Announcement: The Book House Blog Bookshop Launch

Presenting my new online Bookshop page!

I have some exciting news. I recently created my very own page on Bookshop.org, an online platform designed to help independent bookstores and other people in the book world create an online space to sell books.

I first heard about Bookshop.org in March of 2020 when bookstores were struggling with lockdown restrictions and I was looking for a way to continue supporting these stores from afar. Although it was brand new - they had just launched a beta version in January 2020 - the pandemic gave Bookshop.org the publicity and recognition it deserved (see this New York Times article on the platform’s launch HERE), and to date nearly $22 million have been raised for independent bookstores worldwide.

The goal of Bookshop.org is to rival the ease of online ordering through Amazon. While the pricing isn’t as insanely discounted as you can find on Amazon, they are able to offer a discount while also sending a share of the proceeds to a bookstore or platform of the user’s choice. I made a conscious choice to stop buying books on Amazon when the pandemic began, choosing instead to get my books from the library or an independent bookstore, and Bookshop.org provides an easy way for users to do just that, especially if you live in an area where there aren’t convenient bookstores.

To be clear, the Book House Blog and my work are not connected to an independent bookstore. Recently, however, Bookshop.org has expanded its criterion for who can have a virtual store to include other types of people in the publishing world, including people with blogs like mine. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be included in this space.

Going forward, you will be able to find every book that I’ve recommended organized by post on my Bookshop page. I will also link the title of each book in my emails and posts to the online store. If you want a book that I haven’t recommended or isn’t featured directly on my page, all you need to do is click this link to access my page as the store you want to support, and then you can search for whatever book you want in the search bar. As a disclosure, I earn a small commission for any book purchased using my links or through my store page.

I am excited to continue using this blog to write about and recommend the books I’ve read and loved. Thank you to everyone who reads my emails and has shared the blog with friends. My day is automatically made when I hear that someone picked up a book I recommended because of this blog, and I’m happy to make that process a little bit easier if you so choose.

P.S. - if you’re looking for a way to listen to audiobooks without using Audible, which is owned by Amazon, consider downloading Libby - a free app that allows you to link your library card for easy access to its digital catalogue. If you want to purchase the book, download and use Libro.fm, which is set up similarly to Bookshop.org. You choose the independent bookstore you want to support, and the proceeds from your audiobook purchase go to them. I don’t have an affiliate page with Libro.fm just yet, but I’ll let you know if things change!