Independent Bookstore Day—Why Your Local Shops Matter

Independent Bookstore Day is April 25th—and we're kicking off the celebration early! 📚

In this episode of Reality Writes, we're sharing everything you need to know about why indie bookstores are so much more than just a place to buy books. From the ongoing comeback story of independent booksellers across the U.S. to the very personal ways these shops help create community, connection, and discovery—this one's a love letter to your local bookstore.

We cover why the in-store experience is so desirable, the awesome economic impact of shopping local, how indie booksellers have become a third space for readers, why pre-ordering from your local shop is a triple win, and how to support indie bookstores online through services like bookshop.org and Libro.fm even if you don't have one nearby.

Plus, The Tech Guy completes his Dungeon Crawler Carl collection courtesy of Beach Books in Seaside, OR, and I share my upcoming appearances at Copper Bell Books in Ridgefield, WA, on Thursday, April 23rd, and Vintage Books in Vancouver, WA on Saturday, April 25th, Indie Bookstore Day!

Love indie bookstores as much as we do? Drop your favorite shop in the comments. We want to know where you love to browse and start building a list of shops to visit! And, if you haven't subscribed yet, hit that button so you never miss an episode of Reality Writes.

Happy reading, darlings!

Links:
Bookshop.org
Libro.fm
Copper Bell Books
Vintage Books

🎉 Join me on Patreon for bonus content.

Website
Instagram
YouTube
TikTok
Etsy
Bookbub
Facebook

Transcript

Welcome And Why Indies Matter

Ellie Alexander 0:05

Hello, hello, hello, and welcome to another episode of Reality Writes. I am author Ellie Alexander, and this is the podcast where we talk about all things bookish, writer-ish, and whatever else is on our mind. And I'm here with the Tech Guy.

Tech Guy 0:18

That's right. Hello, hello. And I'm excited today. We're talking about one of my favorite subjects. Um, I have the nickname The Tech Guy, but uh this these we're gonna be talking about some of my all-time favorite places in the world uh today. So I can't wait to dive into it.

Ellie Alexander 0:36

Is this gonna be the seven wonders of the world?

Tech Guy 0:40

Yeah, maybe. Uh and they're not even Star Wars related. Uh I mean they can be, and you can definitely find Star Wars uh stuff at these locations. But uh I am, of course, talking about your local independent bookshops, bookstores, booksellers, whatever you want to call them. These are the mom and pop shops that uh I am excited to see more and more people are relearning to love to hang out at.

Ellie Alexander 1:11

Me too. It's the absolute best. Today, our whole podcast is gonna be talking about indie bookstores, why they matter, from the writing side of things for me, from being a reader. And this is all leading up to the fact that this Saturday, April 25th, is Independent Bookstore Day. So we'll talk a lot about that as well. But before we dive

A Beach Books Box Of Joy

Ellie Alexander 1:32

in, uh, we should share with the Darlings why you're so hyped in particular, because you just had a big package arrive from an indie bookstore.

Tech Guy 1:42

I did have a big package arrive, and I'm so excited. Um, if you haven't seen it yet, uh Ellie shot some video of me opening my box of treasures from uh one of my favorite independent bookstores, uh Beach Books, um, in Seaside, Oregon. And uh just a fantastic. I filled out my collection of the Dungeon Crawler Carl series. Um all the way up. I I already had book one, but I I got books two through seven, which are out. Book eight comes out uh in May. And so I pre-ordered that from them, and I ordered the um the graphic novel of the first book in the series, uh, which I think also comes out in May. Um, but uh it was it was exciting. Um Beach Books is just a a great example of an awesome independent bookshop and the the special things that they do to to make you feel special when you buy from them. Um it was it's super fun. So if you haven't seen that video, uh head to Ellie's uh social channels, um, Instagram, Facebook, whatever, and you can see the uh surprise and delight on my face as I open all of my new hardcover books.

