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The only thing better than getting sucked into a good book? Knowing that book has done a bit of good.
With Libro.fm, the audiobook platform for independent bookshops, authors Ann Patchett, Jason Reynolds, and Eric La Salle are making that possible.
Between January 23 and 25, 100% of what customers pay for a selection of these authors’ titles will be donated to the Book Industry Charitable Foundation, or Binc.
Binc is the only nonprofit in the country dedicated to assisting booksellers and comic retailers in need.
The titles that are part of this fundraising campaign are:
- “Tom Lake” by Ann Patchett
- “Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You” by Jason Reynolds
- “Laws of Annihilation” by Eriq La Salle
The entire percentage of each of these title’s audiobook list price, which is what shoppers pay for an audiobook, will be donated to Binc.
This fundraiser, which is aptly called “Audiobooks for Binc” is made possible by Libro.fm, bookshops, the books’ authors, and publishers foregoing royalties and profits.
“I really value the important roles that book and comic stores play in every community; they’re essential,” La Salle said in a video for the campaign. “And so are the people who work [in] and own these stores.”
As major corporations like Amazon reinvent the bookselling landscape, especially through digital formats like Audible, Libro.fm uplifts small, independent booksellers and provides readers with an ethical Amazon alternative.
Libro.fm is also a Social Purpose Corporation, meaning the company is operated with the “long-term interest of booksellers in mind.”
This partnership with Binc is just one piece of that puzzle.
“We are grateful to Libro.fm for their continued generosity and commitment to Binc and booksellers over the last 10 years,” Pam French, Binc’s executive director, said in a press release.
“This new promotion with authors and publishers that they’ve launched in support of Binc is a win for everyone involved, and we’re excited for listeners to be introduced to the work of these talented authors.”
The work that will be supported through this initiative are Binc’s charitable programs, which provide assistance to employees and shop owners who have a financial need from severe hardship or emergency circumstances.
“Binc supports the bookstores, which means that Binc supports safe havens in our community,” Reynolds said in a video. “Binc supports hot spots for resources and information for our neighborhoods. Binc supports cabinets of imagination for our young people.”
According to Binc’s website, the organization has provided over $11 million in assistance and scholarships to more than 10,000 families since its inception.
“It’s a new year, and I bet everything is going to be perfect. Every single day for every single one of us,” Patchett said in a video. “But if it’s not, and you work in a bookstore or comic book store, you might need to rely on the help of Binc. And Binc is going to be there for you.”
Header image courtesy of Libro.fm
The fundraiser promotion runs January 23-25
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