Indie bookstore backer Bookshop.org launched an e-book platform on Tuesday, making it easier for readers to buy e-books without padding Jeff Bezos’s pockets. For years, Amazon’s chokehold and sway in the publishing industry have been so strong that authors and booksellers have accused the company of operating a monopoly.
Amazon is dominant in the sale of e-books because of its Kindle, which is one of the leading e-readers on the market. Conscious consumers can turn to companies like Kobo for their hardware, but even so, there aren’t often options to buy e-books directly from publishers and independent booksellers, which means that readers usually resort to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or other big box retailers.
Bookshop.org and Libro.fm have emerged as alternatives to Amazon, sharing a cut of sales with independent bookstores around America. But for e-book readers, it’s been challenging to buy new titles without going through Amazon’s ecosystem. Bookshop.org’s expansion into e-books gives consumers a long-awaited option to buy these digital books while also supporting small businesses.
“When we launched Bookshop.org, the vision was to support local bookstores in their battle against Amazon and other online retailers,” Andy Hunter, founder and CEO of Bookshop.org, said in an announcement of the service’s new capabilities. “This launch represents our commitment to keeping bookstores afloat.”
As it stands, Bookshop.org’s e-books are only available in the web browser, or on the Bookshop.org apps, which are available for Android and iOS.
To maximize its impact in the market, however, Bookshop.org will need to offer ways to download its e-books onto e-readers like the Kindle.
“Bookshop selling e-books is not a cure-all. Amazon has monopolized the e-book space for way too long for it to be,” wrote book critic Maris Kreizman on Bluesky. “But it’s an important first step and that’s worth celebrating.”
