Indie-to-Indie is an alliance between independent publishers and independent booksellers. Maintained by the Independent Publishers Caucus and The Independent Bookseller™, these programs and resources are designed to build and improve relationships, establish mutual support, and develop a deeper understanding of the importance of each channel to the other's success.
Our Mission:
By strengthening the relationship between independent booksellers and independent publishers, Indie-to-Indie strives to shift the book industry toward a more sustainable, equitable, and profitable model for all.
Our Vision:
1. Independent Booksellers and Independent Presses have deep ideological similarities
Independent presses and booksellers typically operate under the same system of ideas and manner of thinking, and for that reason their operations tend to share characteristics. For instance, both indie publishers and indie presses place a higher premium on regional and local identity as a defining aspect of their businesses. Similarly, they are often defined by a specific aesthetic. Both indie bookstores and indie presses value voices and ideas that don’t find widespread representation, and this often results in “breaking” a new author or reinvigorating interest in backlist titles.
Many of these similarities are also evident in the label “independent” itself, which has connotations of an anti-corporate ethos, a willingness to take risks, to be adventurous, of purity and innovation, of conscientious commitment to issues, of self-ownership, and passionate support of peers, colleagues, and even competitors. These attributes are present in independent booksellers and independent publishers alike.
Above all, indies display the ideological similarity of existing to serve their community. Specifically, both bookstores and publishers have the primary goal to support and sustain an infrastructure of readership in their communities and beyond. Their models each encourage literacy and education; they create attention for and excitement about books; they inspire readers, writers, and literary artists; they create employment opportunities for the literary-minded; and they devote significant resources to programming that celebrates and raises awareness about literature.
Many of these similarities are also evident in the label “independent” itself, which has connotations of an anti-corporate ethos, a willingness to take risks, to be adventurous, of purity and innovation, of conscientious commitment to issues, of self-ownership, and passionate support of peers, colleagues, and even competitors. These attributes are present in independent booksellers and independent publishers alike.
Above all, indies display the ideological similarity of existing to serve their community. Specifically, both bookstores and publishers have the primary goal to support and sustain an infrastructure of readership in their communities and beyond. Their models each encourage literacy and education; they create attention for and excitement about books; they inspire readers, writers, and literary artists; they create employment opportunities for the literary-minded; and they devote significant resources to programming that celebrates and raises awareness about literature.
2. Independent Booksellers and Independent Presses each face disadvantages in the market
Indie Bookstores face a predatory economic force in their quest to improve their communities, while publishers compete with the marketing teams of international corporations for the attention of readers. But aside from Amazon’s predatory pricing and the ever-consolidating world of corporate publishing, both indie presses and indie booksellers find their models hamstrung by operational disadvantages.
Consider the fact that only one distribution company exists to service every publisher, big or small, and every bookstore, big or small. The literary market rarely highlights the company that produces a book, defaulting to the author as the brand – as such, indie presses struggle to make use of the advantage their “indie-ness” affords them, and there are so many publishers that booksellers are often unaware of whether a publisher is independent, an imprint of a corporate publisher, or a partially-owned subsidiary.
All of this occurs in an economy where the bulk of consumers still prioritize price and convenience, which are both disadvantages of booksellers and publishers. Amazon can afford to devalue books, while indie bookstores depend on full price sales for their existence. Indie publishers have to pay higher printing and distribution costs for smaller runs, while corporate publishing can earn priority treatment and efficiencies of cost unavailable to smaller operations.
Consider the fact that only one distribution company exists to service every publisher, big or small, and every bookstore, big or small. The literary market rarely highlights the company that produces a book, defaulting to the author as the brand – as such, indie presses struggle to make use of the advantage their “indie-ness” affords them, and there are so many publishers that booksellers are often unaware of whether a publisher is independent, an imprint of a corporate publisher, or a partially-owned subsidiary.
All of this occurs in an economy where the bulk of consumers still prioritize price and convenience, which are both disadvantages of booksellers and publishers. Amazon can afford to devalue books, while indie bookstores depend on full price sales for their existence. Indie publishers have to pay higher printing and distribution costs for smaller runs, while corporate publishing can earn priority treatment and efficiencies of cost unavailable to smaller operations.
