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I'd be very curious to know how many people here actually knew that Independent Bookstore Day was a thing before reading this headline. I just checked the two

I'd be very curious to know how many people here actually knew that Independent Bookstore Day was a thing before reading this headline. I just checked the two independent bookstores nearest me and neither one of them has any mention of it in their online presence. I've been a frequent customer of independent bookstores for years and never heard about this before. There's no Wikipedia page and Google Trends tells me there's not enough data to even give me a search history for this. It makes a great headline and I'm sure the people who organize it are annoyed, but this might just be a case of ant meet boot. It's weirdly reassuring for organizers to think that Amazon specifically targeted them, but it seems more likely that they just... didn't even know it was happening.

SllX 1y ago
I am aware of it and have been for more than a decade but… I only ever remember sometime after it’s passed. Every year. I’ll spot the leftover merch at my preferred bookstore the next time I’m there and go “Oh, right.”
- 8bitsrule 1y ago
  Dedicated web page: https://www.indiebound.org/independent-bookstore-day https://www.indiebound.org/independent-bookstore-day IIRC it started at about the same time as 'Indie Record Store Day'; both are on Saturdays in April. I shop at brick-and-mortars for whatever I can, and very much regret those gone missing because of the Great Monopolist. I really valued being able to examine many products before purchase.
femiagbabiaka 1y ago
Well, now significantly more people know. Use Bookshop.org to buy books instead of Amazon, there's no real downside in my experience, and the quality/integrity of the books I get is much higher.
- sokoloff 1y ago
  I just tried the first two titles I thought of on both. Art of Electronics, Bookshop.org $128.70, Amazon $94.03 (list price $117) SICP, Bookshop.org $90, Amazon $53.77 (list $75) Both Amazon titles will be in my hands tomorrow for no additional shipping cost to me. Bookshop suggests that for SICP if I pay $8 extra, I can have it expedited (3-6 days) or for $9 extra can cut that to 3-5 days with priority, though there is a free shipping option available (with no timeframe indicated). SICP comes up on Amazon when searching for “SICP”; it does not on Bookshop.org, so I need to search by the longer title. In case “nerd books” is a particularly weak spot, I tried the first book on NYT Best Seller list, Perfect Divorce. Bookshop $28; Amazon $21 and they can have in my hand between 10 and 3 today. As a consumer, I see at least two hard downsides (cost and speed) and one soft downside (selection/browsing ease).
  - chiefalchemist 1y ago
    You can try Https://thriftbooks.com Admittedly, they’re not Amazon fast. But using their Wish List scores me plenty of great deals on things I don’t need ASAP. Pro tip: For used stick to Like New and Very Good. I’ve had bad luck with Good, and have never tried below that.
    - sokoloff 1y ago
      Thanks! That site is far more competitive than Bookshop.org and is in the neighborhood of Amazon price-wise on 2/3 of those titles. Amazon Thriftbooks Bookshop.org Title $94.03 $94.52 $128.70 Art of Electronics $53.77 $89.49 $ 90.00 Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs $20.98 $22.97 $ 27.89 Perfect Divorce
    - SOLAR_FIELDS 1y ago
      Betterworldbooks is also very good for used books especially textbooks but more generically anything
  - femiagbabiaka 1y ago
    Amazons worst contribution to the world was leaving people with the expectation that they need to have 2 day shipping for every single item they purchase. The climate impact alone is insane.
ungreased0675 1y ago
Blackwing pencils produce a special edition every year that is only available in independent bookstores starting on Independent Bookstore Day. That’s how I knew about it.
- bix6 1y ago
  Do you know if everyone listed on Blackwing’s store locator carries these? The closest to me isn’t a book store.
chiefalchemist 1y ago
I buy plenty of books - 2x to 3x more than I can read - and I had no idea there was such a thing. My local library had their seasonal used book sale last Thurs - Sat, but I sense that was simply coincidence.
- loloquwowndueo 1y ago
  Why do you buy more books than you can read? :)
  - CamperBob2 1y ago
    The most valuable book in the world isn't the Gutenberg Bible or First Folio or signed Principia. It's the one you need at 2 o'clock in the morning but don't have.
    - loloquwowndueo 1y ago
      Oh, so the answer to my original question is “hoarding”. Got it - fair enough, you do you.
cafard 1y ago
I'm on the mailing list for a couple of bookstores, so I knew. I bought something on Independent Bookstore Eve, but not on the day.

