Sourcebooks and Shelf Awareness Join Movements to Support Indie Bookstores
#ReadIndieForward Invites Booklovers to Help Booksellers During Pandemic
CHICAGO, May 14, 2020 – Shelf Awareness and Sourcebooks are launching a fun new movement to support indie bookstores by partnering on #ReadIndieForward, a pay-it-forward campaign to help independent bookstores during the COVID-19 pandemic, now and into the future.
“We have seen an amazing outpouring of generosity from authors and readers during the COVID pandemic through initiatives like Save Indie Bookstores,” said Dominique Raccah, Sourcebooks publisher and CEO. “#ReadIndieForward is another way for booklovers to share their love of books, of reading, and provide support to the independent bookstore community.”
#ReadIndieForward encourages readers and authors to buy one book a week for the next eight to ten weeks from the independent bookstore of their choice, send those books to family and friends, and encourage them to pay it forward with their friends and families. The idea is simple: buy a book, share a book, tell your friends about it.
“While our indies experience what we know is one of their most challenging times ever, #ReadIndieForward is a great reminder to readers that the best way to help their local bookstore is to simply buy a book from them,” said Jenn Risko, cofounder and publisher of Shelf Awareness. “As our industry continues to quarantine in place, we all know there’s nothing like the excitement of getting a new book that takes us on a journey of our minds, when we can’t go anywhere. Leave it to Dominique Raccah to come up with this simple yet powerful idea. We’re grateful that she chose to partner with us on it.”
Readers can purchase books directly from their favorite independent bookstore, Indiebound.org, or Bookshop.org, which has a specially curated page for #ReadIndieForward.
“ABA is grateful to Sourcebooks and Shelf Awareness for creating an opportunity for booklovers to celebrate books, support independent bookstores, and connect with one another in a meaningful way during this crisis,” said Allison Hill, CEO of the American Booksellers Association. “#ReadIndieForward is exactly what we all need right now: something to connect us, and something to look forward to.”
Booksellers and publishers can join the movement by visiting ReadIndieForward.com, which features downloadable social media assets they can personalize with their logo, as well as ads to promote #ReadIndieForward to their communities, staff, authors, and readers across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Shelf Awareness for Readers will also provide book recommendations for all readers.
We hope you’ll join us to celebrate books, booksellers, and reading through the spring and summer. And we invite all booklovers to participate!
Sourcebooks is a thriving entrepreneurial company that brings extraordinary authors to readers in the most dynamic, data-driven ways. We create books that transcend categories and defy odds and have been honored with hundreds of national bestsellers and awards. We are home to enthusiastic, book- loving employees who are dedicated to connecting books to readers in new and innovative ways. Story by story, book by book, we have touched over 100 million lives. Join us as we change 100 million more. Visit sourcebooks.com for more information.
