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Amazon’s Book Sale Timing Sparks Controversy in Literary Community
Amazon faces backlash for scheduling its major 2025 book sale from April 23-28, directly overlapping with Independent Bookstore Day on April 26. This timing has fueled debate about the e-commerce giant’s impact on small booksellers throughout the country.
Independent Bookstore Day, organized by the American Booksellers Association (ABA), brings together approximately 1,600 bookstores for a nationwide celebration featuring special events, author appearances, and exclusive merchandise. The annual event celebrates the unique cultural role that local bookshops play in communities across America. 
In a passionate Lit Hub article, writer Maris Kreizman emphasized the event’s importance: “I implore you: if you live near an indie bookstore (and I know that many of us still don’t and I hope one day we all do), you must go.”
The controversy comes as independent bookstores show signs of recovery. According to recent ABA statistics, indie bookshops have experienced modest growth over the past few years. Despite this positive trend, Amazon maintains its dominant position, controlling over 50% of both online and offline print book sales based on a 2020 House committee report, with an even stronger grip on the e-book market.
Bookshop.org, an online platform created to support independent booksellers, issued a strong response to Amazon’s scheduling decision. In a customer email, CEO Andy Hunter described the overlapping sale as “a calculated move by a company that has already put half the bookstores in the country out of business, controls over 60% of the market and sells far more books than all indie bookstores combined.”
Hunter’s criticism continued with a direct challenge: “The people at Amazon responsible for the timing of their ‘Book Sale’ should be ashamed, but they are shameless.”
Amazon has rejected allegations of deliberate interference. The company released a statement claiming the timing overlap was “unintentional,” explaining that “The dates for our sale were set this year to accommodate additional participating countries.”
This explanation has failed to convince industry leaders. In a statement to Vulture magazine, ABA CEO Allison Hill commented that “At best it’s insensitive and at worst it seems like a tactic to hurt small businesses.”
The situation highlights the ongoing tension between Amazon’s market dominance and independent booksellers struggling to maintain relevance in the digital era. While Amazon offers convenience and competitive pricing, many readers value local bookstores as community gathering spaces and champions of diverse voices in literature.
For readers looking to support independent bookstores while discovering new books, visit our homepage for coverage of local literary events throughout the year.
This timing controversy raises important questions about corporate responsibility in the book industry. Should a company with Amazon’s market power be more attentive to significant dates in the bookselling community? As readers decide where to spend their book budget this weekend, their choices will help shape the future of literary retail.
Regardless of where you choose to shop—online or in-person, at Amazon or your neighborhood bookstore—authors and the vitality of literary culture should remain the ultimate beneficiaries.
