IndieBound
Support Our Local Businesses

The American Booksellers Association launched Book Sense in 1999 to bring publishers, authors, bookstores, and passionate readers together. By spotlight-ing the best books, the best booksellers and the best bookstores, Book Sense built a devoted circle of literature lovers with a fiercely independent streak. Book Sense fans and participants knew that independent booksellers provided individual experiences, helping customers find the book for them, not just the flavor of the month.

The ABA has recently taken Book Sense in a new and broader direction, chang-ing the name to IndieBound, with the purpose of enlightening consumers to the benefits of all independent, community-oriented businesses, not just bookstores.

The Well Red Coyote has been a Book Sense bookstore since opening its doors in April 2005 and is a proud member of IndieBound. And, as such, I have a favor to ask.

Sedona businesses have had a tough past couple of years, with a slowing na-tional economy and shrinking tourist trade, made much worse by the extent and duration of road construction throughout the area.

Merchants in Uptown barely survived (several did not) the so-called improve-ments in that area, only to have to deal with the de-construction of the “Y,” a still unfinished project. The “Y” mess has had a severe negative impact not only on businesses in the immediate area but on many along Highway 179 and West Highway 89A. And, merchants in the Village of Oak Creek are just now emerg-ing from their own multiple round-about nightmares.

I’m not trying to state the obvious here. Rather, I’m asking you to support our lo-cal business by shopping locally whenever possible. Not only do our local, inde-pendent businesses help give Sedona its unique personality for residents and tourists alike to enjoy, they also pay sales taxes to the city – a primary source of revenue – and create local jobs for local folks.

Online retailers contribute absolutely nothing to the City of Sedona. Most do not pay any sales taxes and none employ anyone locally. Amazon.com doesn’t sponsor any local book signings nor does it support local authors.

Sedona’s charm is that it is an exception to the uniformity of our 21st Century so-ciety, an exception to the fact that a dangerously large number of consumers ei-ther want every shopping district in every city to look exactly the same, or want to be able to shop instantly with the click of a mouse, or both.

Unfortunately, Sedona’s charm and uniqueness are also sometimes limiting in the choices that local businesses are able to provide for local consumers. As small businesses, we just cannot provide the seemingly limitless shopping choices available on the Internet.

Before you click that “checkout now” button on your computer screen, why don’t you at least give a local business the opportunity to get those same products for you. If they cannot or will not, then fine, shop where you must to get what you want.

The Well Red Coyote is IndieBound. I hope you are, too.