If you are anything like me, you want to do as much of your shopping online as possible. With Christmas fast approaching and lots of gifts to buy, shopping online and comparing prices seems like part of my everyday life.

Most people’s go-to site when looking to buy a book online is Amazon. Fair enough, they’re a juggernaut of a retailer and sell an awful lot of different products. This does give the added yule time advantage of being able to buy a cosy crime novel for Auntie Sue, a slow cooker for Nana and a PlayStation game for little Toby all in one order.

But…

If it is JUST books you are after then you should broaden your horizons, my book-loving friends. There are some fantastic online booksellers out there that are often cheaper than Amazon and some even throw in FREE WORLDWIDE DELIVERY. This is brilliant for people like me who have friends and relatives to send gifts to in LA, New York, Bali, Hong Kong, Australia and Sweden.

(Note to self-published authors, if you are distributing your paperback/hardback through IngramSpark then your title should be available at all of the below Amazon alternatives.)

Wordery

I have purchased books from here in the past because they were available for next day delivery where Amazon’s fastest option was 5-7 days. I needed the book next day! If you have left things to the last minute or need something for a tight deadline, it is always worth shopping around. They also offer free worldwide delivery!

Abe Books

Abe is an online hub for some fantastic new and used offerings from independent sellers across the globe. They stock all of the new titles you would expect, but also have some really quirky items that would make a fantastic gift such as first editions, signed copies and rarer collectibles.

Hive

This is the ideal way to support your local bookshop whilst also having access to almost any book that is currently in print. You order online, chose delivery or local bookshop collection and then nominate the local bookshop you would like to support! It’s easy and it gives you that nice, warm Christmassy feeling inside that you are helping out your local high street.

Alibris

In a similar vein to Hive and Abe, Alibris is an online marketplace for independent sellers worldwide, with the addition of music and movies making it slightly more of a one-stop-shop for all your entertainment pressies this festive season. It is easy to browse by category and they have a great blog, which highlights some lesser-know titles.

 

Happy book shopping! If you know of any other great places to buy books online, please share in the comments box below.