Ellie Alexander 3:01

Well, and it's such a great segue because a lot of the inspiration for the secret bookcase and now the novel detective spin-offs is from all of the incredible indie bookstores that we have visited over the years, both as readers, as a writer myself, and being able to pull so many stories from real experiences like that. And one of the things that Annie and Fletcher always do, and their staff at the secret bookcase is they use the publishing book print um catalogs to wrap books for readers, which is something I learned from Beach Books. Um, so there's so much real-world bookish lore that gets to be woven into this series, all from our time spent at great bookshops like that.

Tech Guy 3:47

Yeah, and it's it's just it's a funny, um, a funny little thing, but uh from uh, you know, a retail perspective, from a consumer perspective, you already know what you ordered, but then you uh you get to open each book as though it was uh you know a surprise. And um, you know, we are lucky enough that uh every once in a while they stick in some treats too. So we get some notes on the outside.

The 70 Percent Store Comeback

Ellie Alexander 4:16

Yeah, it's just it's such a great example of why the experience of shopping from an indie matters. But before we dive into um other things that I want to share about indies in honor of celebrating them this Saturday, let's talk a little bit about the stats because for a while there it was looking a little bleak. But darlings, the tide is changing and it's it's looking pretty great for small bookstores.

Tech Guy 4:43

That's right. Um, I mean, it they were it seemed like for a while there they were going out of business left and right. I mean, we lost some really good ones. Um we did. The Seattle Mystery Bookshop comes to mind first and foremost because it was it was just down the street from the Seattle office um for my job. Uh when I travel up there, I always went in to the Seattle mystery bookshop, and it was such an incredible place. And the people there were so kind and nice, and um, it was just amazing. Uh but the good news is I and I was really excited in researching everything for this episode, like the stats are looking real good now. Really good. Um in the last uh, well, five, five, six-ish years. So since 2020, right, independent bookshops in the United States, the number of independent bookshops in the United States has grown 70%.

Ellie Alexander 5:40

70%.

Tech Guy 5:41

70%. It was back in in 2020, there were there were around 1900 independent bookshops in the entire country, and now there are over 3,200 and and growing.

Ellie Alexander 5:53

Well, and what I love about that is being able to share positive bookish news in the world right now makes my heart so happy, right, darling. So we need like a little glimmer of something. And I think one of the interesting things about that stat in particular is that I know just sort of anecdotally that so many readers reached out to me and discovered my books through indie bookstores during the pandemic because so many things were shut down. And so readers were like, Whoo, I need an escape. I'm gonna hop online and figure out where a bookstore is that will ship to me or that will deliver to my door or, you know, whatever it is. So um, you know, there's like a little glimmer of something good that came from the lockdowns.

Tech Guy 6:33

Yeah. And I think it's that personal connection, right? The, the, um, because the big online booksellers, they have their algorithms and they will do a good job of getting you your books. And listen, no shade to anybody who wants to shop uh at those those stores. This is not like a this is a safe space, safe book space, right? So um I it's just there are a lot more advantages to supporting your local independent bookshops and and that personal connection is one of them because you will get to know your booksellers. They will get to know you, they will get to know your reading uh, you know, likes and dislikes. And something is a recommendation is much more impactful, I I think, when it comes from somebody personal, you know? And and I've gotten I've I've been recommended so many great books by independent bookstore owners over the years. It's just been amazing.

Ellie Alexander 7:30

That's what you always do while I'm doing like a book talker event. You're just over in the corner chatting up books. Like, okay, what else? What else should I be reading? Well, I think um another really interesting part of supporting your local independent bookstore is that money goes back to the community.

Tech Guy 7:46

That's right. Yeah, definitely. Um, from what I was able to gather, it it looks like about 30% or more

Personal Recommendations Beat Algorithms

Tech Guy 7:55

of the money spent at your local independent bookstore stays in the local community. And if you think about that, that that has a significantly higher economic impact for your community than buying from a national or big box store or um online retailer. Uh, you know, keeping that money in the community and keeping your local community strong economically is a win-win for everyone.

Ellie Alexander 8:23

Yeah, that money goes back to support, you know, your kids' local soccer team and um, you know, any outreach that is hyperlocal to you and your community. So it's like, yeah, you get to feel good and you're buying books. So hey, where are you on?

