How To Buy Books Online and Support Bookstores
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- Опубліковано 21 лип 2024
- How to buy books ethically, sustainable, and support bookstores and authors? I'm going to give you some tips and places to get your books! Hopefully this will help you be more concious about where you spend your money :) If you have any remarks or tips, put them in the comments!
Links I used:
• www.societyofauthors.org/Wher...
• www.theverge.com/2018/4/16/17...
• ethical.net/technology/amazon...
• www.ethicalconsumer.org/retai...
🌻 w a n n a s e e m o r e?
• Easy non-fiction recommendations: • EASY non-fiction book ...
• TBR clear out & unhaul: • my ENTIRE TBR and book...
• If you liked this movie... you will like this book...: • If You Liked This Movi...
🌼 s o c i a l m e d i a
• goodreads: / leonie-dams
• twitter: @thebookleo
• instagram: @thebookleo
• etsy: www.etsy.com/nl/shop/thebookl...
• business enquiries: leoniecdams@gmail.com
🌺 a b o u t m e
Hi! My name is Leonie and I am a 22 year old girl who loves talking about books! From YA to non-fiction to classics, I read it all (although fantasy will always be my fave). I live in the Netherlands and go to university, but make booktube videos in my spare time :)
🌹 m u s i c
• UA-cam Audio Library
Fun Fact: In germany we have the "Buchpreisbindung" which means that the books have to be sold the same price everywhere, books from amazon (exept e-books) therefore costs the same as in an small indepentent bookstore.
Very interesting. In Israel we have a similar thing (called "De Bicher gezets" in Yiddish) but it isn't included online stores at all.
We have this in the netherlands as well! (Except it doesnt count for english books)
I read an article recently that Amazon has a way to get around that law though. It's still better to use independent book stores.
@@TheBookLeo I have not thought about this but this might be the case in germany too
@@luzy5323 yeah late to the comment but it doesn't apply on foreign books. They are a lot cheaper on Amazon than they are elsewhere. Hell even in German big chains like Thalia and Hugendubel English books are more expensive than they are on Amazon.
While technically we pay for libraries in our taxes in the US, you’re going to be paying no matter what so you might as well take advantage. the amount of people that don’t use the library is mind boggling! My city has an amazing selection. If I wanted to I could get by without ever buying a book again
oh oh also Project Gutenberg has a lot of free classics online as well :D as well as a number of other books that authors have consented to putting up
I found so many books I wanted to read thanks!
Also libraries/book swaps/second hand books are basically like free promotion for the author. Even though they’re not getting money from it directly, if the person enjoys the book they’ll talk about it and share it and maybe someone else will pick it up! Great video, love that you talk about ethical and environmentally sustainable options. 💗
I'm french and "cheap books" sounds really weird to me. We basically have a law that forbid selling a new book cheaper in order to protect authors and local bookstores 😂
Here in Germany. German Books have a set amount. The stores are not allowed to change the prizes unless they are damaged or mass production
We have that in the netherlands as well, but the law doesnt count for english books (which i mostly read)
The Book Leo same here. Only german books I don’t really read german books
This isn't just a video, it is a PUBLIC SERVICE! Thank for taking the time to educate everyone about options we might not even have known existed. I've been meaning to check out my local library, but the main language where I live is German so I'm not sure if the have an English section 😕
When you said in some countries libraries are even free !!! I thought you were sarcastic because I didn’t know in some countries you had to pay 😂
It’s not very expensive in the Netherlands tho, as a kid/pre-teen it was free and later it was only 20€ a year
Yeah it blew my mind too!
Ebay is always a great place to check for second hand books that I feel a lot of people forget about. Most of the time you can easily tell if someone is a small independent second hand 'store' vs a chain (like World of Books in the UK) or a standard retailer, and it's a great way to find out of print or old editions of books.
I work at a bookstore and our biggest problem is that people google the book they’re looking for first, and google always come up with the cheapest option, which is either from a retail shop where they buy all their books in stock, and therefore are able to sell them for cheaper, or they just find e-books and doesn’t realize it. Having to explain why we can’t sell our books for the price that google says is my least favorite part of my job. Also, I’m danish, so our English selection isn’t really the best. We have English books, but mostly classics, and we can’t really get all the English books we’d like, so unfortunately I mostly buy the books I read in English online. Or I burrow them, but they libraries are closed right now. But thank you for the tips, there’s also Libby for e-books or audiobooks, which is an online library service!
