Amazon isn’t the only place to buy books. I know it’s convenient and sometimes cheaper, but not always. These are the best online booksellers that aren’t Amazon, and the ones I use to buy used books, new books, and audiobooks.
I like to check with my local bookstore first so I can support it, but it doesn’t always have the book I want in stock, so I buy most of my books from the online retailers below.
All of these sellers have the added benefit of supporting brick-and-mortar bookstores. Either those stores sell through them, or the sellers give a percentage of their sales to participating independent bookstores.
Bookshop
Bookshop’s mission is to support independent bookstores. As of January 17, 2023, it supported more than 1,600 independent bookstores and paid up to 75% of its profits to bookstores, publications, and authors. What a great idea, and it keeps growing in popularity.
I like the books it features in its well-organized categories. Bookshop.com is a high-quality site that I strongly recommend.
Powells
Everyone would love to have a Powells bookstore in their town. Its knowledgeable, friendly staff can make buying a book a fun, cultural experience. I used to work at a great bookstore, Earthling Bookshop in Santa Barbara, and it was a pleasure to discuss books with customers. Powell’s claims to be the largest independent seller of used and new books.
If you want to support a brick-and-mortar independent bookstore, Powell’s is a great choice. It offers diverse perspectives, and its staff does an excellent job of recommending your next read in the picks they post on the site.Libro.fm
Libro.fm lets you pick an independent bookstore to support when you buy an audiobook. It’s a great way to support indie bookshops. It’s also 100% employee-owned.
Libro.fm also offers two free audiobooks when you sign up for its $14.99 monthly membership. After that, you’ll receive one audiobook of your choice each month and 30% off additional books.
If you’re into audiobooks like me, this is an excellent way to avoid Amazon. It also has a great app.
Barnes & Noble
I read that Barnes & Noble is opening dozens of new bookstores around the U.S. this year. It has a solid selection of books, of course.
It’s great to see B&N expanding, and it’s a much better option than Amazon, which is a bookstore destroyer.
BetterWorldBooks
I buy a lot of books from Better World Books. It has a great selection, as good as any used bookseller’s, and an easy-to-navigate interface. Its constant flow of discounts and sales has lured me into buying books a number of times.
On its history page, Better World Books writes: “we have raised millions of dollars for literacy, saved millions of books from landfills, created jobs for hundreds of people, and provided wonderful books to millions of readers worldwide.”
Another wonderful thing about buying from Better World Books is that many small, used brick-and-mortar bookstores sell on its site.
Abebooks
AbeBooks has an excellent selection of books. Many independent bookstores sell their books there, using AbeBooks as a storefront that gives them a larger reach and the ability to compete with the major online retailers.
Although AbeBooks operates independently, it is owned by Amazon.
City Lights Bookstore
City Lights Bookstore was co-founded by the poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti and has become an official city landmark in San Francisco’s North Beach. I visited City Lights a few years back, and its selection of innovative, high-quality literature and nonfiction is amazing, the kind you don’t see curated in most bookstores.
Chaucers Bookstore
Chaucer’s has been an independent bookstore on upper State Street in Santa Barbara since 1974. It has an excellent selection of 150,000 new books and a knowledgeable staff. It’s the go-to place for new books in a literate community.
Book Den
The Book Den is a used and new (mainly used) bookstore in downtown Santa Barbara. It has a great staff and an outstanding selection of books that’s always changing, since it’s always buying used books from the community of book lovers.