If you’re like many US citizens, the spread of COVID-19 across the country has got you reimagining daily life. My husband and I are practicing serious social distancing, not because we’re worried for ourselves — we are, fortunately, young and healthy enough that we’re confident we could fight the virus — but because we’re worried for those who might have a harder time overcoming an infection. We don’t want to be the vectors that land others in dire straits.
We just placed a curbside pickup order at HEB so we wouldn’t have to wander the aisles in the store. We’ve cancelled a couple of larger-scale social events on our calendars, and he is setting up our guest bedroom as his home office as we speak. We’ve spent the weekend walking our dogs, playing Trivial Pursuit at our dining table, watching Netflix, and reading books.
But, like so many of us, we’re worried about how our favorite local businesses will fare as citizens around the world isolate themselves in an effort to flatten the curve. In particular, I feel for independent bookstores, whose sales are just starting to pick up after the post-holiday slump and who are still struggling to step back out of Amazon’s shadow.
Of course, with all the additional free time we’ll have over the next several weeks, we’ll have to grow our TBR piles, won’t we? Here are a few ways we can stockpile books and support local indies without leaving our houses.
1. Order Online from Your Favorite Independent Bookstore
When we think about ordering books online, too often we head straight to Amazon. But most independent bookstores have online retail platforms, too, and many of them are waiving shipping fees right now. Porter Square Books and Harvard Bookstore in Boston, Tattered Cover in Denver, and Third Place Books and Island Books in Seattle are just a few.
So, see if your local independent bookstore has an online shopping option. (If you don’t know where your nearest indie is, you can search IndieBound.com.) If the extra savings makes a purchase possible, but your local shop isn’t offering free shipping, consider ordering from an indie in a different city or state before heading over to Amazon.
2. Buy an e-Gift Certificate
Most independent bookstores with online retail will also offer e-gift certificates. If you have the means, purchase one to support the store now and tee up a treat your future self will thank you for.
(This goes for any small business you love. If possible, buy online gift certificates for your favorite restaurants, coffee shops, bars, boutiques, and more so they have a little income now and you have a fun outing to look forward to in the coming months.)
3. Preorder an Upcoming Title
Do you have your eye on a book coming out in August or September? Go ahead and preorder it from your local bookstore (you can usually do this online or over the phone). That way they’ve got orders coming in now, and you’ve got a copy with your name on it on publication date.
For inspiration, check out LitHub’s comprehensive list of their most anticipated books of 2020—including releases in the second half of the year.
4. Order Online through Bookshop.Org or LibroFM
If you don’t have an independent bookstore near you, or a favorite anywhere else in the country, Bookshop.Org is a fantastic way to support indies without leaving your house. Bookshop is a fairly new online bookstore whose mission is to support independents and give back to the book community by giving a portion of sales to member bookstores and or the American Booksellers Association. (They even offer occasional discounts to buyers to sweeten the deal!)
To get started, feel free to browse my bookshelves on the site! (Full disclosure: that last one is an affiliate link, so if you purchase any books from my shelves, I’ll get a small commission at no extra cost to you.)
If you’re more of an audiobook fan, many independent bookstores sell those through LibroFM, which is a great alternative to Amazon’s Audible.
5. Support Your Favorite Indies on Social Media
If buying books isn’t an option right now (or even if it is) you can still support your favorite independent bookstores and other local businesses by signing up for their newsletters, following them on social media, and sharing their posts. This way you can help them build their audiences and, should they set up fundraising campaigns to as a way to help combat the economic fallout of coronavirus, you’ll be in the know in time to make a donation and/or spread the word.
There’s nothing like the power of books to keep us connected to humanity in this time of isolation. What’s on your COVID-19 reading list, and how are you supporting local businesses right now? Let me know in the comments!