Need help finding bookstores?
Pin buying alternatives to your phone screen
Old habits die hard. You can remind yourself to buy from Amazon alternatives by bookmarking websites to the home screen of your phone. The bookmarks will look like downloaded apps you can tuck into a folder.
Add a Safari Bookmark to an iPhone (iOS) home screen:
- Open the desired website on your phone in Safari
- Tap the Share button (the arrow on a box)
- Scroll to “Add to Home Screen” (the plus inside a box)
- Edit the bookmark name and add
Add a Chrome bookmark to an Android home screen:
- Open the desired website on your phone in Chrome
- Tap the Menu button (the three dots at the upper right
- Scroll to “Add to Home Screen”
- Edit the bookmark name and add
I created bookmarks for two nearby stores, the Dolphin Bookshop and the Book Review, and bookmarks for those supportive online vendors, Bookshop.org and Libro.fm. . Then I dropped the shortcuts in a folder entitled “Book Buying” and pinned it below my Amazon app, so I wouldn’t forget to use them.
While reading books at home has gained speed during COVID-19, profits are not staying local. So throw your business in helpful directions: buy books on supportive platforms, engage with indie bookstores, and pin Amazon alternatives to your phone.
We, the reading public, have the power to save our neighborhood shops. Will you move forward with me on this important mission?
Resources:
How Bookstores Are Weathering the Pandemic, Oct. 25, 2020
American Booksellers Association Launches National “Boxed Out” Campaign, Oct. 13, 2020.
How this Small Children’s Bookstore Manages to Survive in Tough Times, Oct.29, 2020
Indies Launch GoFundMe Campaigns to Survive Coronavirus Shutdown, Apr. 24, 2020
Can Bookshop Become the Indie Amazon? Oct. 25, 2019
ABA Board Announces Affinity Partnership with Bookshop, Jan. 8, 2019
*Image by Louise Dav from Pixabay
