Request Indie Books At Your Local Library

I’m a chronic yapper and complainer, and unfortunately I don’t know how to leave things be, so here I am.

So many people have already shared thoughts about the Amazon boycott and as always it became sort of a fight between groups. I’m a reader as well as a self-published author, and I’m often on platforms as both, so I see all sides of every argument. While there’s lots of nuance on this topic, and I could probably have lots to say about it, this time I don’t really want to focus on the boycott itself.

I’m here, with this post, to speak to a very specific audience that fits the following mold: readers who already decided they’d rather not buy from Amazon anymore (or as much) and who also have access to a library. If you’re that reader, then here’s what I want to say: request indie books at your local library.

The switch to wide distribution isn’t easy and something that all authors can afford to do, but as readers you have the power to help out the authors that are taking that risk.

While I’ve seen some authors upset about their books being in libraries—because that means they are not getting paid for every person that reads their work—, I personally believe that having your books in a library can be one of the best things that can possibly happen to an author.

Authors obviously won’t get paid for every single read, but to hold their work in their catalogue the libraries still have to buy copies. Plus, even when readers pick up books from libraries, they might still share them online, review and brag about them, still contributing the same way a paying reader could.

Libraries are the backbone of communities, and they go hand in hand with readers. Requesting books means there is an interest in this public service. A more extensive catalogue then helps attract more readers. Readers who keep using the library then will keep supporting and requesting titles, not only keeping libraries afloat, but making them thrive too.

Libraries, like book shops, often have to follow strict rules and can’t buy directly from authors or big vendors like AMZ, but can only access titles through retailers specifically for libraries and shops. That means in order for their books to be in libraries, authors need to be on those specific retailers, which is not always easy.

Some authors can’t be widely distributed with any book format, because it could be too expensive for them, because it’s not an option due to where they live, or because of censorship (for example, many distributors block erotic content from being allowed to distribute on library retailers).

Other authors, instead, might only be able to have one format available wide. For example they might not have the means to take their ebooks out of Kindle Unlimited, but they have their paperbacks listed on multiple retailers.

Not all readers have access to a library, but for those who do, this is your chance to help out.

Check if your favorite authors have some books widely available—in ebook or paperback or audiobook. If they have even just one format that could possibly be bought by a library, request it.

If readers want authors to publish their books wide, then they need to help out when they can, too, or it’ll only be a leap into the void for authors. This is one easy way to help, and it’s usually free.

It’s only by helping each other out that we can make things a little easier for everyone.

(written as Robin Jo Margaret and R.J. Margaret)

My current wide distributed paperbacks:

My current wide distributed audiobooks:

My current wide distributed *ebooks:

*the ebooks of In the Care of Magic, The Witch and Her Demon & Monster Mixer are also wide, but because they are erotica the distributor blocked them from being on most library retailers. They’re supposed to at least still be available via Baker & Taylor, but I have no way to check if they’re actually there.

Margherita is a reader and indie author from Italy. Xe used to publish under xyr real name, but now only publishes as Robin Jo Margaret for fantasy and monster romances, and R.J. Margaret for (human) contemporary stories.

If you want to support Margherita, you can leave xem a tip on Ko-fi, or buy books via xyr affiliate links on libro(.)fm and bookshop(.)org