The arts are undeniably sidelined in a cost of living crisis. While books and publishing are in the middle of a retail renaissance thanks to the rise of BookTok, book buyers have more incentive than ever to buy books cheaply. Online giants such as Amazon benefit the most.Â
Amazon has a patchy history within the wider publishing industry, but in many ways, it may be credited with a rise in popular reading. There is evidence that Australian retail has fared moderately well in the face of the international giant, but the struggle has been tough.Â
Still, individual consumers hold the most power in deciding how they support the book publishing industry in Australia. Seven years after Amazon arrived in Australia, there are now a handful of ways consumers can help local businesses and avoid spending with Amazon.
Amazon alternatives for physical books
Almost all local bookstores now have a robust online infrastructure and can ship titles nationally. Few have Amazon’s advantages in terms of delivery cost and speed. Though many online stores, such as Readings and Avid Reader, offer free delivery on purchases over $100.Â
Apart from supporting Australian-owned stores, the slight price bump comes with other benefits. These include a range of online and in-person book clubs, subscription boxes and curated web pages that make browsing for titles much more accessible. Unlike Amazon, these pages are usually curated by a human rather than an algorithm.
Amazon alternatives for ebooks
While Amazon dominates the international ebook market thanks to its Kindle hardware and software system, several alternatives exist. The most popular option is ebook software, likely available from your local library. Many can be installed on Kindles, iPads or phones for easy accessibility.Â
Most libraries also have an audiobook library option as well. Your librarian will know how to ensure you have access to everything you are entitled to with your local library membership. A 10-minute chat with such librarians will net you many benefits.
Amazon alternatives for audiobooks
Amazon owns Audible, the world’s largest supplier of audiobooks. Recent publishing deals with Spotify have been the first real threat to Amazon’s hold on the market in many years. Still, Spotify does not have an excellent reputation for supporting its artists.Â
Audiobooks are available from your local library. Otherwise, Libro.fm is an excellent alternative. Libro partners with local bookstores to support its audiobook library. It operates on a subscription model that is almost identical to Audible, but allows users to own its audiobooks (as opposed to leasing them off Amazon’s servers).
So far, Libro only supports some bookstores in Melbourne, including Readings and several others. But this means any Australian can join and support Australian bookshops, as every purchase is credited towards a bookstore you choose with your membership.
Amazon alternatives for your reading diary
The popular book social media site GoodReads is owned by Amazon. Amazon uses the data in your GoodReads account to advertise to you. The site’s enormous user base means that social reviews can be unhelpful, and it’s been years since the site has had a meaningful overhaul to its ageing user interface.
There are many alternatives to GoodReads, although the phone app Fable is the most popular. The user interface is cleaner and easier to navigate than GoodReads, and the app makes socialising and finding new online friends much more manageable. Its online book clubs are particularly ingenious, allowing you to read along with a club anywhere in the world.
Overall, it’s now becoming easier to find alternatives to Amazon for all your literary needs. More choice means more competition, which continues to help local authors and publishers.