Thanks for opening up a dialogue on this. Buying books ethically is something I care about a lot, but I've not known how to go about it other than buying second hand, so that's what I've been doing. This video was really helpful ❤
The Libby app (or OverDrive, depends on where you live) is also a great online library. In Denmark all you need is to have a 'library card' (an account) at your local library and then you can use Libby without problems. In Denmark, there is also the option of using Libby for global books (i.e. books in English) as well as another app for Danish books. It's great!
You are def my favorite booktuber of all time. Your videos are always super insightful and well edited. I also love all the creative videos you do !!! I really appreciate your content !
i really loved this video! it's so easy for us to get so excited for a good deal and forget where our money is going. thank you for spreading this info
Thanks for this video leonie 💕 I know I could be more conscious and will be continuing to be more ethical with my buying! Discovering used bookstores in my town / using the libby app have really changed the game for me
This is so important. I love that you discussed so many alternative options. I'm definitely guilty of turning to Amazon for convenience but have been trying to support independent bookstores more. And I adore my library (I can't wait until it re-opens). Pre-orders are one thing that I've struggled with finding an alternative to Amazon for. So many bookstores don't ship out new releases in advance, which means that pre-ordered books still come a few weeks after the release date. I'm usually so hyped for anything that I pre-ordered that I don't want to wait that long. I know that going to a physical bookstore is the best solution for this but sometimes I haven't been able to so I wish more stores shipped out pre-orders early like Amazon does.
Hello from Texas!!
If you live in Texas, you should ask your library if they participate in the TX-Share program. It's a program that allows you to have a free account with any participating library in the State of Texas. So I live in Lubbock, but I can also use the libraries (and all their online resources) in Austin, Houston, Dallas, public universities, or wherever life takes you.
I highly recommend!!!!! The librarians will help get you set up and explain all the technicalities to you :)
This is super informative! In Germany we have a fixed book price, so that amazon isn't cheaper. I never order my books there, but I am using Audible without considering it's basically amazon. I will look into an alternative now, thanks so much for the inspiration!!
Libro.fm (audiobook membership that supports your local bookstore of choice) and Libby! (One of the many library apps) I hope these are available outside of the U.S because they are great ways to support your libraries and independent bookstores. Also, thank you for this video, I learned so much from the information you shared.
Very important video!
And it's interesting that you need to pay for your library, in Israel the state pays for at least one "official" library in every town and the town residents needs only to leave a deposit when they sign up for the library. Only independent libraries actually cost mony.
(And OMG your style is fantastisch!!! 😍)
I’m SOOO glad you made this video!! I avoid Amazon as much as possible and my main online Avenue is Booktopia (for Australia) but yes the library is free here too!! Booktopia is more expensive than most options but I do know that they are efficient in delivery times and they pay their taxes as they’re an Australian company ☺️
Thank you for all the work you put into this!
I loved this!! In the UK library membership is free, but you pay for the service through taxes!
It's actually independent bookshop week in the UK this week so this is so apt!❤ I've been buying online at my local during lockdown and they're having some private browsing slots this week so I'm going to go on Saturday with my mask on to safely browse!
I loved this, and have been really looking at my book buying habits this year so this was really helpful ☺️
Thanks for sharing ones outside of the US! I'm moving to the Netherlands after border closures so this is good to know!
another option similar to bookswaps: freecycle! You can make a freecycle group online with friends or colleagues etc and post when you're parting with books (or parting with anything)! That way, people can either claim, or you can donate them x
What a lovely and also very important video :) A service that I love to use that you didn't mention is the Libby App - it has a huuuge selection of audiobooks and e-books (in English) and you can easily connect it with your library card so everything is completely free! (the only downside is that most of the time you have to wait a little for the book to be available for you)
This video was great because I’m from not English speaking country and usually book Depository is my only way of buying books. Thank you !!
In where I live (Jordan), libraries, as far as the one I use, you pay only one time to have a library card. The amount is about 15-25 dollar, but it is one time payment. Then you get to borrow 3 books or 5 each time. I find it very convenient on the long run.
