With the holiday shopping weekend still in full swing in the US, two exciting opportunities still await readers. Today marks the local-business oriented Small Business Saturday across the country, when shoppers who didn’t complete their discount buying during yesterday’s Black Friday sales are reminded to support their locally-owned independent shops. This year, that show of support is especially aimed at independent (non-retail chain) bookstores, many of whom are feeling the pinch of trying to compete with online retailers throughout the year, not just at the holidays.
A movement started by author Sherman Alexie and supported by IndieBound.org may surprise any fans of books who venture into bookstores today. Don’t be surprised if James Patterson rings up your purchases, or Mary Anne Kempher points to a title you’re looking for. Hundreds of authors have signed up to lend their support, not in terms of publicity or book signings, but just by volunteering on what will hopefully prove to be a profitable day for these small business owners.
For those shoppers who plan to spend today bundled up inside and taking advantage of perks like discounts and free shipping on different retail websites, don’t forget to take a look at the Wordplay Shakespeare site, as the publisher of side-by-side translations of some of Shakespeare’s best loved titles will be gifting copies of the enhanced ebook for Macbeth in a random drawing to new subscribers to the newsletter. The sign-ups can be found HERE.
Mercy Pilkington is a Senior Editor for Good e-Reader. She is also the CEO and founder of a hybrid publishing and consulting company.