IndieBound Reader™ is created by the American Booksellers Association, the national trade association representing independent bookstores throughout the U.S, and Bluefire Productions, an independent software company in Seattle, WA. This app was created to give book lovers a choice to read ebooks while supporting their local, independent bookstores.

IndieBound is a community-based local first movement begun by the ABA. It brings together booksellers, readers, indie retailers, local business alliances, and anyone else with a passionate belief that healthy local economies help communities thrive. Successful local, indie businesses help dollars, jobs, diversity, choice, and taxes stay local, creating strong, unique communities and happy citizens.

Google eBooks™

Google eBooks are cloud-based, digital books that allow readers to access their libraries on almost any device from one single repository.

Independent bookstores have partnered with Google because of its open and accessible platform, so indies can provide an easy way for their customers to discover, read, and buy ebooks at while supporting local business. Google eBooks are sold directly through independent bookstore websites, accessed through the IndieBound Reader app (see How to Buy).

Google is offering hundreds of thousands of titles for sale, ranging from new releases and bestsellers in every category to classics in the public domain.

Once you link your Google Account to the indie bookstore of your choice, any Google eBook you’ve purchased, from any provider, will be accessible from Download My eBooks page.

How to Buy

From the IndieBound Reader welcome screen, choose your indie bookstore. This store will be your default store for purchasing Google eBooks. You can search for bookstores by name or zip code.

Once you've chosen your store, log in with your Google Account, and you’ll be directed to the store’s website. Then search, browse and buy ebooks directly from your store.

To shop for more ebooks or download your purchases into this reader, tap the Get Books tab to go back to your store.

How to read

Tap the Library button in the Main Toolbar to view a list of the items that have been added to your IndieBound Reader. There are two views within Library: the Covers View and the List View. The Library can be sorted by tapping on the sort buttons at the top of the screen. There are three sort orders: most-recently read books, author name, and item title.

Tapping on a cover image or book title in the library opens a book for reading. Swipe left or right to navigate between pages.

Bookmarks and notes

You can make bookmarks and take notes in the IndieBound Reader. When the screen is tapped, a title bar appears at the top with a Bookmark button to the right. When the Bookmark button is pressed, a Notes screen appears. Take a note on the page you have selected, or leave the field blank to bookmark the page. To bookmark or note a specific piece of text, press and hold on a word to select it, then drag the selection to encompass a range of text.

Deleting a book

To delete a book from the Library, open the book, choose the Info screen, and press the Delete button. The info screen can also be accessed from the Library when in List view, by clicking the circular button to the right of any book. Additionally, the Edit button in the upper right-hand corner (with an image of a pencil) allows the customer to delete several books at once.

Please note that the book will be deleted from the device, but not your Google Account. Any Google eBook can always be re-downloaded or accessed from the Download My eBooks link on the storefront page.

To view additional information about a book, tap on the blue, circular button to the right of the item in the List View of your Library.

Changing default store settings

To change the store you’ve chosen as your default and choose another independent bookstore, press the Choose Another Bookstore button from your chosen storefront.

Changing Google Accounts

To switch Google Accounts, select the Info button from the Main Toolbar. On the Info Screen, press the Logout button. This logs your Google Account out of the application entirely. You will then be returned to the Welcome screen, where you can choose another store and log in again.