Bookshop.org has added an e-book option, which now allows independent bookstores to sell digital books to customers. Titles purchased through Bookshop.org's Ebook platform can be read on a web browser, and through Bookshop.org's Apple and Android apps. The platform is launching with a catalogue of more than three million titles.
All profits from digital book sales made on stores' Bookshop.org pages go to the store. Profits from orders without a specified bookstore are distributed among all participating bookstores on the platform. Bookshop.org noted that some "25% of readers in the U.S. prefer e-books," so the new platform opens up a large market for indie bookstores.
"When we launched Bookshop.org, the vision was to support local bookstores in their battle against Amazon and other online retailers," said Andy Hunter, CEO and founder of Bookshop.org. "This launch represents our commitment to bookstores and their communities. We're focused on keeping bookstores afloat and helping them flourish in the digital age."
Cierra Cook, owner of Spoke & Word Books, Milwaukie, Ore., said, "Many of our customers use e-books for their accessibility, especially for folks with low vision. Having an alternative to Amazon is groundbreaking."
Author James Patterson commented, "I've said it before--booksellers and bookstores save lives. I'm thrilled to see Bookshop.org's new platform making e-books accessible while staying true to supporting independent bookstores."
Novelist and journalist Lev Grossman called the new platform "the missing piece we've all been waiting for. Bookshop.org has already built a fantastic, essential ecosystem connecting bookstores with the authors and readers who love them. Now with this new e-book platform, there's no limit to how far it can go and how big it can get."
Bookshop.org was launched five years ago, just as the pandemic started, and has raised more than $35 million for independent bookstores in the U.S. A certified B Corp., Bookshop.org allocates more than 80% of its profit margin to some 2,200 independent bookstores in the U.S.