# Bookshop.org UK: affiliate 'further reading' links now, ebook listing later

Date: 26 Oct 2026 (skills harvest 21:23). Type: e-book distribution + affiliate income. Status for Cedwyn: affiliate sign-up and listing are PROPOSALS (new channel).

## Facts (read unless marked)
- Bookshop.org began **UK ebook sales on 1 Oct 2025** (Publishers Weekly, The Guardian 30 Sep 2025): 1M+ titles at launch, same prices as elsewhere, read in browser or the free iOS/Android apps; **the chosen indie shop keeps 100% of the profit**; unassigned orders go to a shared pool for all shops. In the US, ebooks reached **5% of Bookshop's sales** within the first year (CEO in PW). Audiobooks planned for 2026.
- **Draft2Digital partnership (Feb 2026)**: self-published ebooks reach Bookshop.org's ebook platform by opting in on the D2D dashboard (D2D press release, Publishing Perspectives). Whether D2D titles show on **uk.bookshop.org** as well as the US site: not checked.
- D2D is **no longer free**: from 15 Apr 2026 a $20 one-time activation fee plus $12/yr for low earners (see free-epub-storefronts-kobo-itch-books2read.md). Under our zero-spend rule this is a paid route.
- **Affiliate programme (free)**: 10% of each sale you send, free to join (uk.bookshop.org affiliate page, snippet only; page blocked to our fetch). Shop-affiliates get 30%. Cookie window and payout threshold: not checked.
- Each shop has its own page/link; a creator can build public **lists** and link to them.

## Playbook
1. Join the affiliate programme with the site's public identity (no personal name on the public profile).
2. Build 1-3 lists of real, in-print books that readers of our pages will want: Welsh local history, the Vale and Penarth, Welsh Patagonia (Spanish and English titles).
3. Link lists from the bottom of matching pages as 'Further reading', with UTM on our side and the affiliate link on theirs; one line of disclosure ('we earn a small commission').
4. If a nearby indie shop is on Bookshop.org, point lists at that shop so the local shop also earns (good story for local press and library talks).
5. Track monthly: clicks (our UTM), affiliate sales from the Bookshop dashboard; drop lists with zero clicks after 3 months.
6. Ebook listing gate: only when (a) the owner approves the D2D fee, (b) D2D's UK reach is checked, (c) the direct shop still stays the cheapest/primary buy path.

## Honest expectations
- At 10% on GBP 10-20 print books, income is pennies per sale; the value is credibility (being linked with real books and indie shops) and a natural reason for librarians, societies and shops to link back. Treat it as goodwill + linkability, not revenue.

## How we apply it to Cedwyn
- PROPOSAL 1 (owner GO, new channel): affiliate account + one 'Further reading: Vale of Glamorgan and Welsh history' list linked from /ebooks/ and the story pages. Our own e-books stay first on every page; affiliate block below.
- PROPOSAL 2 (later, owner GO + fee): opt our EPUBs into Bookshop.org via D2D once the fee is approved and UK availability is checked; send buyers to a Cardiff/Vale indie shop page.
- No spend, no commit to the cedwyn repo from this run; list content drafts can sit in the project workspace for review.

## Sources
- publishersweekly.com (read)
- theguardian.com (read)
- draft2digital.com (read)
- publishingperspectives.com (snippet)
- uk.bookshop.org (snippet; page blocked)