Where do I go without Book Depository?
Vale Book Depository
It was quite heartbreaking to read yesterday of Book Depository‘s closure. I have been a loyal customer since they opened in the mid 2000s, and the arrival of their little brown packages was a fixture in my household across three different countries. Back when they were founded, their motto was to make “All Books Available to All” – and for those of us living outside the US and the UK their wide selection, affordability and free shipping really did make that dream happen.
But I’m writing this post not just to lament their passing (and send my condolences to the wonderful team who worked there and made my life so much brighter over the past 20 years or so), but to provide some advice to others who have woken up today alarmed to discover they won’t be able to finish UK or US series they have invested in, or indeed source books in English at all in their country.
What are the best alternatives to Book Depository?
Free shipping, great customer service and global accessibility are key aspects of bookshops and Book Depository was hard to beat. But I have plenty of experience with buying books from other online retailers that I want to share with you here, to help you fill that void in your hearts and shelves. Here are what I think are some of your best options (and to reassure you, I use all of these services myself so these recommendations are based on genuine experiences). There are a few others suggested in the comments, but I may not have used them, particularly if they have only limited delivery spheres.
Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links for which I may be compensated (this does not affect my reviews nor cost you any money). I deeply appreciate your support of my site hosting costs if you use these links, but warmly encourage you to buy from your local Indie bookshop if you have the opportunity.
Blackwells is a sort-of independent UK bookseller (it was recently bought by Waterstones but maintains its own separate website and shipping policies). This option is probably going to be the best replacement for most people – it has an enormous selection, shipping is “free” (well, like Book Depository, shipping is rolled into the book purchase price and will change depending from where you are accessing the site, but the prices are very similar to Book Depository), VAT is included in their prices (so no extra customs charges for EU customers), they have excellent preorder discounts, and they service a huge number of the countries, including those in Latin America and SE Asia that can’t access Amazon. They sell both US and UK editions, so you can collect all your series in the format you please.
Two bonuses – some of their shipments are tracked, and they also have an interesting selection of signed books. My only problem with them has been that if you make a preorder and have to update your payment mechanism (a renewed credit card, for example) they are unable to process this and will simply cancel your order, which is pretty annoying if you had locked in early to get a preorder discount. Books are dispatched within 1-3 days, and my parcels usually take two or three weeks to get to Australia and are packed in cardboard envelopes similar to Book Depository style. Customer service are quick to respond.
*European destinations include Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
Waterstones is a large British book retailer (big enough that it bought US chain Barnes & Noble in 2019). It has an enormous selection and also lots of special editions* with fancy features like author signatures and decorative page edges which are lovely.
International shipping can be brutal for one or two books (£9 first book to Western Europe and £12.50 first book for the rest of the world), but after this each additional book adds only £1 to the shipping total and so the cost amortises out to be very reasonable if you buy in bulk or can share an order with a friend. This even holds true if your order includes preorders releasing at different times – these are shipped out as they release – so no waiting for books even though you have saved on bulk shipping, which is extremely helpful. Shipping is tracked, too, so you always know where the books are.
My parcels usually take a week or two to get to Australia, and are packed in cardboard boxes, Book Depository style. If there’s a problem, customer service can be a bit slow to respond (some people have more luck chatting via social media), but they’ve always made things right for me. They typically only stock UK editions though.
Awesome Books have an excellent premise, as they originally started life to rescue good quality books that charity shops were throwing away due to limited storage space. I have bought many second-hand books here – usually they are in great shape, although sometimes you can be unlucky and get one without a dust jacket, or some writing inside. Another UK based site, they sell worldwide and also sell new books.
Orders are tracked, and they have offered a discount coupon code for new customers who would like to check them out: use Awesome20 to get 20% off your first order, and this applies to both used and new books.
Duties and customs are paid in advance when you purchase, and if you have issues (which can still sometimes crop up in Europe) their customer service team resolves these directly with the mail carriers and you don’t have pay anything. My parcels take a couple of weeks to get to Australia, and typically come in a bubble-wrapped bag.
Shipping destinations include Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Barbados, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Vatican City, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Moldova, Republic Of, Monaco, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Virgin Islands (U.S.), Isle Of Man, Guernsey, Jersey.
Wordery is another UK bookstore to consider that may be available to some. They are wholly an online bookstore, and stock both UK and US editions (but I should note, they were also bought by the owners of Waterstones in 2020, even though they are maintained as a separate business).
