Independent bookshops’ backer, Bookshop.org has escalated its competition with Amazon as it unveils its new e-book platform. Amazon’s influential grip on the publishing sector has been so forceful, leading many authors and bookstores to accuse it of operating a monopoly.
For some time now, Amazon has held sway in the e-book retail market, mainly due to the popularity of its e-reader, Kindle. Avid readers who are socially aware have few alternatives besides big box retailers or Amazon, as e-books are seldom purchasable directly from publishers and independent bookshops.
Bookshop.org and Libro.fm have emerged as Amazon rivals, promising to share proceeds from sales with America’s independent bookstores. However, for e-book enthusiasts, avoiding Amazon for new titles had previously been difficult. Bookshop.org’s move into the realm of e-books offers a much anticipated alternative, supporting small-scale enterprises.
CEO and founder of Bookshop.org, Andy Hunter, noted in an official statement that the company’s mission was to bolster local bookstores in their clash with Amazon. This new development attests to that commitment.
Currently, Bookshop.org’s e-books are only accessible via the web browser or through the Bookshop.org apps available on Android and iOS. To maximize market reach and impact, providing routes for e-book downloads onto e-readers like Kindle will be crucial. As book critic Maris Kreizman stated on Bluesky, “selling e-books is not a cure-all” against Amazon’s longstanding monopoly over the e-book space, but it is a vital initiating move worth celebrating.
Original source: Read the full article on TechCrunch
