For book lovers, there’s no need to stick to just one way of reading. With a vast selection of titles available as digital formats or audiobooks, broadening your reading choices is easier than ever.

However, while the variety of platforms grows, the primary sellers tend to remain the same. Amazon dominates the online book market with over 80% of sales, as reported by IBISWorld. Moreover, it owns Kindle, a leading name in e-reading.

Bookshop.org aims to change this scenario. Today, this platform that links readers with local bookstores launched its own e-reading service. CEO and founder Andy Hunter states that local independent bookstores can now offer e-books to their customers.

Bookshop.org introduces e-book service to empower local bookstores

Hunter is focused on fixing logistical issues for readers. In 2020, he created Bookshop.org to help local businesses struggling against Amazon’s dominance. Years later, as a user of e-readers, he recognized the challenge of maintaining his commitment to buying locally while seeking digital items.

“No matter how much you appreciate your local bookstore, purchasing an e-book has meant going to Amazon or another platform, depriving your local bookstore of support,” Hunter explains to YSL News. “E-books represent a significant revenue opportunity for publishers and authors, and they could be for independent bookstores too.”

The outcome is a new app (available on both iOS and Android, as well as through web browsers) featuring almost a million titles from prominent publishing houses. Readers can annotate, make notes, look up definitions, and sync their reading across devices. There’s a search feature available for those who know what they want, and an explore page to recommend titles based on genre for those who don’t.

Importantly, for Hunter, booksellers will benefit financially, which has previously hindered local bookstores from succeeding in e-book sales.

“There hasn’t been a sustainable way to make it profitable, but profit isn’t our primary concern,” Hunter mentions, referring to the company’s B corporation status that emphasizes social responsibility. “Our goal is to support independent bookstores so they can thrive in the digital realm.”

With appealing discounts, quick delivery, and Kindle integration, Amazon Books has long been the favored choice for many readers. However, Hunter believes that “there’s absolutely no reason to give a billionaire your $9.99 for an e-book,” since publishers establish a set price for e-books and there’s no shipping expenses to navigate around.

Bookshop.org’s new venture aligns with a rising trend on social media to opt out of shopping with Amazon and other massive retailers in favor of local businesses.

“In this era dominated by billionaires and large e-commerce companies, we’re reclaiming our freedom from tech oligarchs,” Hunter states. “It doesn’t have to be this way; we can invest in and support our local community even while enjoying digital reads.”

E-reader features to include social sharing capabilities

Bookshop.org’s new platform will incorporate a “quote-sharing” option for social media, as Hunter envisions a more integrated way to share literary quotes. Right now, sharing a quote requires a photo of the physical book or a screenshot, which isn’t as user-friendly.

Hunter imagines a smoother experience where users can share a quote with a link to purchase the digital book immediately. The success of BookTok exemplifies how books can gain popularity—imagine if local bookstores could reap the rewards too.

“They should easily share that to social media and others can click to buy the book using Apple Pay and start reading instantly,” Hunter suggests. “This will spark numerous discussions about books on platforms like TikTok, ultimately benefiting independent bookstores as they sell the titles everyone is discussing.”

Searching for your next great read? YSL News has got you covered.

Reading preferences vary, and YSL News Books has a wide range of genres to explore. Check out the 15 new releases we are most thrilled about in 2025. Are you a fan of dystopian stories? Discover books similar to “The Hunger Games” and “1984.” If you prefer lighter tales with charming characters, see if a “cozy mystery” or “cozy fantasy” book suits you. For the latest hits, don’t miss YSL News’s Best-selling Booklist.

Clare Mulroy is a Books Reporter for YSL News, where she discusses exciting releases, interviews authors, and explores the reading culture.