Have you heard of Bookshop.org yet? If not, you’re probably not alone. Bookshop is a Certified B Corp (more on that later) specializing in – you guessed it – selling books.
But why? Doesn’t everyone just buy books from Amazon? Well, yes. And that’s kind of the problem. Since Amazon’s whole business model relies on annihilating the little guy at all cost (literally, they take a massive hit in profit to undercut an independent seller, just so they are the only ones left on the market) many independent book stores suffer in the wake. So how does another online book seller help independent stores? Kind of seems counter-intuitive.
As a Certified B Corp, Bookshop adheres to a social/environmental standard. In order to become a B Corp, a business must show that they comply with standards that essentially mean profits don’t come at the expense of the environment and consumer interests. B Corps must be transparent about their business structure and basically prove that they are going to run an ethical business that serves the public in a good way.
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How Bookshop.org Helps The Little Guy
So it seems like adding in another online book store would just add more competition and further harm the independent bookseller. However, part of Bookshop.org’s business model is that they donate 10% of EVERY purchase to a fund that is distributed to independent book stores across the U.S. Really! They also allow independent book stores to set up an online bookshop on their site where they receive the entire profit margin from purchases made in their shop. Really! And then there are people like me – people who aren’t running a book store – who can sell as well as affiliates. We design curated lists, and create links to our book recommendations. On these purchases, the 30% profit margin is distributed like this: 10% to me for driving the sale, 10% to the fund for independent book stores, and 10% for Bookshop.org.
They also, of course, sell books directly from their site, and on those purchases they make 20% profit and 10% goes to the independent book store fund. Isn’t transparency interesting?
Bookshop + Zero Waste
If you think that this business model sounds horrible – donating a portion of every profit?! – then I suppose you and I are fundamentally different. I’ve talked before about our family’s transition to living as close to “zero waste” as we can, and believe it or not, this fits in with that.
It’s probably true that the zero waste hierarchy of reading goes something like this: Read on an e-reader, borrow from the library, purchase used, purchase new. But there are times when we purchase new books. We give our kids and families books as gifts, and we also like to keep hard copies of all of our book club books (both my husband & mine and our son’s!)
While a huge part of the zero waste lifestyle is not buying anything you don’t need, another part of it is buying responsibly when you do make purchases. It has been shown time and time again that Amazon is good for Amazon. And only Amazon. Sure, sometimes we save a little bit of money, but at what cost? When we purchase responsibly, we are consciously choosing to support businesses who choose to benefit the common good. Supporting the many independent book stores around the country is, for me, better than lining Jeff Bezos’ pockets with my hard earned money.
Is Bookshop Expensive?
I’m not going to lie, when I first signed on to Bookshop I thought, “Man this is expensive!” But I took some time and did side by side comparisons between Bookshop.org and Amazon, and I found that for most books on my list Bookshop was less than $2 more expensive. That difference is fine for me, considering the difference in the business I’m supporting. And with the introduction of used books coming soon, we will likely see lower price options too! I can’t yet afford an Avocado mattress, but an extra dollar on a book? I can do that.
Go Forth and Read!
Hopefully this post has either introduced you to Bookshop or solidified your desire to purchase from them. Maybe you’re even considering starting your own lists there too! If you’re looking for a good book, here’s a sample of some of my lists:
Meg’s Favorites
Read Aloud Chapter Books – Ages 4-7
Upper Elementary Book Club – “Remote Readers”
Or you can visit my shop and see all of my lists!