Put Down the Phone and Support Local
Amazon has enough revenue streaming in—they don’t need to take over the world of books, too! With so many incredible places to buy your next favorite read, it’s time to stop supporting Amazon any more than we already do. Give the workers a break, give small-time authors your love, and learn how to shop elsewhere.
Christian Wiediger on Unsplash
1. It Hurts Book Stores
Amazon monopolizes a lot of sales, especially from smaller businesses. Many have had to move themselves online simply to keep up with the traffic. When you buy books from Amazon, you don’t give the deserved bookstore its due. Don’t let them close the doors; pop by and browse their selection.
2. You Can’t Guarantee Quality
Amazon can claim good quality all it wants, but there’s no real way to guarantee a safe delivery. Physical bookstores have pristine copies available for purchase, and they take more time to properly package their stuff. Amazon, on the other hand, can just toss it in a box and hope for the best.
3. Amazon Monopolizes Sales
We all know that this hungry company takes a lot from smaller businesses, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Rather than let this conglomerate zap sales, go to your library. Head to that shop around the corner. Go to readings. You can support art in a morally fibrous way!
4. The Company Buries Small Authors
Like any big website, Amazon follows an algorithm. What this means for smaller authors is that they’re buried under big-name titles and hot names. You never know what local author is just waiting to be discovered, and on Amazon, you’ll never find them.
5. Expectations for Low Prices
Unfortunately, Amazon does enough damage to our patience. It’s no different with book sales. Customers expect cheaper prices and faster delivery times, which puts serious pressure on the little guy. There’s no need for it—visit your local shop and indulge in the art of waiting.
