Indie Bookstore Day is This Saturday (4/26)!

Fuck Amazon & their book sale. Remember: you don't own your Kindle books.

I don’t know about y’all, but I’m so excited because this coming Saturday, April 26th, is (the 12th annual!) Independent Bookstore Day!

While, yes, it is a day about spending money at our local bookshops, it’s so much bigger than just buying a book (or two). Bookstores are a place for community. They’re a safe space, a third place, and, ultimately, a stronghold against censorship. We’re seeing BIPOC & LGBTQ books face an unprecedented number of challenges and outright bans in the US. Removals from public schools and libraries are now listed in the thousands and our indie bookstores play a vital role in ensuring these stories are readily available to those who need them most.

This Saturday’s not only about picking up that flashy, signed copy of the latest Emily Henry or Olivie Blake book (that’s only, like, 40% of it). It’s an investment in your community and the people who serve it. My local shop hosts at least five different book clubs, numerous writing groups, children’s story time, open mics, author Q&A’s, game nights, and fundraisers for neighbors in need. They’re truly some of the kindest, most dedicated folks I’ve ever met.

And this year, it looks like there’s at least one event happening in all 50 states: here’s a map of some, but not all, of the participating bookstores (over 1,600 of ‘em)! So, if you’ve been eyeing a book or looking for an excuse to get back into reading, this is your sign. Make the time to check out your local store this weekend and treat yourself to a good story! Also- keep an eye out as most participating stores have event specific merch for sale and some free stickers or bookmarks to commemorate the occasion!

Oh, about that Amazon dig above? Well, due to their totally not at all coordinated effort to overshadow the focus on indie bookstores this coming weekend a sheer coincidence, Amazon is running a book sale before, during, and after Indie Bookstore Day. (mostly because they’re a despicable, horrible, awful company)

But listen, I get why people buy books from them! They have some very, very good prices on books, especially on their large selection of ebooks, but never forget: you don’t own any of the books you buy from the Kindle store. This fact enrages me to no end and, if I hadn't randomly seen a thread on Reddit about it, I would have lost the 200 or so ebooks I had accumulated over the last decade. Their business practices are just as bad as the timing and intent of their current book sale.

I can hear some of you already, though. “If not Amazon, then where?”

Well, if you, like many, many others, want to leave Amazon, but don’t have an indie bookstore close by to visit this weekend, let me introduce you to Bookshop.org! (this is not sponsored, I just love them) They’re a fantastic alternative to Amazon that also lets you support a local bookstore of your choice! They have recently started selling ebooks as well. (as a note, I recommend using Calibre for your ebook management/storage, but more about that another time).

How Bookshop.org works: You’ll first visit their find a local bookstore page and select the store you'd like to support. This could be the bookstore closest to you or the one back in your hometown, etc. After this, you peruse and purchase books as normal. If you don't select a store, your purchase still goes to the profit sharing pool that helps support all indies. There will be a difference in price, usually with Amazon being a bit lower, but as you and I know your dollars spent at both Bookshop.org and your local indie go a lot further than simply acquiring a book.

Are you planning to venture out on Indie Bookstore Day?

What book(s) are you looking to pick up? (I wanna know!)

I’m grabbing a copy of Emily Henry’s Great Big Beautiful Life because, well, it really is just that when you’ve got a few books in your (tote) bag, isn’t it?

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Thank you for reading!

—z