Summary
- Bookshop.org might be working on launching its own e-reader to rival Amazon’s Kindle lineup.
- Bookshop.org helps support local bookstores. When you buy a physical book or an e-book from them, profits go to support your chosen local bookstore.
- The prospect of a Bookshop.org e-reader would provide an alternative to Kindles and support local bookstores.
If you’re interested in supporting local bookstores when buying e-books instead of large companies like Amazon, Bookshop.org might be developing an e-reader device that accomplishes just that.
For years, Bookshop.org has been the go-to place to buy books online while still supporting local bookstores. The site lets you select a nearby bookstore, and when you make a purchase, it gets a share of the profits. Earlier this year, Bookshop.org expanded its support for local bookstores by launching an e-book store and its own mobile app in the US. This means you can now buy e-books while still supporting your local bookstore.
However, one downside of using Bookshop.org’s e-book store is that you’re limited to reading e-books on its mobile app, rather than on an e-reader device like a Kindle. In an interview with USA Today earlier this year, Bookshop.org’s founder and CEO, Andy Hunter, explained this is “due to Amazon’s proprietary digital rights management software (DRM) and publishers’ DRM requirements.”
But it seems that Bookshop.org might soon have a solution to this issue: creating its own e-reader device. Good E Reader recently spotted a landing page on Bookshop.org’s website for an “E-book reader,” suggesting that the organization may soon introduce its own.
Bookshop.org’s e-book sales are on the rise
Its CEO has said in the past an e-reader is possible
Since BookShop.org launched its e-book store earlier this year, the company has already sold over $1 million worth of e-books. Its CEO, Andy Hunter, says the company now projects $3 million in total e-book sales by the end of the year (via Publisher Weekly).
With its e-book business model expanding rapidly, it would make sense for Bookshop.org to consider launching its own e-reader, so readers can enjoy their books not only on the app but also on an E Ink device similar to a Kindle or a Kobo. According to Android Authority, Hunter has floated the idea of Bookshop.org making an e-reader before, and that it’s possible it could be launched via a crowdfunding campaign.
Since Bookshop.org’s inception, the company has raised over $40 million for local bookstores. When someone buys a physical book or an e-book from Bookshop.org, most of the profits go to the independent bookstore they’ve chosen to support.
“Bookshop.org puts this mission and the public good above financial interests, giving over 80 percent of our profit margin to independent bookstores,” the organization explains on its website.
I enjoy visiting and making purchases at my local bookstore, but I also appreciate the convenience of e-books. An e-reader that lets me read digitally while supporting my local shop would be fantastic and seems like the best of both worlds.
If Bookshop.org introduces its own e-reader, it could become a strong competitor to Amazon’s Kindle lineup. I like the idea of an e-reader that lets me buy e-books while supporting my local bookstore, rather than relying solely on Amazon. I enjoy visiting and making purchases at my local bookstore, but I also appreciate the convenience of e-books. An e-reader that lets me read digitally while supporting my local shop would be fantastic and seems like the best of both worlds. Although the current update is just a page on Bookshop.org’s website that says “E-book reader” with no further details, it’s hard not to get excited about what this device could do and what it could mean for the future of local bookstores in the digital age.
Bookshop.org’s CEO said on Threads earlier this year that Kobo integration is on the “Bookshop.org ebook roadmap,” so whether it launches its own e-reader or not, hopefully, sometime in the near future, you’ll be able to read any Bookshop.org e-books on a Kobo device.