However, I share two* reservations: (1) I find they don’t usually have preorders available much in advance, which is annoying because the preorder discount is often how I save money for books I know I want, and (2) they appear to have a geoblock in place that shows books are out of stock for some locations, when really they just aren’t shipping there. They have shipped reliably to me here in Australia and have a wide range of books, but hidden geoblocks are sneaky and not okay in my opinion. (* this used to be one, but I updated it to add the geoblocking update based on comments from readers). Shipping speed is a bit average and customer service can be slow, but if they do ship to your location they’re a viable option.
Shipping destinations include Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guernsey, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Japan, Jersey, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States.
BetterWorldBooks is an American online bookstore which sells both used and new books. The bulk of their used books are library discards. They offer ‘free’ shipping to most countries – essentially these are just the US prices with shipping rolled in and it is sometimes not too bad but other times outrageous – so you really need to check on a book-by-book basis. They are owned by Better World Libraries, a not-for-profit associated with the Internet Archive, and every book you buy contributes towards donating books to various charities, which is a lovely bonus.
Books usually make it to me within a few weeks. For used books, sometimes they do a great job of noting when books are ex-library, other times not so much – my experience has been a bit of a mixed bag in this regard. They do sell new books with free shipping, but I don’t find them all that cheap.
Abe Books is my go-to for used books, but they do also offer new books. Abes is a marketplace of sellers, and some offer free shipping while others do not. So it’s worth checking out, but again it offers varying value so I suggest looking on a book-by-book basis here as well.
And there’s always Amazon, of course. If you’re looking for UK editions go to Amazon.co.uk, or for US editions visit Amazon.com. Where possible, I have the links on my site set up to go to your local Amazon store by finding direct ISBN correlations only (so if the specific edition I’m talking about is only available at one location, that’s where it will take you).
Can I still buy from Book Depository?
- Can I still order? If you’re reading this article early enough and you want to stock up on already published books to finish a series, or build you library before they close, you can still place orders at Book Depository until midday (12pm BST) on 26 April 2023. After 26 April 2023, they will no longer accept new orders.
- What about my preorders? If you placed a preorder that will release before 26 April 2023 then it would still be sent out. If your preorder releases after that date, then they will refund your money. (I had preorders out until 2024!)
- Will I lose my wishlist? If you have an account with Book Depository, go and visit your wish list page and you will see a button to download them. Be quick, they are still accessible even though the website shop closed on 26 April, but it’s unclear how long before they disappeare.
What about the links on this site?
I had literally thousands of links to Book Depository on this site to help you find books, which I am working on updating as they stop working from 26 April. It’s going to take quite some time as I do it all manually, so apologies in advance for any delays in this. ☹
Why did Book Depository Close?
Book Depository officially closed on 26 April 2023, creating much shock to the customers that have loved using them for years. So, Amazon quietly bought Book Depository in 2011, and thus it was their decision to close Book Depository. Amazon announced earlier in the year that they had decided to “eliminate” a number of positions across their Devices and Books businesses due to the “uncertain economy”, and Book Depository seems to be part of the fallout. (And as much as I shed actual tears when I read about its closure, Amazon will be making over 18,000 people redundant, so that does put losing a bookstore back into perspective.)
None of your alternative suggestions ship to my country, what can I do?
I think the alternative solutions should cover most destinations, but if you were previously ordering from Book Depository and none of Blackwells, Waterstones or Wordery ship to your country, drop me a line and I’ll see if I can help you find a solution. But do please check these three out first, because I have ordered many times from all of them so I know I can recommend them.
32 Comments
Amalina · 14 June 2023 at 11:37 pm
I live in East Malaysia and sometimes it is hard to find newly published books locally and shipping fees within Malaysia can be exorbitant. So sad that BD is closed.
Daisy · 18 June 2023 at 3:42 pm
I know, it’s so disappointing:(
Sara · 5 June 2023 at 2:20 am
Sadly Blackwell no longer deliver to my country (Indonesia). It’s so hard to buy more niche books here, since local store also can’t accept special preorders T_T
Daisy · 5 June 2023 at 7:48 am
Hi Sara – BetterWorldBooks delivers to Indonesia, so that might help with US editions at least. I’ll still keep an eye out for UK options though, maybe someone will rise up to fill the gap!
