Independent Bookstore Day (April 25, 2026) is over, but that means it’s more important than ever to support those small businesses. Small businesses struggle every day; perhaps independent bookstores struggle even more so. Remember the movie “You’ve Got Mail?” With Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks? She was the owner of an independent bookstore, and he was the owner of a chain of bookstores that opened across the street from hers. Today, independent bookstores face competition from other online stores, Amazon in particular. It’s impossible for them to compete on price alone. But many independent bookstores offer far more value beyond the price of their books.
Why Shop at an Independent Bookstore?
Supporting Your Community
Independent bookshops reflect the core values of your community, often curating book titles that are special to your community.
They support and ensure a community of folk who love reading, sharing knowledge and ideas, and an appreciation of literature and creativity.
Your money, their profits, are more likely to stay in the community rather than fill a billionaire’s already bulging pockets.
They create a space where we can share knowledge and ideas, and creativity. Imagine finding out someone in your neighborhood likes to read the same stories you do.
By supporting your local stores, you are encouraging local kids to grow up with a love of reading, knowledge, and creativity.
Shopping locally is good for the environment because less transportation to get your books reduces your carbon footprint.
Sharing the Magic of Books
These booksellers are readers. They share your passion for books and understand the magic of reading a good book.
They create safe gathering places where you can browse until you find the right book for you.
They host book clubs, author signings, author events, and other community events.
Personalized Service
They know and understand their patrons and their inventory and can offer personalized suggestions rather than random algorithm choices.
They encourage new discoveries and have the perfect answer to “I liked xxx, what else is like that?”
They embrace books that include people who might otherwise feel alienated by the big-name book publishing companies.
Often, independent bookstores can special-order hard-to-find books for you.
Many offer a unique charm. That charm makes browsing a far more enjoyable experience.
For Authors and Writers
They support new and local authors. Some host author events like book signings or book launches.
For authors, their knowledge of their readers means your book is much more likely to get into the hands of readers who love your books.
Some offer meeting space for creatives including how-to sessions.
Ways You Can Support Your Local Bookstores
Most have a website so you can order online if you can’t get to the store.
Tell your friends about your local stores.
Attend events hosted by your local bookstore(s).
Purchase gift cards from these stores for friends and family.
Follow and engage with them on social media and their email newsletters.
Even small purchases help.
Often, independent bookstores don’t just sell books. They might also sell snacks, coffee, plants, t-shirts, or handcrafted items. Purchasing those items helps too.
Use Bookshop.org when you purchase books. Bookshop supports indie stores. They set aside 10% of your purchase into a fund that is divided between participating independent bookstores twice per year. If you have a local store, you can note that at the time of your purchase and your store will receive a 25% commission on that sale.
How Can I Find An Independent Bookstore Near Me?
Online Resources:
Ask a search engine for independent bookstores near your city.
Websites like Libro.FM and Bookshop.org can help you find independent bookstores in your area.
Local Chambers of Commerce:
Call or find your local chamber of commerce online. They may have a list of independent bookstores in the community.
Word of Mouth:
Ask friends, family, and neighbors for recommendations in person. Or ask on social media groups specific to your community.
Supporting Each Other
As a writer and author, I know the financial pinch and stress of being an independent business owner. I deeply appreciate the long hours and sweat and tears that can go into making a small business work.
That has kept me away from my fellow independent business owners of bookshops too often.
While I can’t afford to buy new books very often, I buy them as gifts for family members. But I love to treat myself now and then with a cup of coffee, a trinket, or a sweet. I vow here, in a public forum, that I will do better from now on. I call on my fellow writers and authors and readers, and book lovers to do the same for their independent bookstores in their communities. We have to support each other.
Show Your Passion for Books
I have been passionate about books since I can remember. The experience of being transported by a book, seeing someone like me in a book, seeing places and people I’d never see in my lifetime—those were invaluable. Some books deliver information in exactly the way I needed in order to understand. The smell of a new book…heck, the smell of an old book is intoxicating to me.
I must admit that sometimes in the world of electronic books, I find myself wandering like a lost child. Books and more books surround me, but the book that I want to read, the one that will move me, seems not to exist. It does, but it’s incredibly difficult to find in the impersonal electronic world.
Give me a bookstore. Give me an independent bookstore tucked in the corner of a coffee shop or an old strip mall, and I find a place where the noise of the everyday world falls away. It’s a place where I can breathe peace and comfort. If I simply ask a question, I am guided to a world of stories to choose from.
I cannot imagine a world without paper books, without stories surrounding me.
I don’t want to imagine that cold and stark world. Do you?
How do you plan to support your local independent bookstore(s)?
Need some reading inspiration? Try 12 Ways to Increase Your Reading Pleasure. Or catch one of my monthly First Lines posts to find your next read.
Image Credits
Featured image collage contains Collage includes
Image by Hermann Kollinger from Pixabay
Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay
Image by Lynette M. Burrows
Image by Parkville Coffee
Image by Freedom Books
Image by Engin Akyurt from Pixabay
Image by qiangxuer from Pixabay
Image by Maureen Howard from Pixabay
Final image in post by Lynette M. Burrows
This is an excellent reminder to all authors — and also to all readers who love books and their local community! There are some great suggestions in this post. Thank you!
I am glad you found this a valuable read, Jan.