Independent Booksellers: Difference between revisions
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Independent booksellers (or indie booksellers) are bookstores that operate through independent owners who aren't part of larger bookstore chains or superstores like Barnes & Noble. Most independent booksellers only have one store, but there are some that operate through multiple locations.<ref>Barron, Kaelyn. “What Are Independent Bookstores and Why Do They Matter?” ''TCK Publishing'', 7 Sept. 2021, www.tckpublishing.com/what-are-independent-bookstores/.</ref> Today, there are over "1,900 independent booksellers in North America", making them a huge part of the book trade in the U.S. (Robinson 246).<ref>Robinson, Solveig C. ''The Book in Society : An Introduction to Print Culture''. Peterborough, Broadview Press, 2014, p. 246.</ref> However, it's also important to note that these bookstores have faced great obstacles in recent years. Many avid readers choose to purchase books from bookstore chains and superstores since those places oftentimes offer cheaper prices and a wider variety of books. The indie bookstores that have been able to keep up with larger chains have done so by "knowing the local market and providing the kinds of personal touches and personal services that large chains and online vendors cannot" (Robinson 247).<ref>Robinson, Solveig C. ''The Book in Society : An Introduction to Print Culture''. Peterborough, Broadview Press, 2014, p. 247.</ref> Some bookstores such as Politics and Prose in Washington D.C., host classes, workshops, and author events to help distinguish themselves from the larger chains, making them more appealing to readers.<ref>Robinson, Solveig C. ''The Book in Society : An Introduction to Print Culture''. Peterborough, Broadview Press, 2014, p. 247.</ref> | Independent booksellers (or indie booksellers) are bookstores that operate through independent owners who aren't part of larger bookstore chains or superstores like Barnes & Noble. Most independent booksellers only have one store, but there are some that operate through multiple locations.<ref>Barron, Kaelyn. “What Are Independent Bookstores and Why Do They Matter?” ''TCK Publishing'', 7 Sept. 2021, www.tckpublishing.com/what-are-independent-bookstores/.</ref> Today, there are over "1,900 independent booksellers in North America", making them a huge part of the book trade in the U.S. (Robinson 246).<ref>Robinson, Solveig C. ''The Book in Society : An Introduction to Print Culture''. Peterborough, Broadview Press, 2014, p. 246.</ref> However, it's also important to note that these bookstores have faced great obstacles in recent years. Many avid readers choose to purchase books from bookstore chains and superstores since those places oftentimes offer cheaper prices and a wider variety of books. The indie bookstores that have been able to keep up with larger chains have done so by "knowing the local market and providing the kinds of personal touches and personal services that large chains and online vendors cannot" (Robinson 247).<ref>Robinson, Solveig C. ''The Book in Society : An Introduction to Print Culture''. Peterborough, Broadview Press, 2014, p. 247.</ref> Some bookstores such as Politics and Prose in Washington D.C., host classes, workshops, and author events to help distinguish themselves from the larger chains, making them more appealing to readers.<ref>Robinson, Solveig C. ''The Book in Society : An Introduction to Print Culture''. Peterborough, Broadview Press, 2014, p. 247.</ref> | ||
[[File:The Strand Bookstore.png|thumb|The Strand Bookstore in NYC<ref>''Strandbooks.com'', 2025, www.strandbooks.com/.</ref>]] | |||
== How Independent Booksellers Work With Publishers == | |||
While larger bookstore chains and superstores tend to dominate the book market, independent booksellers still have a critical relationship with publishers.[[File:The Strand Bookstore.png|thumb|The Strand Bookstore in NYC<ref>''Strandbooks.com'', 2025, www.strandbooks.com/.</ref>]] | |||
== The Strand Bookstore == | == The Strand Bookstore == | ||
Revision as of 09:45, 8 November 2025
Independent booksellers (or indie booksellers) are bookstores that operate through independent owners who aren't part of larger bookstore chains or superstores like Barnes & Noble. Most independent booksellers only have one store, but there are some that operate through multiple locations.[1] Today, there are over "1,900 independent booksellers in North America", making them a huge part of the book trade in the U.S. (Robinson 246).[2] However, it's also important to note that these bookstores have faced great obstacles in recent years. Many avid readers choose to purchase books from bookstore chains and superstores since those places oftentimes offer cheaper prices and a wider variety of books. The indie bookstores that have been able to keep up with larger chains have done so by "knowing the local market and providing the kinds of personal touches and personal services that large chains and online vendors cannot" (Robinson 247).[3] Some bookstores such as Politics and Prose in Washington D.C., host classes, workshops, and author events to help distinguish themselves from the larger chains, making them more appealing to readers.[4]
How Independent Booksellers Work With Publishers
While larger bookstore chains and superstores tend to dominate the book market, independent booksellers still have a critical relationship with publishers.
The Strand Bookstore
The Strand is a popular indie bookstore located on Broadway and Twelfth Street in New York City. It is the only remaining survivor from "Book Row", "a stretch of Fourth Avenue between about Union Square and Astor Place" where almost fifty independent bookstores thrived and sold secondhand books from the 1890s to the 1960s (Robinson 248). Today, The Strand still thrives and offers readers a selection of 2.5 million books from new editions to rare and used books.[6]
Notes
- ↑ Barron, Kaelyn. “What Are Independent Bookstores and Why Do They Matter?” TCK Publishing, 7 Sept. 2021, www.tckpublishing.com/what-are-independent-bookstores/.
- ↑ Robinson, Solveig C. The Book in Society : An Introduction to Print Culture. Peterborough, Broadview Press, 2014, p. 246.
- ↑ Robinson, Solveig C. The Book in Society : An Introduction to Print Culture. Peterborough, Broadview Press, 2014, p. 247.
- ↑ Robinson, Solveig C. The Book in Society : An Introduction to Print Culture. Peterborough, Broadview Press, 2014, p. 247.
- ↑ Strandbooks.com, 2025, www.strandbooks.com/.
- ↑ Robinson, Solveig C. The Book in Society : An Introduction to Print Culture. Peterborough, Broadview Press, 2014, p. 248.