Georgia · 2 June 2023 at 7:41 pm
Despite the ongoing assault of the online megacorps listed above, there are still many small bricks & mortar bookshops battling to service their local communities. They need your support & you have the opportunity to develop a genuine human relationship that will prove far more rewarding than scrolling & clicking.
As for Book Depository, they used their tax haven locale to white-ant the entire industry & drive thousands of small bookshops out of business. Now its been wound up because Amazon doesn’t find it profitable enough. They’ll do the same with abebooks soon…
Daisy · 2 June 2023 at 8:09 pm
Yes, I completely agree we should all support our local independent bookshops! This post was more for those of us who unfortunately don’t have access to them (both of mine unfortunately closed several years ago), or who are trying to source international editions that are difficult to find locally. And yes, recommendations from local booksellers are far more valuable than the AI ones produced by the online behemoths!
Dx
Asif Mushtaq · 22 May 2023 at 8:38 am
Hi all, can anyone guide me, please?
As an author ( One-pack to Six-packs), my book is available in English-speaking countries and India through Amazon; how can I make my book open to the Middle East and the rest of the World?
Thanks
Gorazd Tratnik · 27 April 2023 at 5:02 am
Amazon – big business, big profits, never mind persons needs.
Shame!
Draxon · 23 April 2023 at 8:49 pm
I’m still so upset that BR is closing.. i just cannot find a website that has the same range, price and function . So gutted, and will be so sad for years to come.. 8..(
Jane · 17 April 2023 at 1:28 am
Oh, it was a sad, sad day when I received the email from Book Depository notifying me of their impending closure. My relationship with this wonderful company coincided with my discovery of Coralie Bickford-Smith’s book designs. Living in the United States, Book Depository has been my go-to for my book hunting and gathering since 2008.
Looking over my wishlist every morning as I drink my tea is my meditation time. It is like tending a garden. My purchases are not prolific, which makes me appreciate it just that much more when a Book Depository package arrives. In all those years, I have only had one mistake on an order, and that was just last month. And the bookmarks…I have kept them all.
I have tried Blackwell’s a number of times because their prices were competitive and FREE SHIPPING. However, I have so often received a book that was dinged on the corner or not as pristine as I would like, being a collector. They took a very small percentage off the book but wouldn’t reship. The shipping at Waterstone’s is cost prohibitive, but their exclusive editions and amazing sprayed edge books keep me hooked.
I am so very thankful that I found your site, Daisy, on my collecting journey. Your links and descriptions have steered me toward some new sets I definitely would not have found on my own. Thank you for creating this post, as I knew I would not be alone in mourning the closure of this wonderful book purveyor
Lina · 16 April 2023 at 2:15 am
Any idea whats is going to happen with their current books? Are they going to sell them somewhere else?
Draxon · 23 April 2023 at 8:43 pm
Amazon 🙁
Alex R · 13 April 2023 at 4:02 pm
Thanks for this great information, Daisy. I’ve tried to download my Book Depository wishlists using the feature you mention but have so far not had any success. Wondering if anyone else has had any luck with this. I have contacted Book Depository regarding this… Will post an update here if I get a resolution.
Daisy · 14 April 2023 at 6:35 am
Hi Alex – I was able to download mine (although to be very specific, clicking the download button opened up a webpage with all my wishlists and books in a table which I then copied and pasted into a spreadsheet). I have just checked now and it is still working for me, so I hope BD are able to resolve your issue quickly!
Dx
Alex R · 14 April 2023 at 8:25 am
Hmm… Good to know that if works for some. Thanks for the reply, Daisy.
Alex · 13 April 2023 at 4:38 am
If you’re located in India or have an audience there, I found this great Indie store called Pageaters (https://pageaters.com). My friend brought me a book from their store when the came visit. I was completly blown away by their quality! Hope they expand soon. Hopefully worldwide, right now they’re only in India.
Daisy · 13 April 2023 at 11:12 am
Thanks for sharing Alex!
Dx
Bel · 12 May 2023 at 6:58 pm
I will try some of your recommendations 🙂
Living in Australia, I have used Booktopia since Amazon (who I don’t shop with) took over BD. They are excellent (often have free shipping codes, have reasonably quick shipping, and are consistently one of the cheapest on booko.com.au) for popular books, kids books, and new releases, and their ‘in stock with supplier’ list is pretty extensive.
