Amid growing efforts to remove queer literature from public bookshelves around the country, the founders of an online indie LGBTQ bookstore said they aim to “fight bigotry” with book sales by sharing profits with LGBTQ authors. For every book sold at ShopQueer.co, the listed author earns an additional 10% from the retail price, in addition to royalties paid out by the publisher.
Cofounded by Eric Cervini, author of The Deviant's War, and actor and drag queen performer Adam Powell, ShopQueer.co exclusively carries queer literature in a catalog system that allows readers to browse title by author age, race, sexuality and gender identity in addition to genre. The ShopQueer.co team works directly with authors to include their books in an affiliate book selling system, and pays percentages to authors monthly based on sales.
“Our bookshop was founded with the mission of promoting and protecting queer authors,” said Cervini. “That means paying them.”
Earlier this year, PEN America reported that an unprecedented 2,532 book bans were enacted over the last two years, affecting 1,648 unique titles and 1,553 authors and artists. Across 32 states, 138 school districts implemented book bans, affecting nearly 4 millions students. “Of these unique book titles, 41% (674 books) contain LGBTQ+ themes and/or protagonists. And the 2022-23 school year is poised to break these record highs,” Cervini explained. Research conducted by the Trevor Project ties a direct link between access to positive LGBTQ+ content and lower suicide rates among LGBTQ+ students.
Absent a brick-and-mortar store where readers can browse queer lit in a safe space, ShopQueer.co is planning a nationwide popup shop tour to bring “queer joy, stories, and community to the towns that need it the most” via its bookmobile, the Rainbow Book Bus. “With statistics showing that 45% of LGBTQ+ youth seriously considered suicide in the past year, it’s essential for our community and our allies to do everything in our power to protect and support the authors who create this lifesaving resource,” said Cervini.
Unveiled during Pride Month, ShopQueer.co’s Rainbow Book Bus is nearing its $150,000 fundraising goal, which would allow the bus to embark on a tour of book festivals and pop-up book shops around the country. The bookmobile tour will help promote queer literature and fundraising for local LGBTQ+ youth centers in partnership with the nonprofit wayOut LGBT Foundation, Cervini said. The bookmobile will head out this fall after the fundraising campaign ends in September.
“Banning queer books is just one example of the onslaught of anti-LGBTQ+ bigotry that’s sweeping the country, hand in hand with legislation infringing our hard-won rights,” Cervini added. “Amid these attacks, it’s essential for our community and our allies to do everything in our power to protect and celebrate queer stories.”
With ShopQueer.co’s operations headquartered in Los Angeles, Cervini said that the bookstore also frequently hosts pop-up events in an effort to build community support against book bans and familiarize more people with the importance of queer literature.
“LGBTQ+ authors are under attack,” he said. “We’re experiencing more book bans right now than at any other time in American history. It’s never been more important for our community to support the storytellers whose writing sees us, heals us, and shapes our view of the world. The publishing industry isn’t designed for authors, so at ShopQueer.co, we’re putting power—and money—back into the hands of creators, where it belongs.”