Tech Guy 8:38

Win-win.

Ellie Alexander 8:40

When we first moved to California, I've told this story before, but I'll share it again just in case, darlings. I was like, how am I gonna find my people? Like, I need to find my people. And so immediately I was like, what is the closest bookstore to me? Where's my local Andy? It's like so close, down on Murphy, Lee's favorite books. I went, they were starting, Lee was starting her first ever book club since the pandemic, um, which is a literary lunch with Lee, which is still going strong. And I went to the very first meeting of that. We had lunch outside and chatted. And immediately I was like, oh, okay, well, I found my people. Um, and then as the years have gone on, I asked Lee, I was like, wouldn't it be fun to also do a mystery book club? And she was like, Yes, let's make it happen. So that's how I started my Mysteries and Mocktails book club. And there are so many other events that are geared toward what you darlings want and are asking for. So things like Silent Book Club, where you come into the bookstore, you can bring your own book, you can get a book at the bookstore. They set out chairs all throughout the shelves, and you can read silently. And then at the end, there are treats and fun drinks. And if you want to come talk to other people, you can. And if you just want to leave, you can also do that. We did a date night at the bookstore a few years ago, which was so fun. A scavenger hunt for books for your partner. And I just I could go on and on. And of course, all of these have weaved their way into the secret bookcase and novel detective series because they have to.

Tech Guy 10:15

Yeah. Well, I mean, there are just so many creative ways that uh independent bookshop owners are, you know, creating these events to get readers out and and interacting with each other if that's what you want to do. And uh, and then just discovering more books, uh, new books to them. Um, it's just like the the opportunities are endless, and it it's been so creative. The

Bookstores As Third Places

Tech Guy 10:40

um blind date with a book, uh, where you know you go in and we just saw that uh just a couple weeks ago. We were in uh Half Moon Bay, and there's an uh independent bookshop there, and they had a whole table full of wrapped books, and it was just a mystery book, and you could buy it. And I think all the books were like five dollars, maybe something like that. It was just like it was kind of luck of the draw, and uh, and uh and it was but they they had just the genre written on the the wrapping. That was it. So um what a cool way to discover a new book.

Ellie Alexander 11:16

Exactly. Well, and really what we're talking about then too is that independent bookstores become third spaces and a place for you to meet and make real-world connections, which is so incredibly important in the times that we're living in right now. And I think about the relationships, the friendships, the connections that have rippled out because of my mystery book club at the bookstore. And what's really fantastic about it is it's readers of all ages and backgrounds that we would not have all met under any other circumstances. You know, we have retired, a retired English teacher in her 80s, and we have a young tech guy in his 20s who just got married, and everyone in between. And the level of conversation and connection and like blending of our own experiences that happen in those discussions is so vital to creating community, which I think we're all desperately hungry for right now.

Tech Guy 12:14

For sure. Uh, wait a minute, though. There's a young tech guy in his 20s in your book club. Am I gonna get replaced?

Ellie Alexander 12:21

I know, I know. You could be, yeah, yeah. Man, I know there's a group chat.

Tech Guy 12:28

Oh boy. Okay, I gotta watch, I gotta watch out for this guy.

Ellie Alexander 12:31

Yeah, you gotta come to Mystery's Mystery and Mock Tales, man. No, he's getting engaged, and we we're all like, you know, the happy aunties and grandmas and moms for him. So yeah.

Tech Guy 12:42

That's that's awesome.

Ellie Alexander 12:43

Yeah. But you know, sometimes if you're creating a book club, uh you're you're gonna reach out to friends and people you know, which is fantastic too. I'm a I'm pro-book club or pro everything bookish in this space, but there is something really unique about going to a bookstore event, whether it's a book club, an author talk, a silent reading night, because you're going to meet very different members of your community there. But you all have one thing in common, which is a love of reading.

