Within a Sky Full of Earth

Independent bookstore is a term used in to identify bookstores that are primarily owned and operated by local people. They tend to have strong ties to the community and are frequently involved in non-profit community events as well as in cultivating the work of young writers. Independent bookstore selection tends to be more esoteric and less mainstream than chain bookstores.

Independent bookstores are under considerable financial pressure due to competition from amazon.com and other online sellers, chain bookstores, mass market sellers, and even publishers themselves. Thousands of bookstores have closed in the past decade and there have been recent high-profile independent bookstore closures. In some cases, the community has risen up to save an independent bookstore that threatened to close.

Independent bookstores have historically supported and cultivated the work of young authors and poets, often acting as literary salons. This sometimes includes promoting or publishing works that might have otherwise not been published including works without ISBN numbers, which are not accepted for distribution by larger bookstores.
[LIST OF INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORES AROUND THE WORLD]