Thank you! I have a few books I want to buy and I’m going to use some of these tips :)
I never knew about Hive! I’ll definitely be ordering books from there now 📚❤️
Here in Quebec, Canada we have something called the BAnQ (Which is basically a library that everyone in the province can use) and you can simply register online and they have suchhhhh a great variety of e-books and audiobooks!
I didn’t even realise people had to pay for the library 😭 in Australia our libraries are funded by our taxes. For my library it’s actually connected to all the libraries in the area so if I put a hold on a book my library doesn’t have but another library does then it gets sent to my library for me. My libraries have been closed since COVID but they offer to ship any books you have on hold to you for free. Ever since quarantine my library’s online platforms have also improved tenfold so it’s fine that I can’t just walk in.
Thanks for this video! I've been trying to be more aware of where I buy my books and this video really helps with that as well :) Audible has always seemed like a terrible deal to me haha - I've been using Storytel for a few years now and I love it!
I work in a charity bookshop in the UK and would add that not all of our books are old, musty, vintage stock. We get many books in that are either recent releases or have only been read once and kept neatly, so you can get fairly modern, nice looking books as well as hidden classic gems!
omg what- you have to PAY for the library !?!?!
i use libby!
My library is great but these are great alternatives. When I do have extra cash I definitely love to support my local independent bookstore :)
You can also buy second hand books online. For Germany I recommend booklooker
And rebuy, it's really cheap! Also Momox but it's not as cheap as rebuy
Great video ! Thank you for talking about this issue ☺️
i’m writing a short story for a class i’m taking, and i named one of the two characters Leonie after you :)
Thats so cute
Better World Books is (imo) the best source for buying cheap, used books online! for each book you buy they donate a book, and they also raise a lot of money for libraries and literacy programs
I get all my audiobooks from my library app and it's brilliant! I'm always trying to get everyone to use it instead of audible.
I buy a lot of books and I always try to buy secondhand because it's much better for the environment and my pocket. In London, there are plenty of charity shops that specify only in books (I particularly like the one in Angel and the one in Kentish Town), but if you're looking for a specific book secondhand I would recommend Scoob in Bloomsbury. They have an incredible variety of books for a little more expensive than a charity shop, but still much cheaper than a new book! :))
I use Libby for audiobooks, because I’m a student and it’s free, as long as you have a library card😊
This is really interesting! Thanks for educating us!!!
I mostly go to used independent bookstores to find my books. Its a really fun process when I go. Also I use my library app for audiobooks.
Thanks for letting me know BookDepository works with Amazon, I'll make sure to keep it in mind :)
Libby is my main reading tool. I request books I really want from my library and only a few haven’t come in (they’re amazon exclusive, ugh)
Not related to the subject, but I really love your video background! 🥰
Storytel also works in Latin America. I discovered it last year and it’s really good. I love that sometimes the audiobook comes out on the same day as the physical book. They have a looot of audiobooks AND also ebooks (who could resist?)!! And of course, they are both in english and spanish. And yes, I’ve also discovered some interesting books that I’ve never seen. So it’s great😍
It works in Brazil too, (yeah duh it's Latin America), so we also have books in Portuguese :)
One correction I found. I'm in the US and the one you mentioned Bookshop os actually bookshop.org, not a .com and in looking at that site I realized they have e-books too which is what I typically read. Thank you, love your content, and the fact that you discuss more than YA or Fantasy(which I do realize is your main favorite), that a lot of Booktubers do.
You can get free audiobooks and ebooks via the apps OverDrive and Hoopla, they basically work like digital libraries where you check books out for a few weeks and you only need a library card to access them
I've been feeling so guilty for having a kindle so I am reading what I already have then will only use my kindle for Libby. I got a used nook so I can buy ebooks from non- amazon sources. No more kindle unlimited and soon no more prime. Any physical books will be from local bookstores/secondhand bookstores. Will definitely consider some of the options you mentioned!
I´m from Spain but I´m living in Ireland and libraries save me always hahaha. I have access to Spanish libraries and Irish too! Both give me ebook and audiobook options and I can order physical books from Irish ones, no matter if they are in another country, the librarian sent to your closest library and you can collect there. Also, in both countries are free :)
This is great. Being where I am I'm forced online to get stuff, and I do try to steer away from the big names.
this video is heaven sent
Audible is also popular because it has ALL audiobooks basically ever
That's only because they have exclusivity deals, which makes it impossible for anybody else to have certain books
Libro.fm has a huge catalog of audiobooks as well. Between that, along with Libby/Overdrive and Hoopla through my library, I haven't really felt a negative impact since ditching Audible.
