Small Bookstores
Before the internet, bookstores were the commons for information and community. Today, like all local brick-and-mortar, they’re nearly extinct. We can’t fight oligarchs without addressing monopoly, so one of the ways we resist is through supporting local business. Buy your books locally when you can. Or buy from Bookshop.org, which shares a portion of every sale with small local bookstores. You can even set your favorite as your recipient!
How to do it:
Many local bookstores are hanging on through events and “third spaces” — commons where you can get coffee and plan the revolution. Here are some ways to help local bookstores:
- Buy your books there. If it isn’t on the shelf they can probably order it.
- Sign up for their mailing list, and attend events
- Make the embedded cafe your “let’s grab a coffee” default
- Shop there — many have gift stores or other “extras” to keep the bills paid
- Leave good reviews online, for the location, and also for books on their site if they host reviews
- Plan your next postcard campaign in a third space, or invite a friend to imagine hope there. When you gather, folks may stop by to pick something up.
- give gift certificates, any time of year, for a “pick me up.”
- give a gift certificate for the price of a specific book, with a note like “I loved this book, but in case you’ve read it or it’s not your cup of tea, get something you love!”
Sometimes the local bookshop just doesn’t have what you want, or you need the convenience of online purchases. You can still support your local favorite with Bookshop.org. Their affiliate program allows small bookstores, authors or publishers to sign up for a share of profits. Sign up for an account and choose a designated beneficiary, or let them distribute 10% of your purchase to bookstores, authors and publishers. They’ve given millions back.
Disclaimer: the link below gets you 20% off your first purchase, and we also get a 20% discount on a future purchase, but we’re not recommending Bookshop.org just for the sweet sweet book grift…we just really want you to use your online book buying to help booksellers, not hurt them like that other place. Feel free to skip the promo code and go to Bookshop.org directly if you prefer.
