Let’s be real: Amazon has been the 800-pound gorilla in the room for way too long.
Whether you’re buying toilet paper, a new TV, or—yes—e-books, Jeff Bezos’ empire has its claws in everything.
But here’s the thing: not everyone wants to feed the beast. Enter Bookshop.org, the indie bookstore hero we didn’t know we needed, now stepping into the e-book arena to give Amazon a run for its money. For years, Amazon’s Kindle has been the de facto e-reader, and its ecosystem has been the only game in town for digital books.
Sure, you could grab a Kobo or side-eye a Nook, but when it came to actually buying e-books, Amazon was the only real option.
Independent bookstores?
They’ve been left out in the cold, watching as their brick-and-mortar sales dwindled and their digital dreams were crushed under Amazon’s monopoly. But Bookshop.org is here to change that.
The platform, which already made waves by helping indie bookstores compete with Amazon in physical book sales, has now launched an e-book platform.
Finally, readers can buy digital books without feeling like they’re personally funding Bezos’ next rocket to Mars. It’s a small but mighty step toward breaking Amazon’s stranglehold on the publishing industry. Now, before we get too excited, let’s acknowledge the elephant in the room: Bookshop.org’s e-books are currently only available via web browsers or their Android/iOS apps.
That means no Kindle compatibility—yet. And let’s be honest, until they figure out how to get their e-books onto Kindle devices, they’re still playing catch-up. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is a viable Amazon alternative. What’s truly exciting here is the ethos behind Bookshop.org.
This isn’t just about selling books; it’s about supporting local bookstores and keeping them alive in an increasingly digital world. As founder Andy Hunter put it, this move is about “keeping bookstores afloat.”
And in a world where Amazon has been accused of everything from predatory pricing to monopolistic practices, that’s a mission worth getting behind. Of course, Bookshop.org isn’t the only player trying to disrupt Amazon’s dominance. Libro.fm has been offering audiobook alternatives, and Kobo has been quietly chipping away at the e-reader market.
But Bookshop.org’s entry into e-books feels different. It’s not just about competition; it’s about community. It’s about giving readers a choice that aligns with their values—because let’s face it, not everyone wants to line Bezos’ pockets. So, is Bookshop.org going to topple Amazon overnight? Absolutely not.
Amazon’s grip on the e-book market is ironclad, and it’ll take more than a plucky indie platform to loosen it. But as book critic Maris Kreizman pointed out, this is an important first step.
And in the battle against corporate giants, sometimes the first step is the hardest—and the most worth celebrating. Here’s to hoping Bookshop.org keeps pushing forward. Because if there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that the world could use a little less Amazon and a little more indie spirit.
