With the rigorous rise of Amazon’s sales and the depletion of local bookstores because of it, it can seem as if resistance to its demand is futile. But for Andy Hunter, the founder of Bookshop, it was a motivated call to action. Hunter was determined to protect the cultural significance of books and the community of independent bookstores; with this in mind, he decided to create a brand new feature on bookshop.org, an e-book platform!
The Development Bookshop.org
Hunter created bookshop.org during the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic; Hunter’s mission since the beginning was to create a way for local bookstores to thrive while in an Amazon-dominated market. As many transactions had to be done online during this time, bookshop.org became a huge success in its sales due to it being a digital platform. With over $50,000 in book sales within the first month of its development, bookshop.org proved to be a worthy marketplace for readers who wanted their purchases to reflect their personal values, instead of towards a vast corporation.
Amazon’s Kindle Sales and Its Impact on Books
Amazon’s Kindle has long been the main subject of the company’s dominance in the book market industry. With the rapid increase towards digital reading, the Kindle secured over 50% of U.S. book sales by 2018. Due to this, it has been nearly impossible for smaller, local bookstores to compete with this revenue and causes most to be shut down as Amazon’s market continuously increases and takes the spotlight. Many readers today prefer purchasing e-books rather than physical copies; by the making of the Kindle, this allowed many readers what they desired and so turned heads away from bookstores who weren’t able to offer digital options.
Bookshop.org’s Solution
With this in mind, Hunter advocated for a change in this system to help bookstores and authors. Thus, with his growing website, he created an e-book feature for modern readers to use and enjoy while also supporting authors immensely. What sets this feature apart from its competition is that local bookstores will be able to receive most, if not all, of the revenue the website makes from its book sales. By giving independent shops a share of the digital book world, an area they previously were excluded from, Hunter allows them a fair opportunity. The e-book function, which can be accessed via a web browser or app, is intended to prioritize readers’ convenience and usability. It will be a step forward for not only Bookshop.org, but the entire publishing industry, demonstrating that technology and ethics can coexist.
Technology has almost always been a negative benefactor towards the book world, but this e-book feature offers a hopeful future for local bookstores to remain significant in the growing digital industry while allowing readers better convenience. Bookshop.org is not just a competitor for Amazon but a powerful testament to ethical values when purchasing books and supporting authors.
To read more about Amazon’s impact on authors, click here.
Want to start shopping for e-books? Check out bookshop.org’s feature here!
