I'm here to ask you to join me in starting a trend. Let's change things and help independent bookstores.
I have an idea that has been bubbling around in my mind for a few months. It started, where all good ideas seem to start, at the bookstore. After talking to hundreds of customers who love audio books, I realized that many of them had no clue that there is an alternative to Audible. Librofm is the audio book provider that is the independent bookstore alternative to Amazon's Audible. Knowledge is power and I'm certain that some of the customers armed with this information made the switch.
I'm active on Instagram with both Books Inside Boxes and my personal account. I've been part of the bookstagram community for many years and I've notice something. Many other bookstagrammers have a link to their Amazon wishlists on their Instagram page.
It got me thinking about wishlists, particularly Amazon wishlists. The Amazon wishlist is incredibly easy and conveinent. For many years, I maintained an Amazon wishlist, even long after I stopped personally shopping on Amazon. I had friends and family who would purchase items from my list and I bought items from their lists. It made gift giving simple.
Luckily, there is an indie bookstore alternative to the Amazon wishlist. Bookshop.org is an online retailer that gives a portion of sales to the indie bookstore of your choice. The website has a wishlist function. You can create a private wishlist to keep track of the books you'd like to buy or you can make the wishlist a registry allowing others to shop for you.
I recently closed down my Amazon wishlists and moved everything to Bookshop.org
Here is my call to action:
If you currently have an Amazon wishlist for books, move the books over to a Bookshop.org wishlist.
If you currently have a link to a book wishlist on your social media profile, make it a bookshop.org wishlist.
This isn't about "Amazon Shaming." It is a call to show people that there is an alternative way to buy books. I don't think many booklovers realize that these alternative options exist. I didn't know about them, until I started working at a bookstore. Wouldn't it be a better world to spend our money with small businesses that support our community? Isn't it awesome that bookshop.org makes it possible for you to still have the convienance of online shopping and a wishlist, yet still be able to give a portion of the profits to your favorite store? Let's do this, let's make this a trend!
This also isn't to say that bookshop.org is the only way to create a wishlist with an indie bookstore. Some of the bigger indies do have their own websites with their own wishlist functions. Take a look at what your favorite stores are offering. Support indies!
To get this moving, I've put my own bookshop.org link on my personal instagram page. As a bookseller, I have access to so many books. SO MANY BOOKS!!! I do not need books from this list, so it's definitely not a ploy to get more books. I just wanted to show people that this exists and to be part of what I'm asking others to do.
Additionally, I'm going to host a raffle. If you have a bookshop.org wishlist, share it on your social media and send me a personal message. On July 1st, I will pull a winning name and purchase a book from the winner's Bookshop.org wishlist.
I know that all of my Books Inside Boxes supporters, value indie bookstores. I'm hoping to reach other people as well and show them that there is an fantastic alternative to Amazon. Please help me spread the word! Let's start a trend!
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