3 Reasons You Need to Support Local Bookstores

I always wanted to be the kind of person that shopped at local bookstores and had tote bags with quotes on the cover. Growing up, that idea was never something that fit into our family’s budget. But now, I’m an adult.

There’s a bookstore that opened up downtown about two years ago that I’d completely forgot about. When I started visiting it this summer, I learned so much about the importance of supporting independent bookstores. Todd, who works at The Book Cellar, even let me take a few pictures of him.

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Here are three reasons you should support local bookstores, too!

1. Supporting bookstores supports authors.

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Amazon pays authors next to nothing for their sales. They literally give authors pennies for each sale. These independent bookstores help authors make more of a livable wage. That being said, they will be more expensive than Amazon.

I recommend getting just one to three books a month from your local book store. That way, you’re supporting your bookstore (and authors) without hurting your wallet.

2. Buying online limits browsing.

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Most of the time, when we’re buying a book online, we’re just looking for that one book. We don’t see all the other amazing books we might be interested in because we only care about buying that one book.

Bookstores, on the other hand, not only make us browse, they help us enjoy it. At bookstores, we can find other bookish things to go along with the book we’d like to buy. Things like bookmarks, tote bags, plush characters, and even soap bars. I kid you not, The Book Cellar has artisan soap for sale.

3. Bookstores bring out more diverse voices.

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It can be very difficult to make it as an author. Independent bookstores embrace diverse voices and bring them to the forefront. Amazon and major retailers just care about what’s popular and what will sell.

So, those are my three reasons for shopping at my local, independent Book Cellar. If you made it this far and you really like books, TV shows and/or movies, then check out Rae’s Reads and Reviews. Reading is what got me into blogging in the first place and that’s a fact I’m grateful for.

What are some other reasons to support local bookstores?

Do you have a bookstore near you?

What kinds of books do you like to read?

Let me know in the comments, let’s chat!