Monetise the trusted space your bookshop has built
You’ve earned the loyalty of readers who trust your taste. ZOMZEY connects you with authors and publishers who want to reach them, you choose the books and features that fit your shop, and you get paid securely.
Every paid collaboration arranged through ZOMZEY should be clearly labelled as an ad, as explained in the Advertising Standards Authority’s guide to making clear that ads are ads.
Helpful guides: 100 ways independent bookshops earn more and how to get a book into bookshops. Curious what your space could earn? Try the free Earnings Estimator.
Your shop is a trusted space. Let's help it earn more.
An independent bookstore is so much more than shelves, it's a curated, trusted space readers come to for recommendations. That trust is genuinely valuable to authors and publishers, but turning it into reliable income beyond retail margin is hard. Author events take effort to organise, paid placements are an informal handshake at best, and there's no easy way for the right authors to find you. ZOMZEY changes that. Authors and publishers post real, paid opportunities, table features, window displays, events, staff-pick placements, and you simply choose the ones that fit your shop and your readers.
How it works for bookstores
It’s straightforward. Browse opportunities from authors and publishers wanting to reach your readers. See one that fits your shop? Make your offer and set your terms, a featured table, a window, an event, a staff pick. If they choose you, you deliver the placement, and you get paid securely through the platform. You stay in complete control, you only ever take on what suits your space, your readers and your values.
Charge for the space you already have
The window is the most valuable space in the shop, the front table is next, and a Saturday reading takes a member of staff. Authors want those things, and they can pay for them.
On ZOMZEY you list what you will do and what it costs. You see the title before you say yes, and you can always say no.
What to list
- Window, for a set number of days
- Front table, for a set number of days
- Featured title, clearly labelled as a promotion
- Reading or signing
- Mention in your local email newsletter
How you get paid
- Accept the offer.
- Do the work.
- Mark it complete.
- The payment is released through ZOMZEY Protected Payments, powered by PayPal and Stripe.
Keep the payment on ZOMZEY if you want the protection.
What you do not have to do
Stock a book you dislike, give the window to the first person who emails, or join a paid programme.
Questions bookshops ask
Do I have to stock every book that asks?
No. You only accept work you want.
Is there a joining fee?
No. A Hub account is free.
How do I get paid?
Through ZOMZEY Protected Payments when the deal completes.
Will this flood us with bad books?
No. You see the title before you say yes.
Can I charge for a staff pick?
No. Staff picks only work because customers trust them. Keep them unpaid, and label paid features as promotions.
For more ideas, read 100 ways an independent bookshop can earn more and download the free shop booklet template. Create a free Hub account, or see how authors use ZOMZEY.
What makes ZOMZEY different
On ZOMZEY, you’re valued for what you actually deliver, not how big your social following is. Every deal you complete builds your verified track record, and the stronger that record grows, the higher you rank and the more authors and publishers seek you out. It’s a visibility flywheel: do great work, get found for it, win more. Every Member is verified and every deal is secured through Protected Payments before you start, so you know it’s real. We built ZOMZEY so independent spaces get rewarded for the trust they’ve earned.
Who you'll work with
All kinds of Members come to ZOMZEY wanting to reach the readers who trust your shop.
Independent Authors
Authors wanting table features, window displays, signings and staff-pick placements for their books.
Small & Indie Publishers
Publishers wanting to get their list in front of engaged, browsing readers.
Local & Debut Authors
New voices wanting a launch event or a foothold with a trusted local audience.
Genre & Specialist Authors
Authors in specific genres seeking shops whose readers love their space.
Children's & YA Authors
Authors and publishers wanting features, events and displays for young readers and families.
Self-Published Authors
Indie authors wanting credible physical placement they can't easily arrange alone.
Showcase your shop, and we'll help it shine
On ZOMZEY, your profile is your shopfront to the authors and publishers looking for spaces like yours, so we'll help you build a strong one. ZAi helps you present your shop, describe your readers and footfall, present your rates with confidence, and pull your best features and events into a showcase. Every deal you deliver adds to your verified track record automatically, the proof that you deliver, which lifts your ranking and brings more Members to you. Showcase your shop to be searched and found by the authors who'd love to be on your shelves.
Ready to earn from the trusted space you've built?
Sign up free as a Hub, build your profile with ZAi's help, and start choosing the opportunities that fit your shop. Free to join, and you stay in control.
Your bookshop on ZOMZEY: your questions
Is ZOMZEY free for a bookshop?
Yes. A bookshop joins free as a Hub, is listed in Discover free and pays commission only when a paid placement completes. Shops and Communities Pro is optional and lowers the commission once you are trading regularly; the pricing page lists every figure, and there is no listing fee and no charge for being found.
How is a bookshop paid on ZOMZEY?
The author or publisher funds the deal under Protected Payments before the window, table or event happens. You deliver it, upload dated evidence such as a photograph of the display or the signing, and the payment is released to your payout method once the Member approves it within the review window. No invoicing, no chasing.
Does a bookshop need to label paid placements?
Yes. A paid window, a paid table or a sponsored staff pick is a promotion and should be labelled as one where customers see it, and a bookseller’s own recommendation should never be bought. The ASA and CMA guidance linked above explains what counts, and consumer law prohibits presenting paid promotion as independent opinion.
What should a bookshop charge?
Price by footfall, position and time: a window for a fortnight, a front table for a week, a signing evening with a room and promotion, a bag insert, a newsletter feature or a book of the month slot, each with a clear description and a price on your rate card. The free Earnings Estimator gives a bookshop a starting range, and the guide to 100 ways a bookshop can earn more lists the packages that sell.
What evidence does a bookshop upload?
Dated photographs of the window, table or event, the attendance or sales figures the offer promised, and a copy of any newsletter or social post that carried the feature. Evidence lives on the deal page, so approval is against what you both agreed rather than from memory.
How does a bookshop attract the right authors and publishers?
Describe your readers and your location honestly, show past displays and events in your showcase, connect your accounts so your figures are validated, and keep your rate card current. Every completed deal adds a review and lifts your Star tier, which is what authors and publishers compare when they choose a bookshop to work with.
Can a bookshop keep control of what it stocks and recommends?
Yes. Paid promotion is for space, time and audience, never for stocking or for praise. You take on what fits your shop and your readers, you set the terms, and you can decline anything that does not belong. ZOMZEY records the agreement and protects the payment; the curation stays yours.
In short, a bookshop earns on ZOMZEY by selling the space, events and audience it already has, with the payment protected until the promotion has happened. ZOMZEY brings the authors and publishers to you and keeps the record.
Get a service or give a service
Independent bookshops are one way into ZOMZEY, and the platform is open to everyone. Authors, brands, local businesses and creators can all book the services you list.
More questions
Can brands and local businesses book us as well as authors?
Yes. Any member can send an offer for a service you list.
Can we take payment outside ZOMZEY?
Keep payment on ZOMZEY. Deals paid outside the platform are not covered by Protected Payments.
Discover More On Zomzey
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