Tech Guy 13:12

That's right. Yeah. Well, and you can uh your local bookshops are um kind of hubs for authors as well. So you get like uh your local independent bookstores are a great space to meet your favorite authors. Um they, you know, or get signed copies of their books. Um, that that you know, that's not something that you're necessarily going to be able to do by shopping online all the time for your books.

Ellie Alexander 13:41

So one of the things from the publishing perspective, too, is that publishers are always trying to figure out ways to incentivize you, darlings, to discover your local indie bookstore. So we've been planning right now for the release of bake shop number 23, the Pumpkin Vice Cafe. It's gonna come out and trade paperback in September. So this is where the bake shop's getting a little glow up, a new fresh cover. Like, I'm so excited for it. But we've been brainstorming like, what are those fun incentives that if you buy it from your local bookstore, you're gonna get. So, you know, whether that ends up being a sticker or a recipe card or I'm not gonna tell you yet because it's gonna be a surprise. But publishers and bookstores work hand in hand on incentives like that to encourage readers to come to the bookstore.

Tech Guy 14:30

Yeah, and something that uh is surprising to me because I I've over the years of following around and carrying boxes for you to all your book talks and uh conventions and conferences and festivals, oh my. Um I have spoken to so many readers, and it it surprises me every time to uh find out the number of, you know, to find out the number of readers

Preordering Helps Stores And Authors

Tech Guy 14:55

who don't know that you can pre-order books from your local independent bookstore. And so talk a little bit about the benefits of that because it's not just for the reader, actually helps the store too.

Ellie Alexander 15:07

It's a it's a triple win. It helps you, the reader, because then you're gonna get a call from the bookstore, or you know, depending on how your bookstore has it set up, maybe they ship it straight to the mail uh in the mail for you. It really helps bookstores because it gives them a sense of like with inventory, oh, okay, I'm noticing that, you know, 25, 30 people want this particular book. I'm gonna double or triple my order then. So I make sure that I have it in stock for other readers. They are gonna know that that book is popular because what can happen is books go through print runs. And so the great news with the stats that you shared at the beginning is independent bookstores are expanding all across the US. The only con with that can be sometimes it's a struggle to get books in in a timely manner, depending on distribution channels. And there are obviously lots of other factors that go into that. So by pre-ordering from your local bookstore, they know, okay, wow, this book is super popular. I'm gonna order two or three dozen extra and have them in stock for new readers to discover. And you're also gonna know that you get that book on the day that it's releasing. And then, of course, it's great for authors because the publishers then might be like, wow, a lot of independent bookstores are pre-ordering this particular book. Maybe we should up our print run or go straight into a second printing.

Tech Guy 16:29

That's right. And for the darlings out there, what's good for the authors is good for the readers. Um, because that just means this that series that you love is going to keep rolling uh when you know the bookstores are ordering that that that uh the high number of books. I think the the um yeah, so don't don't wait around uh until you find the book that you're looking for in your local store. Like ask the bookseller, they will order it for you, they will find it for you. Um it it's they like they will help you find a book that you've been looking for that you haven't been able to find. I remember years ago, um you were looking for uh the dreaming, uh, that that book that that you wanted. And and I looked everywhere and I could not find a copy of it. It's it's been out of print for a long time and everything. And and I remember that it was a local bookstore owner, local independent bookshop that found that book for me and got it for me. I had it shipped from wherever they found it, and and I was able to, you know, give that to you as a gift, and that was fantastic. And I would never have found it on my own.

Ellie Alexander 17:35

Yeah, and I mean, I think the vast majority of booksellers that we know, they want to recommend reads. They're reading themselves, they're getting advanced reader copies in, like they'll get for the Pumpkin Vice Cafe. So they're getting an early look at what's coming from the publishing houses, and they will want you to be reading that too. And to your earlier point, once they get to know you and understand what you like, then they're gonna recommend your well, your TBR stack is gonna potentially grow. But that's not a bad thing.

Tech Guy 18:04

No, it's never a bad thing. Um it it's always growing. It's always growing.