There's an online thrift store called Thrift Books that sells new and second-hand books. The new books usually only have $2 to $3 off the retail price, but sometimes they have larger discounts. They show you the book covers and ISBNs if you're looking for a certain edition. They tell you what condition the book is in. And they ship free in the US when you spend $10. They also have a rewards program that gifts you a free book under $5 once you earn 500 points.
hiii, please do a short tutiorial of your eye make up, i'm really jealous of your eyeliner!!!
Libro.fm and Bookshop.org helps support indie bookstores as well ( and you can pick which bookstore you want to support if they are partnered with the sites).
Might not be the Cheapest route, but it's better than supporting Amazon :D
This was so helpful, thank you!! 🖤🖤
I always just go to my local thrift store for books 🙈 I don’t think I’ve bought a full priced book in YEARS
For the nordic region I also wanna promote Adlibris! They have very similar prices to bookdepository (not the HUGE deals though) and they have free shipping available too!
Yup, here in Italy libraries are free!
Really a great video, i shared it :P
I feel you, but as someone who needs ultra-expensive analytic philosophy books I have limited options other than Libgen and Amazon. Thank you for the tips though.
Thrift shops/charity shops are THE BEST in the uk for books and I actually buy like 80% of my books from there. You can’t argue with £2 for a book 😂 I’ve found so many YA books and new books that look barely read as well, it’s not just old books!! Another option that’s also pretty good is eBay. Though depending on the book and where you live the deals might be better or worse than just buying it new. I’ve found books as low as £3 including postage on there though so it’s always worth checking just in case 😊
Hello, I'm from Greece and the Library is free here. Also, if you go to other libraries there are books there that other people donate and if you want one you can just get it and if you don't the library after 20 or so days keeps it. Also, really love finding thrift stores ( for books) , you can find books for 1 euro and up, and sometimes there are translated ones that in a bookstores are more expensive but you can find them there cheaper. In the end, I buy from bookstores that I know gave great deals and other places. I think that if you do your research of your town or country you will know your capabilities.
Love the concept of this video - and takes courage to make a video like this too :)
this was so helpful!!! thank you so much. do you think online second hand shops are on the same level of ethical-ness as in-person secondhand shops?
it depends on the library, but many libraries have audiobook apps that come free with their library cards! it's a loaning thing, so you don't own it, but free beats owning the audiobook in my book.
Wise advice. Mindful. I take notes.
I used to use a streaming service for audiobooks. I stopped trusting them, because the one I used suddenly raised its rates from $10 to like $20+ a month and placed big restrictions on books. Audible is nice because I can get them on my kindle. I mainly use Overdrive from the library, but Audible has so much more of a choice if I am looking for a specific book.
I almost always buy English books secondhand because new imported books are so freaking expensive. But I also try to buy books by local authors in bookstores to support them. I also really love borrowing classic books from my campus library :D
in the US, your library might have libby or hoopla! both are apps for ebooks and audiobooks
Thank you for making this video!
Also Libro.fm is an alternative to audible, where you can link your local book store to your subscription and they get a commission from the sale
Glad to see Ireland and Kennys represented here 🇨🇮 People send me books from there during Covid which was nice 🤗 Another website I am using is betterworldbooks, they sell second hand books for a relatively cheap price 😌 (Tip: Use the UK version rather than your country version)
Netgalley is also a very good resource I reckon, although it is for ARCs. But anyone can get accepted for ARCs there, even consumer reviewers, and all they are asked to do in exchange is review the book.
The ad that played before the video was Amazon's :)
Loved your video as always and while I think your advice is going to be easy to listen to in English speaking countries, it’s still close to impossible for the rest of us to have access to an English library, or even an English library SECTION, or English bookstores, so the only real option for many of us is sadly still amazon, even tho I’m all let’s eat the rich and all, it’s still the only way to buy books without a 15$ shipping fee + border fees.