SllX 1y ago

I am aware of it and have been for more than a decade but… I only ever remember sometime after it’s passed. Every year. I’ll spot the leftover merch at my preferred bookstore the next time I’m there and go “Oh, right.”

8bitsrule 1y ago
Dedicated web page: https://www.indiebound.org/independent-bookstore-day https://www.indiebound.org/independent-bookstore-day IIRC it started at about the same time as 'Indie Record Store Day'; both are on Saturdays in April. I shop at brick-and-mortars for whatever I can, and very much regret those gone missing because of the Great Monopolist. I really valued being able to examine many products before purchase.

femiagbabiaka 1y ago

Well, now significantly more people know. Use Bookshop.org to buy books instead of Amazon, there's no real downside in my experience, and the quality/integrity of the books I get is much higher.

sokoloff 1y ago
I just tried the first two titles I thought of on both. Art of Electronics, Bookshop.org $128.70, Amazon $94.03 (list price $117) SICP, Bookshop.org $90, Amazon $53.77 (list $75) Both Amazon titles will be in my hands tomorrow for no additional shipping cost to me. Bookshop suggests that for SICP if I pay $8 extra, I can have it expedited (3-6 days) or for $9 extra can cut that to 3-5 days with priority, though there is a free shipping option available (with no timeframe indicated). SICP comes up on Amazon when searching for “SICP”; it does not on Bookshop.org, so I need to search by the longer title. In case “nerd books” is a particularly weak spot, I tried the first book on NYT Best Seller list, Perfect Divorce. Bookshop $28; Amazon $21 and they can have in my hand between 10 and 3 today. As a consumer, I see at least two hard downsides (cost and speed) and one soft downside (selection/browsing ease).
- chiefalchemist 1y ago
  You can try Https://thriftbooks.com Admittedly, they’re not Amazon fast. But using their Wish List scores me plenty of great deals on things I don’t need ASAP. Pro tip: For used stick to Like New and Very Good. I’ve had bad luck with Good, and have never tried below that.
  - sokoloff 1y ago
    Thanks! That site is far more competitive than Bookshop.org and is in the neighborhood of Amazon price-wise on 2/3 of those titles. Amazon Thriftbooks Bookshop.org Title $94.03 $94.52 $128.70 Art of Electronics $53.77 $89.49 $ 90.00 Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs $20.98 $22.97 $ 27.89 Perfect Divorce
  - SOLAR_FIELDS 1y ago
    Betterworldbooks is also very good for used books especially textbooks but more generically anything
- femiagbabiaka 1y ago
  Amazons worst contribution to the world was leaving people with the expectation that they need to have 2 day shipping for every single item they purchase. The climate impact alone is insane.

ungreased0675 1y ago

Blackwing pencils produce a special edition every year that is only available in independent bookstores starting on Independent Bookstore Day. That’s how I knew about it.

bix6 1y ago
Do you know if everyone listed on Blackwing’s store locator carries these? The closest to me isn’t a book store.

chiefalchemist 1y ago

I buy plenty of books - 2x to 3x more than I can read - and I had no idea there was such a thing. My local library had their seasonal used book sale last Thurs - Sat, but I sense that was simply coincidence.

loloquwowndueo 1y ago
Why do you buy more books than you can read? :)
- CamperBob2 1y ago
  The most valuable book in the world isn't the Gutenberg Bible or First Folio or signed Principia. It's the one you need at 2 o'clock in the morning but don't have.
  - loloquwowndueo 1y ago
    Oh, so the answer to my original question is “hoarding”. Got it - fair enough, you do you.

cafard 1y ago

I'm on the mailing list for a couple of bookstores, so I knew. I bought something on Independent Bookstore Eve, but not on the day.