Ellie Alexander 18:10

Yeah, it's fine. Uh, one thing that I think some darlings may or not may or may not know, and it probably depends on whether you have an indie bookstore near you, and we'll talk about where you can find connections for indie bookstores in a second. But many stores offer all kinds of other bookish treasures and trinkets and writer-ish things, um, which is always fun to go explore, I think.

Tech Guy 18:35

Uh, that's actually one of my favorite parts of independent bookshops. As you well know, uh, my desk is just covered with uh little um, you know, stress balls and and cool little fun toys that I can fidget with and make noise on the mic when I'm not supposed to be during podcasts and things like that. Um uh no, I I love the fact and and this it um my kind of romantic view of independent bookshops, and so uh it'd be great if there are any darlings out there who are local independent bookshop owners, if you would weigh in in the comments on this. But but my like naive romantic view of this is like it would be so much fun to just shop for all the things that you're going to carry in your local independent bookstore, besides the books. I mean, the books would be fun in and of itself, but it's all the other stuff, right? All the all the little trinkets and treasures that you can find in the store outside of just the books themselves. Uh, I think it would be great to discover those things.

Ellie Alexander 19:38

Well, and one thing that I've learned in doing research for the novel detectives is just that, like how much other work goes into running an independent bookstore in our fairy tale world. It's like, oh, you're reading all day in the shop with a cat. Like, no, they you're shelving books, you're unboxing inventory, you're taking inventory, you know, it's it's it's a job like any other job. But one of the things that most indie shops do is they go to the regional trade shows, the bookish trade shows. So not only are you meeting publishers and authors with new works coming out, but you are finding all of those cool like novelty books. It smells like a book candle, or you know, like whatever cool bookish items you're gonna bring into the store then.

Tech Guy 20:22

Yeah, yeah. Um, so you mentioned uh yeah, you said something that that that made me think uh about the the this next topic, which is, you know, not everyone necessarily has a local

Bookshop.org And Online Indie Support

Tech Guy 20:36

independent bookshop. Right. I mean, even though there are now more than 3,200, that doesn't mean that every city in the US has has one. Uh and then there are people who just, you know, getting out and getting to a local independent bookshop is not uh not a possibility. Um and so for that, even if either of those things are true, there are ways that you can support independent bookstores by shopping online. And one of those is the website bookshop.org. Um they uh uh why don't you talk a little bit about what you can get on bookshop.org and then I I can come in with some uh stats on uh some exciting stats that I read about the sales for local independent bookshops through that website.

Ellie Alexander 21:22

Okay, great. Yeah, so bookshop.org, you can find, you can do a search and find where it is an indie bookstore near you. If you want to go on like some kind of book tour, you could even map out like, oh, okay, there are eight indie bookstores within a two-hour drive, and you could like make your own little bookish road trip. You can also order directly through any indie bookstore on bookshop.org. So, like you, you could have gone on and said, I want Dungeon Carl, crawler Carl. I always want to say Carl first for some reason. Um you could have ordered that series directly through any of the indie. Bookshops there. It doesn't have to be an indie bookstore that is near you. Like for us, even with you ordering from Beach Books, that's in Northern Oregon and we're in California now. So like they'll ship anywhere. And then you can also order ebooks directly from bookshop.org. So if you're an ebook reader, you can order your ebooks there as well, which is a great way to support indie stores.

Tech Guy 22:24

Yeah, totally. And this is a um this is a way that if you don't have a preferred local independent bookshop, you can you can shop online and feel like you're supporting, you know, the small business community. If you do know your local independent bookstore, go through them directly because that that is the then you're cutting out, you know, the the the middle uh person there and um and you're solidifying that relationship with your with your local uh shop. But but bookshop.org is a great resource for a lot of people. And uh judging by the stats, um, becoming more so because um the uh CEO of the company um taught was talking at a book conference and was talking about sales um for uh National Independent Bookstore Day uh in 2025, and the sales through their website were up 170 over 2024.

Ellie Alexander 23:24

So we need to make that like 500% this year. Come on, darling.