I've started being more conscious of what I buy, which has resulted in me reading 90% books on scribd and the rare physical book I buy. I think I've bought maybe 10 books in the past six months, and 4 of those were non-fiction books I wanted to study.
My local German bookstore never has the books I want but they now offer online ordering and you can come to pick it up after being notified it has arrived.
Mmm now I'm really interested in Storytel. Thank you!
I go to college out of state, and I found out I'm able to have a library card in my college town for free because I rent an apartment there. This is in addition to the library card I already have in my home town/where my permanent address is. It's been great during the pandemic because even though the lines for ebooks and audiobooks can be longer, I have access to two library systems. Anyone going to college in a different state/county/city than their permanent address could look into this option 😊
the country I live in doesn't ask us to pay taxes or pay for libraries so I'm extremely thankful when it comes to that
where i live the library is free but it has such a small collection of books! when i was younger i used to go there so many times but since i stared high school and started to like foreigner authors and more diversity it was exhausting to search for a book that i found interesting in there
I had no idea Storytel was international, they have so many books by Polish authors (which I don't think is the case with Audible), I was sure they are local brand XD
Also - paid library? Whaaat? I only started using library recently, but I'm loving it - the return date is actually making me read faster, instead of buying a book and not getting to it in months. And for smaller cities - there is an option of the interlibrary loan, you can ask your library to get certain books for you from elswhere (this is usually used in academic research, haven't try with fiction, but why not). And most of all, it is aligned with my non-consumerism ideals - whenever I can fight the urge of getting stuff, it's a win.
My library uses the app Libby, which I think is available all over the world, at least in the US and Europe, as far as I know! If you have a library card you can connect it to your library and they have a lot of books and audio books you can access! :) Also, Thriftbooks is a website I buy a lot of used books from in the US!
scribd also has ebooks!! not just audiobooks. AND they sometimes have pdfs of books that you just print-out and then own for yourself.
Such a wonderful video!
Damn it Leo, I was just about to sleep!
Libro.fm is another streaming service for audiobooks that splits the money from your subscription with independent bookstores. When you sign up you can pick a local bookstore or all bookstores that they have partnered with. I don't know how widely available it is outside of the US and it is the same price as Audible for a subscription or if you just want one or two audiobooks you can buy them separately with or without a subscription. You can also gift a subscription for different lengths of time.
Also, in the US you pay with taxes to get a free library card, but often depending on where you live you might have to pay. In my hometown the library is paid for by the town and so if you don't get water from the town you have to pay to get a library card, otherwise it's free. I'm friends with a family of 6 who lives outside the town and pays ~$60 dollars a year for library cards for their family.
My closest independent book store is 9 miles away and I have no car, and the bus fare would cost as much as a book itself :( I have been buying a lot of books on depop, which is basically like an online thrift store where people just sell stuff, I’ve found some amazing deals
i mean we have to pay taxes for our area zoned library (where i live in texas)
I'm personally trying to buy less and less books from Amazon, but since here in Italy it's really hard to find books in english either in bookstores or libraries, most of the time I'm still forced to go back to Amazon
hey! mi hanno detto che il sito irlandese kenny's spedisce libri in inglese in italia! non l'ho ancora provato personalmente ma ho pensato di riferirtelo ugualmente :) buona giornata
@@ossswin Grazie, ho visto che anche Book depository spedisce in Italia senza spese di spedizione, per cui ora darò un'occhiata anche a kenny's, così in caso potrò sfruttare un po' uno e un po' l'altro ;)
Try bookdepository!
@@xLSofia thanks, I have been using it for a couple weeks now, but apparently it is owned by Amazon as well, since 2011
Dataico oh i didn’t know that, thanks!
thanks for including different countries :)
In Poland we have free public libraries but I like to own books so that I can look on them and reread anytime I want (not wasting time to go to library each time).
Yes I LOVE this!!
The video I've been needing ❤️ If anyone has recommendations of ethical sources to get books and audiobooks from in Australia specifically I'd love to know!
I had no idea about amazon 😐 cancelled my audible subscription and will limit my purchases from them (except to support indie authors lol) thank youuuu for these tips!!
Also the effort and research you put into this is amazing!!
lol, I had the opposite experience; moved from the US to the Netherlands and experienced RIGHTEOUS OUTRAGE at the idea that I had to pay to join the library!