Despite the prevalence of ebooks and more people accessing more books via digital methods, sales of physical books soared in 2021 by 4%. This might not sound too much, but when you consider the economy and other factors, most notably the rise of a more digital lifestyle, this increase seems to have defied predictions.
In the UK, book sales hit 2.5 billion in 2020. However, despite this rise, your local bookstore might still be struggling. The spend, it seems, hasn't been equally distributed and of the 200 million printed books sold, the sales weren't equal. That's not to say bookstores aren't thriving. Indie bookstores, in particular, seem to be gaining in popularity with dedicated book lovers who value their local bookstore and want to help it stave off closure. But is that possible, especially with behemoths such as Amazon, who sell not only digital books but physical copies and the allure of the bigger book retailers such as Waterstones?
Sure, but saving your local bookstore doesn't just mean buying books yourself. There are many ways you can support your local store, and not all of them involve you adding to that already impossible to finish TBR pile.
Why Is Supporting Local Bookstores Important?
When you step back and take on the bigger picture, you aren't just supporting your local bookseller, which is an amazing thing to do regardless. You are investing money back into publishing, allowing more authors to have their books published, better deals for indie bookstores, and supporting authors. Authors who release books online typically have to pay a fee to the seller, meaning they don't always get the full cut of the sale depending on where the book is bought.
Especially when books are being sold below the RRP, while Kindle subscriptions allow you to read as many books as you want for a set amount, the authors only receive payment per page read. Meaning if you don't finish the book, they only get paid until you give up and state something new. While this can be a good residual income, nothing beats someone purchasing a full-price copy of their book to support the industry as a whole.
Leave Reviews
Whether you have shopped online or in-store with your favorite retailer or retailers, leaving them a review online can help others find them and support what they do. Find their social media pages and website if they have one and look for how to leave a review, either for the book(s) you bought, the service you received, or both.
Sadly far too many people see fit to leave online complaints at the merest hint of what they perceive to be bad service. So countering this with positive and supportive feedback across everywhere your bookstore is active can help you do your bit to support them.
Participate in Events
A great way to introduce people to new authors or books is by holding in-store or virtual events. The success of these events directly correlates with how many people turn up and support them. Even if you know of the author, read the book, or have no desire to read or get involved, simply showing up can be supportive. Events can be a great income generator for bookstores, and the more popular the events are, the more they will be able to book in. so sign up to receive alerts and make your presence count come event day.
Social Media
Where would we be without social media? The beauty of social media is you can connect with companies and brands easily and for free. Be generous with your engagement and like and share social media posts, chat and engage on topics you are interested in and give feedback if requested. All of this you can do for free at any time, even if you cannot visit in person.
On Twitter, there is a hashtag you can follow to support booksellers #AskABookSeller.
Sign up to receive newsletters or new release alerts to allow you to keep up to date with new and latest developments in store.
Pre-Order
Pre-orders are huge and allow bookstores to gauge interest in new releases and get in the newest books. It can even help them to negotiate better prices too. Always preorder with your local bookstore either in person or online. Making a preorder and paying upfront guarantees them an income, whereas otherwise, they might not have had the money. In hard times, this will always be welcome.
Gift Cards
If you don't need any new books, but you want to give the power of books to loved ones for gifts, why not ask your local bookseller if they have any gift cards you can buy to allow people to buy when they are ready. Noto only does the bookseller get potentially much-needed funds but a guaranteed sale.
Audiobooks
If your retailer has a website, there is always the option to purchase audiobooks if you prefer to listen to a story rather than read them. Audiobooks are becoming increasingly popular, and you can enjoy your favorite stories over again via a new format and hear them in a totally different way.
Word of Mouth
There is nothing more powerful than word of mouth when it comes to supporting small businesses. In fact, getting a recommendation via word of mouth is something many businesses prefer as it means someone thought highly enough of you to tell other people.
So if you have had a great experience in-store or someone asks for recommendations, share your thoughts and feelings on your favorite small bookstores to help support them.
In conclusion, if you are a bonafide bookworm, then making changes to how you buy your new reads and support booksellers and the industry as a whole can help to establish the need to preserve smaller bookstores and appreciate everything they can offer customers and the wider community too.
Even regular purchases, no matter how small, can make a difference, and if you can take on board some of the tips in this post, you can ensure bookstores are around for a really long time.