In a bold step to boost independent bookstores in the digital age, Bookshop.org is entering the ebook market with its new reading app. The website, which became a lifesaver for local bookstores since its inception in 2020, is now taking its business model focused on communities into digital reading.
Available on Android, iOS, and web browsers, the new app maintains Bookshop.org’s core mission: helping readers support their favorite local bookstores through every purchase. When a customer buys an ebook, her chosen bookstore receives 30% of the list price – the same profit-sharing model used for physical books.
“Part of surviving the digital age is selling digital products,” explains Andy Hunter, founder and CEO of Bookshop.org. “If Amazon can do it, your local bookstore should be able to do it, period.”
Bookshop.org Aims to Disrupt Amazon’s Dominance
The platform launches with an impressive catalog of about one million titles, backed by partnerships with all major publishers and most independent publishing houses. What sets it apart is a novel social feature that allows readers to share quotes from any ebook on social media, with direct purchase links for interested followers to start reading immediately.
Hunter, whose previous venture Electric Literature focused on digital publishing apps, has been particularly vocal about Amazon’s dominance in the ebook market.
With Amazon controlling approximately 75% of ebook sales, Hunter argues that innovation in digital reading has stagnated due to restrictive agreements and digital rights management (DRM) requirements established during publishing’s early digital transition.
However, the playing field for ebooks might be more level than traditional book sales. Thanks to publishers’ requirements for consistent pricing across platforms, Amazon cannot employ its usual strategy of undercutting competitors. Additionally, the instant delivery nature of digital books eliminates Amazon’s usual advantages in shipping and logistics.
Bookshop.org’s Plan to Disrupt the Ebook Market
Looking ahead, Bookshop.org has ambitious plans. While the immediate focus is on establishing its ebook platform, the company is considering developing its own E Ink reading device to compete with Amazon’s Kindle. More provocatively, Hunter hopes to challenge Amazon‘s closed ecosystem, arguing that readers should be able to read books purchased from any retailer on their Kindle devices.
“Why would you give your money to a billionaire who is trying to be in a space race with Elon Musk, who is kissing Trump’s ring? Why give money to your local business?” Hunter asks, framing the choice between Amazon and local bookstores as both an economic and ethical decision.
The platform’s development team, consisting of seven engineers (including two contractors), is currently focused on perfecting the app experience and expanding its digital library. Self-publishing support is expected to roll out in the coming months.
While Bookshop.org acknowledges they won’t revolutionize the industry overnight, their long-term vision is clear. “Once we have a community of ebook readers, and writers that can engage with those readers, then we can start innovating,” Hunter says. “And the first place to innovate is to take ebooks out of the walled garden.”
For independent bookstores that have struggled to compete in the digital marketplace, Bookshop.org’s ebook platform represents a new opportunity to maintain relevance in an increasingly digital reading landscape while preserving the personal touch that makes local bookstores special.
