In an effort to support the newly established independent bookseller–focused online bookstore Bookshop.org and its affiliate network, Simon & Schuster has added buy buttons to all S&S websites leading to the Bookshop.org site. The publisher is encouraging its authors to add Bookshop.org links to their own websites and social media posts as well.
The publisher will also promote the website and the hashtags #readlocal and #supportindies via its consumer-facing platforms, the company said, "to celebrate and promote the independent bookselling community and encourage shopping at Bookshop.org." Those platforms include email marketing, social media, websites, and blogs.
“Local independent bookstores are a crucial link in the chain that brings authors to readers, and are a vital force in building and maintaining a sense of community in cities and towns across America,” Simon & Schuster CEO Carolyn Reidy said in a statement. “As it becomes more and more difficult to buy books in person, and the threat to the very existence of bookstores becomes more acute, Bookshop.org offers a way for readers to support their favorite indie bookstore without leaving the house.”
S&S authors supporting the campaign include Stephen King and Jason Reynolds. The publisher added that further authors slated to join the campaign include Mary H.K. Choi, Cassandra Clare, Jenny Han, Adam Higginbotham, Christina Lauren, Lisa Jewell, Shannon Messenger, Susan Orlean, Lisa See, Rebecca Serle, Neal Shusterman, and J.R. Ward.
