Why indie bookshops and indie authors need to work together

Amazon is one of those habits that's hard to kick. When I need eight-hour tealights with next-day delivery or a copy of some buzzy new book, it's where I turn, knowing every two weeks I'll complain about 'all the bloody cardboard' while hauling the recycling kerbside.

I want to be the kind of person who supports local bookstores, despite the fact that my nearest is an eight-mile contraflow drive past roadworks that show no sign of ever ending. When a shop posts that it needs to sell just eight more books to keep the lights on for another week, I click through, determined to pledge support by buying from anywhere but Amazon.

First thing I check is: do they stock my book? Because there's no excuse not to list it on their site, even if limited shelf space precludes stocking a sale-or-return copy. It's available through Gardners, and three weeks back, I signed and sold a dozen copies at a local bookstore.