Welcome to Bookshop!

FAQ:

Do you ship to Ireland, Europe or Internationally?

Initially, Bookshop will only be available in the UK & US. However, the potential to launch Bookshop in other EU countries - including Ireland - is something under active consideration.

Do you offer gift wrapping, gift messages or gift cards?

At this time, we don’t offer gift cards or a gift wrapping option. But we are working towards offering optional gift messages. In the meantime, rest assured that all deliveries are sent without pricing information. Instead, invoices are attached to your email confirmation.

How do I report a problem with the website or my order?

We have an incredibly helpful in-house customer support team. Please reach out to us here.

How do I return an order?

Your satisfaction is paramount to us, so we offer a 30-day returns policy. If you have received damaged, defective, or incorrectly shipped merchandise you may return it within 30 days of the delivery date for a full refund of the cost of the items returned including initial delivery costs. If you have simply changed your mind, return your order within 30 days of the delivery date for a refund minus the initial delivery costs. Return postage is to be covered by the sender.

For a refund or exchange, return the item(s) in their original condition (ideally in the original packaging) to the address listed below. We recommend you use a registered mail service that includes insurance for your returns, as we can only give you a refund or exchange if we receive the items. If the item is not returned in its original state (unused), we may not be able to issue a full refund. Please also ensure that you include details of your name, address and order number so that we can ensure that your return is processed as quickly as possible.

How does Bookshop work with independent bookshops?

Bookshop supports indies in two ways:

• Bookshops that are partners, who sell books using Bookshop (including sharing links to Bookshop on social media, email, or on their websites) will earn a 30% commission on the sales they generate. All orders are fulfilled through Gardners, and we handle the inventory, fulfilment, delivery, customer service, and returns.

• 10% of all other sales on Bookshop goes to support participating independent bookshops as an overall earnings pool that is evenly divided and distributed to stores every six months.

How does Bookshop promote local bookshops?

Bookshop was created for the sole purpose of promoting local bookshops. For customers not already affiliated with a local bookshop, every receipt we email will inform them about the bookshops near them, and include event listings for those stores.

If a Bookshop customer opts in during the purchase, the selected bookshop will be given their email address for follow-up marketing.

If I’m an affiliate, do I have to disclose that on my website, newsletter or social media posts?

Yes. Whenever a link is used on your website that results in a commission, you must disclose this information to site visitors, according to ASA requirements. We suggest adding something like: “Disclosure: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.” to your website or post.

If I'm an affiliate, how are the sales of my books handled?

Affiliates, bookshops and publishers do not have to do any fulfilment, delivery, or customer service. Gardners Books fulfil all book sales, and their extensive inventory and supply chain ensures books reach customers in 2-3 days.

How and when do I get paid for the books that sell?

Bookselling partners can withdraw their revenue whenever they like via an easy web interface, provided they have a balance of £20 or more.

Bookshops participating in the 10% revenue share will receive payments every six months. The revenue share is divided equally among partners.

What kind of reporting will I receive, and how frequently?

Bookselling partners who use Bookshop to sell books will be able to get reporting and see their sales activity at any time on our website.

Other participating bookshops, who do not use the Bookshop platform, will receive their 10% revenue share with a statement every six months.

How do I set up an account?

Anyone can create an account at https://uk.bookshop.org/affiliates/profile/introduction

How do I advertise or promote a book on Bookshop?

Send us an email to [email protected]

FAQ for Bookshops:

Bookshops with at least one but not more than 10 physical locations in the UK and that are BA members qualify for our Platform Seller programme and can be added to our bookshop finder map, receive a 30% commission on sales and receive customer order information. Please email Mark at [email protected] if you qualify.

Can Bookshop take the place of my shop’s website?

Yes, any bookshop that wants to use Bookshop to create a simple storefront and sell books can do so. Bookshop storefronts are free!

They allow you to sell books and earn 30% of the cover price without worrying about inventory, fulfilment, delivery, returns, or customer service. They feature a single page, with profile information, logo, and links to social media profiles and pages. Customers can opt-in to receive follow-up emails from you.

Bookshop storefronts are also easy and fun to create! They feature a short bio section, social media profiles, and a series of book lists curated by your store.

Will Bookshop discount titles?

We appreciate that discounting is a sensitive and complex subject. Online shoppers are conditioned to expect discounts: if they arrive at Bookshop and see no discounts, this may be offputting. On the other hand, Bookshop is committed to supporting prices that reflect a fair price for publishers, authors and do not undercut independent bookshops own offerings. To achieve this balance, Bookshop offers a straight 7% discount (or less) across all titles on the Gardners catalogue which are offered at standard terms. Other titles (so-called ‘short’ discount titles) will be offered at full RRP. Bookshops, however, will receive the 30% commission off the RRP for standard titles.

Will Bookshop share customer info with affiliates?

If a customer chooses to opt-in, we will share their information with our bookshop partners. We consider them your customers, and every sale generated through your store’s affiliate links will be made available to you. We do not, however, share customer information with non-bookshop affiliates.

How is Bookshop targeting online customers?

Bookshop is designed for generating affiliate revenue. Our team is working to build a network of publishers, authors, bookstagrammers, celebrity book clubs, and other media sites to target socially-conscious online consumers who are not yet buying their books online through an independent bookshop.

Bookshop’s interface and purchase process is designed to be as convenient, streamlined, and user-friendly as possible, for an alternative that is just as easy as our competitors.

Do I need to provide my bank details?

If you’re a partner, we pay out funds using Stripe Connect. It’s easy to create an account and withdraw funds to your nominated UK bank account. Stores participating in the revenue share will receive payment twice a year.

How do I list our books with Bookshop’s platform?

All books in Gardners' inventory are automatically listed. Any special order books not included in Gardner's catalogue may be added as we develop the platform in the future.

Will you sell audiobooks and or ebooks?

At the moment, we are not supporting audiobooks or ebooks at launch, but we are investigating options to allow this in the future.

Does Bookshop allow for in-store pickup?

Bookshop does not feature in-store pickup.

How do authors get paid? How much money does Bookshop keep? If Bookshop is giving 30% of a sale to a bookseller affiliate, what about the remaining 70%?

Bookshop doesn't make a profit off our bookseller affiliate sales; we make a small percentage on all other sales. The publisher is generally paid about 50% of a book's sale price, and the publisher pays the author. About 20% goes to our fulfilment and operating costs, payment processing, and consumer discounts.

If my question isn’t answered here?

Please reach out to us here, and we’d be happy to help!