For any of you who follow on me on Twitter, you’ve seen my recent soap-box sermons on shopping at independent bookstores. Now that Borders is closing for good, now is the time to really embrace your local independent bookstore!

I’ve been trying to think of a way to get more people inspired to shop locally.  What’s the best way to get the word across? Social media, of course!

Author Ryan Jacobson suggested a fantastic idea; creating a twitter event, one day a week, in which book lovers tweet about what book they bought at an indie that week. Fantastic idea, yes?  Thinking of all the various events on Twitter (Follow Friday, Friday Reads, Writer Wednesday, etc.) I had to pick a day of the week not already taken.  And so…#indieThursday was born!

Each Thursday, tweet about the book(s) you recently purchased at your local independent bookstore that week.  Be sure to mention the name of the store and use the hashtag #indieThursday! Even better, take a picture of yourself with the book at your independent bookstore! Ebooks count as well, as long as you purchased it through an independent bookstore! (Click here for a list of independent bookstores that sell Google e-books.) Be sure to follow @IndieThursday on Twitter!

Then, the following day, don’t forget to tweet what you are reading, using the #Fridayreads hashtag!

Not on Twitter? Not to worry! IndieThursday is now on Facebook! Post your latest indie bookstore purchases on the Indie Thursday Facebook page & be eligible to win the weekly prizes!

Need to find a local indie in your area? Check out indiebound.org, which lists independent bookstores based on address or zip code! Don’t have a indie bookstore close to you? Several independent bookstores have online stores!

Need a few reasons you should shop indie?  Here are some great reasons to shop indie from IndieBound.org:

When you shop at an independently owned business, your entire community benefits:

The Economy

• Spend $100 at a local and $68 of that stays in your community. Spend the same $100 at a national chain, and your community only sees $43.
• Local businesses create higher-paying jobs for our neighbors.
• More of your taxes are reinvested in your community–where they belong.

The Environment

• Buying local means less packaging, less transportation, and a smaller carbon footprint.
• Shopping in a local business district means less infrastructure, less maintenance, and more money to beautify your community.

The Community

• Local retailers are your friends and neighbors—support them and they’ll support you.
• Local businesses donate to charities at more than twice the rate of national chains.
• More independents means more choice, more diversity, and a truly unique community.”

So, go forth & shop indie!

Interested in sponsoring an #IndieThursday giveway? Please fill out the form below. Please note: there are no fees charged for sponsoring #IndieThursday giveaways.

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