#ReadIndieForward Campaign Underway

Last week, Shelf Awareness and Sourcebooks launched a new movement to support indie bookstores by partnering on #ReadIndieForward, a pay-it-forward campaign to help independent bookstores not only survive during the COVID-19 pandemic, but thrive, now and into the future.

“We have seen an amazing outpouring of generosity from authors and readers during the COVID pandemic through initiatives like #SaveIndieBookstores,” said Sourcebooks Publisher and CEO Dominique Raccah. “#ReadIndieForward is another way for book lovers to share their love of reading and provide support to the independent bookstore community.”

#ReadIndieForward encourages readers and authors to buy one book a week for the next eight to ten weeks from the independent bookstore of their choice, send those books to family and friends, and encourage them to pay it forward with their friends and families.

“While our indies experience what we know is one of their most challenging times ever, #ReadIndieForward is a great reminder to readers that the best way to help their local bookstore is to simply buy a book from them,” said Shelf Awareness Co-Founder and Publisher Jenn Risko. “As our industry continues to quarantine in place, we all know there’s nothing like the excitement of getting a new book that takes us on a journey of our minds, when we can’t go anywhere. Leave it to Dominique Raccah to come up with this simple yet powerful idea. We’re grateful that she chose to partner with us on it.”

Readers can purchase books directly from their favorite independent bookstore, IndieBound.org, or Bookshop.org, which has a specially curated page for #ReadIndieForward.

“ABA is grateful to Sourcebooks and Shelf Awareness for creating an opportunity for book lovers to celebrate books, support independent bookstores, and connect with one another in a meaningful way during this crisis,” said American Booksellers Association CEO Allison Hill. “#ReadIndieForward is exactly what we all need right now: Something to connect us, and something to look forward to.”

Booksellers and publishers can join the movement by visiting readindieforward.com, which features downloadable social media assets they can personalize with their logo, as well as ads to promote #ReadIndieForward to their communities, staff, authors, and readers across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Shelf Awareness for Readers will also provide book recommendations for all readers.