But I’ve found expensive hardbacks tend to come with small nicks and scratches, or dented corners, or other small defects. Which is fine in a book I’m going to read once, but If I’m paying overs for a top quality edition I want it to be pristine.
ariel · 10 April 2023 at 7:44 am
i dont know any alternative to book depository that has such a wide range of books’ let alone one with free shipping. most alternatives either doesn’t have a wide range or they don’t ship to my country or the delivery costs a fortune… btw there is something wrong with the wordery site, i just checked it out and none of the books are available everything is out of stock
Daisy · 10 April 2023 at 7:56 am
Thanks for taking the time to comment, and yes there isn’t anywhere as good as Book Depository yet, but I hope something will eventually come to fill the gap. I just checked Wordery and most of the books were in stock so I’m wondering if there is a geo-block (in which case I’ll remove it from the list)? Can you let me know which country you are accessing it from so I can investigate further? Dx
Dora · 25 April 2023 at 10:28 pm
Yes, it must be a geo-block since literally on every book I clicked was saying “Sorry, this is currently unavailable.”
Selena · 9 April 2023 at 11:57 pm
Thanks a lot for your help, I am french and the closure of Book depository make me sad and Desperate to find another online library available in France and for good Price. Blackwells seams to be good but I’m looking for grandmaster of demonic cultivation 5 spécial édition and it’s no more in stock. I don’t trust amazon for pré orders of danmei Books, it don’t works. So I want to be sure that I will get it no matter what happen. Do you have Anny other Idea for me?
Sorry, my english is not verry good…
You’re my last Hope
Tom · 7 April 2023 at 12:47 pm
Daisy – thank you for this very useful info. I think Amazon has been allowed to become too powerful and dominant in the market. Buying up rivals and then shutting them down is classic monopolistic behaviour. I read that there is a new (2018) online bookstore made up of a large network of US and UK and Spanish indies – bookshop.org. Don’t think this is in Australia yet, but hoping.
Daisy · 7 April 2023 at 6:39 pm
Thanks Tom – yes, it’s absolutely a monopoly 😒
I think bookshop.org is a great idea – and I always recommend supporting indies if you can!
Unfortunately, as you say, it’s not well set up for an international audience yet – the US store only ships to US addresses, the UK one only to UK addresses etc. Hopefully one day this will be solved…
noa · 10 April 2023 at 7:33 am
idk why’ i just checked out wordery which i didnt know before, but all the books are “currently unavailable” i mean i get that a few books are out of stock but there is not even 1 book available? wth is wrong with this site?
Daisy · 10 April 2023 at 7:55 am
Thanks for taking the time to comment. I just checked Wordery and most of the books were in stock so now I’m wondering if there is a geo-block (in which case I’ll remove it from the list)? Can you let me know which country you are accessing it from so I can investigate further? Dx
Noa · 10 April 2023 at 8:06 am
I’m from Israel and I guess you’re right it’s probably geo-restrictions.
I mean it says free shipping worldwide but I guess if you
don’t offer anything for sale than you don’t have to ship it…
Anyway thanks a lot for all your efforts and hard work that you do for us.
Btw I tried to reply by email so that I can attach photos of the site but I’m not sure if you’re receiving them so I’m replying here as well
Daisy · 13 April 2023 at 11:15 am
Thanks Noa. I checked the books you sent through as showing out of stock, and they were in stock and shippable to me in Australia. So it looks like a hidden geoblock is in place – I’ll update the list and remove my recommendation because this is sneaky and poor practice in my opinion!
Shannon · 7 April 2023 at 6:39 am
AbeBooks.com will ship to most countries. Aus/NZ have their own website.
BetterWorldBooks.com
Book Outlet – US and Canada, Europe, Hong Kong, Singapore, Israel, and Japan. Around 60 different countries. Exclusions: China, Russia, India, and Australia/NZ. The estimated delivery time for international orders is 1-7 week.
Daisy · 7 April 2023 at 10:17 am
Thanks Shannon!
Ralbert Garcia Borja · 8 April 2023 at 10:29 pm
But how about free delivery world wide and discounts? No one else is a good a BD.
Daisy · 10 April 2023 at 7:58 am
I know, nowhere is quite as good globally as Book Depository, but I’ll keep updating here as I find alternatives! Dx