3. Bookstores that prioritize independent presses can increase their advantages
Independent bookstores have worked hard to identify and leverage the competitive advantages they have. All of these advantages are exemplified and magnified by independent publishers. Bookstores brand themselves as places where readers can discover new books they won’t have discovered elsewhere – such as indie press titles that don’t receive major media campaigns or celebrity book club selections. Bookstores celebrate their local and regional cultures, just as many indie presses create entire series based on specific regional themes. Bookstores express specific cultural points of view and provide nuanced views on multiple topics… independent presses publish books with unique and nuanced views on specific cultural issues. Above all, by selling books published by independent presses, indie bookstores are directly supporting the people who work to create the very literary community they exist to support.
4. Publishers that prioritize independent bookstores can increase their advantages
Indie publishers know that enthusiasm and support among indie booksellers is a crucial step in breaking a book across all channels. Booksellers use personal connections with customers to create awareness about new titles, debut authors, and innovative works. The grassroots marketing momentum stemming from bookseller enthusiasm is among the most valuable and powerful tools available to publishers, and can create demand far beyond that which algorithmic recommendations can manufacture.
Furthermore, since the magic in the equation is the human relationship, the natural alignment of indie presses and indie booksellers results in a stronger connection between individuals, which leads to more thoughtful and enthusiastic recommendations. As publishers get to know booksellers and bookstores better, these relationships translate into more efficient and successful marketing campaigns and events. As indie press titles are more prominently featured in bookstores, indie press authors feel more rewarded for their artistic efforts. Above all, by focusing on helping indie bookstores sell the books they publish, independent presses are directly supporting the people who work to create the very literary community they exist to support.
Furthermore, since the magic in the equation is the human relationship, the natural alignment of indie presses and indie booksellers results in a stronger connection between individuals, which leads to more thoughtful and enthusiastic recommendations. As publishers get to know booksellers and bookstores better, these relationships translate into more efficient and successful marketing campaigns and events. As indie press titles are more prominently featured in bookstores, indie press authors feel more rewarded for their artistic efforts. Above all, by focusing on helping indie bookstores sell the books they publish, independent presses are directly supporting the people who work to create the very literary community they exist to support.
5. Mutual support between independent bookstores and publishers better enables each to compete
Efforts by publishers can build and/or reinforce bookstores’ brand as exciting and unique places to shop, which would create advantages for indie bookstores relative to their competitors. Efforts by bookstores can elevate indie press title sales and brand awareness for indie presses. These combined efforts will enable both independent presses and independent bookstores to not only capitalize on their “independent” brand, but to better personify the core mission of their operations and to compete more successfully in the marketplace.
6. There are many ways independent publishers and independent bookstores could better support each other to their mutual benefit
Bookstores could immediately increase their advantage in the marketplace by increasing the ratio of indie press titles to major publisher titles in their inventory; by offering indie press titles better display treatment; by creating more focused promotions on indie press titles; by creating and hosting more creative events with indie press authors; by doing more and paying better attention to backlist; and by dependably reporting sales to best seller lists.
Publishers could immediately increase their advantage in the marketplace by offering monetary incentives for additional marketing work done by booksellers (in the form of discounts, flexible or extended terms, or via co-op); creating exclusive items or editions; offering advance sales periods ahead of bookstores’ competitors; educating their authors to link to indies and encourage preorders with indies rather than their competitors; channeling direct-to-consumer efforts through bookstores.
Publishers could immediately increase their advantage in the marketplace by offering monetary incentives for additional marketing work done by booksellers (in the form of discounts, flexible or extended terms, or via co-op); creating exclusive items or editions; offering advance sales periods ahead of bookstores’ competitors; educating their authors to link to indies and encourage preorders with indies rather than their competitors; channeling direct-to-consumer efforts through bookstores.
Indie-to-Indie is an initiative of the Independent Publishers Caucus in partnership with TheIndependentBookseller.com
This Indie-to-Indie initiative would not be possible without the generous support of Bookshop.org.
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