Are Bookstores Worth it for Indie Authors?
For most indie authors writing today, traditional bookstores in the mall and on the high street fueled our writing ambitions and our love of reading as children. Most writers would be thrilled to see their books on display in bookstore windows, display tables and shelves. Despite the rise and rise of ebooks and audiobooks, and especially during the boom in online buying during the Covid-19 pandemic, physical bookstores are still a significant marketplace for readers to discover and buy books. However it is much more challenging for the indie author to sell books via bookstores than online. What are those challenges and does the benefit of reaching bookstores’ customers justify finding a place for bookstores in your business plan? This post asks the question: are bookstores worth it for indie authors?