Buzz
Regardless of your opinion on Amazon, two things are clear: it's likely taking longer to receive non-essential orders depending on when and what you're buying, and many small businesses are shutting down due to the impact of the coronavirus.
I do appreciate fast shipping, but I, like many others, prefer to distance myself from the operations of Amazon. It’s a moral dilemma I don’t dwell on too often, but it’s something that should influence my decision when it’s time to reconsider my Prime membership. For now, it’s hard to ignore the deserted parking lots and vacant stores I pass by on my socially distant walks these days.
For a balanced approach—quick book shipping and a way to support your local bookstores—I recommend turning to Bookshop.org and Libro.fm as alternatives to Amazon.
Here’s why you should purchase books from Bookshop instead of Amazon.
Bookshop is an impressive competitor to Amazon and one of the few positive outcomes of the coronavirus pandemic. The concept is straightforward: Order books online, and a portion of your purchase contributes to a large earnings pool that’s distributed to independent bookstores—10% of all sales on the site. Bookstores that manage their inventory, packing, and shipping through Bookshop earn 30% of any sales they generate. Moreover, Bookshop offers an affiliate program that pays out more for referrals (10%) compared to Amazon’s 4.5% for books, so websites and influencers linking to Bookshop benefit both themselves and local independent bookstores with every sale.
Honestly, there’s no reason not to give Bookshop a shot if you're looking for something to read during quarantine. The website is user-friendly if you know what you're after; since it’s a newer platform, it doesn’t have the extensive review system Amazon provides, but I’m not sure how many people truly base their book purchases on Amazon reviews anyway.
In an ideal world, someone would develop a Chrome or Firefox extension that notifies you of a Bookshop price when you search for an item on Amazon—a helpful little reminder. While I haven't come across one yet, likely due to Bookshop's newness, I’m confident we’ll see something like this soon.
Purchase your audiobooks from the bookstore-friendly Libro.fm.
Regarding Libro.fm, I highly recommend this as a great alternative for all the audiobooks you typically buy from Amazon’s Audible. Though the site doesn’t explicitly state what percentage of revenue independent bookstores receive from audiobook purchases (or referrals), it’s clear that Libro.fm has the best interests of local bookstores in mind. As Angela Lashbrook from OneZero recently shared:
Like Bookshop, Libro.fm shares its revenue with independent bookstores. However, with many bookstores across the country being forced to close, Libro.fm decided to double down on its support by allocating 100% of the revenue from new membership sign-ups to affiliated bookstores.
You can find a list of Libro.fm's partner bookstores here to ensure your purchases support your favorite local store (or any bookstore, really). Audiobooks can be enjoyed through apps for iOS and Android, just like other audiobook services. Libro.fm’s subscription costs $15/month, which is comparable to Amazon’s Audible. Additionally, if you use the promo code SWITCH (active at the time of writing), you can snag extra audiobooks for free with your first purchase.
Free books and audiobooks are great too.
Both of these services are excellent, but there are even better options if you need reading (or listening) material during the quarantine. I’d recommend using the app Libby to access as many library books as you can. Why not take advantage of free books and audiobooks, if available? Alternatively, go old-school and enjoy some classic literature as ebooks if that’s more your style. There’s no excuse not to dive into some great literature while waiting for the world to reopen.
