Booksellers Aim to Bring Awareness to Indies on Amazon’s Prime Day

San Francisco’s Green Apple Books is planning a series of social media posts to bring attention to the value of indie bookstores on Amazon’s Prime Day, which begins Monday, July 15.

Amazon’s annual Prime Day offers Black Friday-like deals for Amazon Prime members. In addition to Green Apple, other booksellers have chimed in about diverting attention to indies in lieu of Amazon on that day, including bookseller Cody Stuart of Book Culture in New York City, who tweeted on July 4: “what if #primeday this year we ask for greater awareness and exposure for @indiebound.”

Green Apple has a number of Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter posts planned for Prime Day, each of which will be paired with a related photo from the store or its website. The store plans to tag authors, journalists, and influencers who they think might help magnify the message; at the same time, the more users that consistently share the #ShopLocal hashtag, the greater the chances of trending on social media.

All indie booksellers are invited to adapt these social media posts from Green Apple for their own use:

• “On this #PrimeDay, remember that Amazon won’t bring scores of authors to your community for FREE events each year. #ShopLocal” (with a photo from an event or of a famous author at the store)
• “On this #PrimeDay, remember that Amazon won’t entertain your kids with a FREE drag queen story hour. #ShopLocal” (with a photo from recent event)
• “On this #PrimeDay, remember that you can’t get engaged to your fellow booklover at Amazon. #ShopLocal” (with a photo of a couple that recently got engaged at the store)
• “On this #PrimeDay, remember that Amazon won’t reinvest all its money in your neighborhood to keep local cafes, restaurants, services, and schools thriving. #ShopLocal” (with a photo of neighboring shops)
• “On this #PrimeDay, remember that Amazon won’t donate a gift card to your school fund-raiser. #ShopLocal” (with a photo of envelopes to schools with the store’s return address)
• “On this #PrimeDay, remember that Amazon employees aren’t represented by a union. #ShopLocal #UFCW #ShopUnion” (with a photo of the store’s collective bargaining agreement)
• “On this #PrimeDay, remember that you never have to pay an annual fee for $.99 shipping at greenapplebooks.com #ShopLocal” (with a photo advertising 99-cent shipping on the store site)

Booksellers who are planning other indie-focused initiatives for Prime Day are invited to let us know for future coverage.