What Makes a Bookstore “Fair”? Defining Ethical Retail in Bookselling

What Makes a Bookstore “Fair”?

Fairness is a word we hear often in bookselling—but rarely define. Is a bookstore fair because it offers low prices? Because it supports local communities? Because it pays authors well? The truth is, fairness in retail is a moving target, especially in the book world where values like accessibility, sustainability, and creative compensation often pull in different directions.

Used bookstores, in particular, sit at the heart of this tension. They make reading more affordable and reduce waste—undeniable goods. But they also raise a difficult question: when a book is resold, who benefits? And more importantly, who doesn’t?

In this post, we explore what ethical bookselling looks like when it’s grounded in transparency, sustainability, and stakeholder inclusion. We examine how some retailers—especially in the second-hand space—are rethinking fairness, and why authors must be part of that conversation. We’ll spotlight World of Books and its AuthorSHARE program, and reflect on how models like Author Advantage are building long-term support for writers in a resale-driven economy.

The Problem with “Fair” in Bookselling

“Fair” is a word that carries weight—but also ambiguity. In bookselling, it’s often used to signal ethical intent: fair prices, fair treatment of authors, fair access for readers. But what does fairness actually mean in practice?

For some, a fair bookstore is one that offers affordable books to readers. For others, it’s one that pays authors and publishers equitably. Still others might define fairness through environmental sustainability or community engagement. These definitions aren’t mutually exclusive, but they do compete—especially in a retail landscape where margins are thin and values can clash.

Used bookstores, for example, are celebrated for making books more accessible and reducing waste. But they can be criticized for excluding authors from the resale economy.

This tension reveals a deeper challenge: fairness in bookselling isn’t a fixed standard—it’s a negotiation between stakeholders. And unless those stakeholders are clearly identified and actively included, claims of fairness risk becoming hollow.

What Ethical Bookselling Looks Like

If fairness in bookselling is a negotiation, then ethical bookselling should be the framework that guides that negotiation. It’s not just about doing less harm—it’s about actively doing good. Ethical bookstores make deliberate choices about who benefits from each sale, how resources are used, and what values are prioritized.

At its core, ethical second-hand bookselling rests on two pillars:

• Sustainability: Environmental responsibility in production, distribution, and resale.

• Stakeholder Inclusion: Recognizing and incorporating the interests of all parties affected by book sales.
  

So who are these stakeholders?

• Authors, whose creative labor underpins the entire industry.

• Publishers, who invest in bringing books to market.

• Booksellers, who curate, recommend, and distribute books.

• Readers, who seek access, affordability, and trust.

• Communities, who benefit from literacy, education, and cultural engagement.
  

In most retail models, authors are compensated only for new book sales. Once a book enters the used market, that revenue stream disappears—even though the book continues to circulate and generate value. Ethical bookselling challenges this norm by asking: can authors be included in the resale economy? And if so, how?

Some retailers are beginning to answer that question with innovative models that treat authors not just as content creators, but as ongoing stakeholders. This shift is especially significant in the used book space, where resale has traditionally operated outside the bounds of author compensation.

Used Bookstores and the Ethics of Resale

Used bookstores occupy a unique space in the book economy. They extend the life of books, reduce waste, and make reading more affordable—all undeniably positive outcomes. As a baseline, used books are more sustainable than new ones, and that fact deserves celebration.

But alongside these benefits comes a difficult question: who profits when a book is resold?

Traditionally, the answer has been simple: not the author. Once a book is purchased new, any subsequent resale generates no additional income for the person who wrote it. This disconnect has long been accepted as the cost of circulation. But as the resale market grows—especially online—it’s worth asking whether that model still holds up.

Ethical resale challenges the assumption that authors should be excluded from second-hand sales. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: to a reader, a used book is still a new story. Someone wrote the words. Someone edited and published them. Someone built the infrastructure to sell them again. If resale is part of the book’s lifecycle, then authors should be part of that lifecycle too.

This year, public outrage erupted when the AI company Anthropic was revealed to have purchased and pirated millions of books to train its chatbot Claude. Authors responded forcefully.

The outrage was justified. Authors’ works should not be scraped and repurposed for profit without consent. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: every time we buy a used book, we cross a similar line. The hundreds of millions of used book sales over the past few decades dwarf the volume of books Anthropic used in their training. So why are we outraged when a corporation profits from authors’ work, but comfortable ignoring their contribution when we do the same?

This is the ethical tension at the heart of resale—and it’s one we must confront.

4. Spotlight on Ethical Retailers

While many bookstores strive to balance affordability and sustainability, only a few have taken bold steps to redefine fairness in resale. In this section, we highlight one retailer—World of Books—whose model offers a compelling example of ethical second-hand bookselling.

World of Books: AuthorSHARE and True Stakeholder Inclusion

World of Books stands out for its commitment to sustainability and innovation—but what truly sets it apart is its AuthorSHARE program. Launched in partnership with the Society of Authors, AuthorSHARE was the first initiative in the UK to pay authors royalties on second-hand book sales. The program ran from 2021 to 2023.

Here’s how it worked: when a used book was sold through World of Books’ platform, participating authors received a small royalty—funded directly by the retailer. It was a voluntary program, but its impact was significant. It acknowledged that authors continue to generate value long after the first sale, and it built a resale model that included them as stakeholders.

This was more than a marketing gesture. It was a structural shift. By incorporating authors into the resale economy, World of Books challenged the long-standing norm that second-hand sales are inherently disconnected from creative labor. It was a rare example of ethical retail that didn’t just talk about fairness—it built it into the business model.

AuthorSHARE also signaled something broader: that ethical bookselling is possible at scale. World of Books is a major player in the UK’s used book market, and its decision to share revenue with authors set a precedent for others to follow.

Unfortunately, the program was funded with discretionary resources from the bookseller, and those funds were fully distributed by the end of 2023. This underscores a key lesson: to ensure that writer support is built into the fabric of a seller, the cost of that support must come from the reader. That’s how we create a sustainable ecosystem—one that supports authors not just occasionally, but consistently and long-term.

This is the model we’ve built at Author Advantage, and it’s how we plan to support writers for years to come.

Conclusion: Reframing Fairness in Bookselling

Fairness in bookselling isn’t a fixed destination—it’s a moving target shaped by values, choices, and the willingness to include those who make books possible. As we’ve seen, ethical retail isn’t just about offering low prices or reducing waste. It’s about recognizing that every book—new or used—carries the imprint of creative labor, and that labor deserves respect.

World of Books’ AuthorSHARE program showed us that it’s possible to include authors in the resale economy. Even though the program ended, it left behind a powerful blueprint: one where authors are treated as ongoing stakeholders, not just one-time contributors.

At Author Advantage, we’ve taken that blueprint and built it into our foundation. By ensuring that reader contributions directly support writers, we’re creating a model that’s not only sustainable—but fair by design. It’s a reminder that ethical bookselling isn’t just a business strategy. It’s a cultural choice.

As readers, we have the power to shape that culture. Every purchase is a vote for the kind of book economy we want to see—one that values creativity, community, and long-term impact. The future of fairness in bookselling starts with us.