In a major boost for independent bookshops, Bookshop.org has announced the launch of its own ebook platform in the UK, offering readers a real alternative to Amazon’s Kindle store. The move aims to empower small bookshops by giving them a fair share of profits while competing directly with Amazon’s dominance in the digital reading market.
According to Bookshop.org UK’s managing director, Nicole Vanderbilt, this new initiative gives local bookshops “an additional tool in their fight against Amazon.” Independent bookshops will now earn 100% of the profits from every ebook sale, while prices will remain the same as Amazon’s listings.
Since its UK launch in 2020, Bookshop.org has already generated £4.5 million in revenue for small bookshops through physical book sales. With the new ebook service, readers can now purchase digital titles directly from their favorite bookshops, or choose to contribute to a shared profit pool that benefits all participating sellers.
The platform will launch with over a million ebooks from leading publishers, available via web browsers and mobile apps on Apple and Android. Bookshop.org also plans to introduce audiobooks by 2026, further expanding its reach.
Authors and bookshop owners are welcoming this change. Writer Erin Kelly, author of The Poison Tree, called ebooks “the ultimate inclusive format,” praising Bookshop.org for making them more accessible to diverse readers. Nic Bottomley, co-owner of Mr B’s Emporium in Bath, said while print books remain the heart of their business, ebooks are “an important part of the lives of so many readers.”
With nearly a quarter of Britons now preferring ebooks, this development marks a significant step in challenging Amazon’s monopoly and reshaping the future of independent bookselling.
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