Tech Guy 23:29

That's right. That's right. So if you if you're if you're looking for a way to support local independent bookstores and you don't have one in your area or can't make it out to one, bookshop.org is a great way to support the the continued growth of uh local independent bookshops.

Ellie Alexander 23:47

That's

Audiobooks Through Libro.fm

Ellie Alexander 23:48

fabulous. The other thing we should note too is that if you are an audio reader, you can get your audiobooks through Libro FM, which is a indie bookstore platform for audiobooks as well. Because I know there are a lot of audio readers amongst our darlings. And sometimes I think there's this perception then, like, oh no, I can only get it through one of the big chains, but that's not true either.

Tech Guy 24:11

Right. That that that is totally true. I mean, it anything that the bigger chains offer in the way of reading, the local independent, there's a local independent bookstore out there that can get you what you what you're looking for as well.

Ellie Alexander 24:25

So Yeah.

Indie Bookstore Day And Ellie’s Events

Tech Guy 24:26

Yeah.

Ellie Alexander 24:26

Okay, so this Saturday, April 25th, is local or not local, it's indie bookstore day nationally, which means that every basically every single indie bookstore across the nation will be doing some kind of an event. So this is a great opportunity for you to do a little sleuth thing. Come on, darlings, we're all detectives here, and figure out where is the closest event to you that you are super excited about. Okay, so for me, I will be at two local indie bookshops this week. On Thursday, April 23rd, I will be at Copper Bell Books in Ridgefield, Washington. And I'm so excited. It is a newer bookstore that just opened in the last couple of years. And um, we've been trying to find a time for me to get up there. So it just happened to coincide with the library event that I'm doing on Friday. And then on Saturday, April 25th, Indie Bookstore Day, I will be at Vintage Books in Vancouver, Washington. So you can come see me at either of those places. Vintage Books is my OG bookstore. They got me started back in the day. I've told this story before, I'm sure. But like when my very first mystery scene of the climb came out, I had this idea to do a launch party that was kind of different. It was going to be everything bagg-ish, though, like beer and cupcakes and like this immersive experience. And no one would come sell books. And because of contracts, authors aren't allowed to sell our books ourselves if you're traditionally published. A bookstore does that for you because we make royalties on the books, right? So they didn't know me vintage books, but fortunately my publicist put a call in and they showed up and they were phenomenal. And then they came to like every event in the future for me. So I'm excited to be heading back to the place where it all started.

Tech Guy 26:14

Yeah, so many years of great, just fantastic partnership with them. It's been it's been amazing. I'm actually really excited about this trip because of the stat that I read earlier about the 70% growth. Because one of the things we do every time we do go on a trip is I like to find a bunch of local books. I my list is always way longer than you. You kind of you you kind of ground me in reality because I come up with like 18 bookshops, and you're like, there's no way. There's just no way we can visit all these. But because we are going to be in the Portland, Oregon area, I am super excited. Um, one of the cool things about local independent bookstores, not all of them, but some of them have like coffee shops in them and everything. But Portland has the Rose City Book Pub, and this is great because this marries two of my favorite things in the world, which is books and beer. And there's nothing better than getting a pint of uh beer on draft

Support Your Shop And Ask Big

Tech Guy 27:10

and then going around and looking at books. It's just it's an incredible experience. So can't wait to visit.

Ellie Alexander 27:17

Yeah. So, darlings, if you're looking for something to do this Saturday, I highly recommend that you get your little derriers out to your indie bookstore.

Tech Guy 27:27

That's right. Yeah. Do everything you can um to help just support such an incredible resource for every community that they're in.

Ellie Alexander 27:37

Yeah. And if you have an idea that you've been pondering on, like pitch it to your store. You never know. Like maybe you're the one that they've been waiting for to start a mystery book club or to host Silent Reading Night, whatever it is. Or be brave and ask them for a recommendation that's outside of your comfort zone and see what they come up with.

Tech Guy 27:57

Oh, there you go. All right. So uh get out there and support your local independent bookshops.

Ellie Alexander 28:05

That's right. Until next time, happy reading.

Tech Guy 28:08

Until next time.