The Indie Bookstore Myth: On Hypocrisy, Moralized Consumption, and Who Actually Supports Writers

In this episode, I examine a cultural assumption that rarely gets challenged: the idea that independent bookstores are inherently more ethical, more supportive, and more virtuous than large retailers simply by virtue of being smaller.

As an independent novelist who has handled every part of my own career — production, publishing, financing, marketing, and distribution — I reflect on my lived experiences with indie bookstores, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon. While some independent bookstores have supported me generously and authentically (and I continue to support them in return), many others loudly champion “support indie” rhetoric while primarily stocking from the same major publishers as big-box retailers and remaining deeply resistant to independent authors.

This episode challenges the moralization of where we spend our money, critiques the myth that small businesses are automatically ethical, and argues for a more honest, reciprocal approach to supporting writers and culture. Support should be earned through action, not granted by slogans — and no business, large or small, should be exempt from scrutiny.