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Ten Reasons Why We Must #SaveIndieBookstores, a thread:
1. Indie bookstores support new voices in ways algorithmic, online shopping cannot. Booksellers in indie stores take pride in finding, reading, highlighting, and reviewing debut novels from a diverse range of voices. This resource is invaluable to written art & cannot be lost.
2. Money spent at indie bookstores stays local. For every $100 spent locally, $68 stays local versus $43 with chains. Let's not keep supporting Jeff Bezos' rocketship hobby. He's doing just fine. https://www.bookweb.org/news/true-cost-amazon-revealed-new-study
3. Indie bookstores give back to schools, nonprofits, literary festivals, and local organizations. In fact, indie businesses give back 3x more than chains. https://www.bookweb.org/news/indie-impact-national-summary-indies-give-back-over-three-times-much-chains
4. Indie bookstores are community resources: Indie stores pride themselves on being welcoming and safe spaces for all. Indie bookstores welcome people of all backgrounds and create and foster spaces to discuss ideas respectfully--a concept needed now more than ever.
5. Indie bookstores are job creators. In 2018, Amazon contributed to “990,000 displaced retail jobs" even with growth and distribution centers. Millions of jobs have been lost over the years and have had profound effects on our livelihood. Buy local, or bye-bye local.
6. Indie bookstores pay their fair share of taxes. Unlike Amazon, where one study found that: “In 2014–2018, the cumulative loss in uncollected sales tax [from Amazon] is estimated to be as high as $22.5 billion.” 22.5 billion! http://www.civiceconomics.com/primenumbers.html
7. Indie bookstores support public art. Bookstores regularly host author events free and open to the public, bringing words, art, and people together. As we see now, real live in-person events are crucially important to our well-being.
8. Indie bookstores help keep books alive. While online booksellers promote books based on sales, many bookstores allow indie booksellers to select their own staff picks to highlight and promote--oftentimes books that aren’t bestsellers or by mainstream publishers.
9. Indie bookstores are advocates for free speech. Indie bookstores stand behind books they believe in, even if those books are challenging or controversial or, in some parts of the world, censored or banned.
10. Indie bookstores reflect a town’s soul. A thriving indie bookstore means that a town understands the above points, embraces localism, stands with free speech, and fiercely supports small businesses. Like @neilhimself said: "A town isn’t a town without a bookstore."
Please! Indie bookstores need your help now more than ever before. If you’d like to #SaveIndieBookstores, please donate to the nationwide fundraising campaign here: https://www.saveindiebookstores.com
