Bans Off Our Books + Our Bodies Campaign & Other Collaborative Efforts

We, the members of the book industry, condemn the actions of local, state, and national governments in banning books, bodies, boycotts, and the other infringements they have enacted upon an individual’s right to make their own choices.

Our linked website highlights the collective and individual efforts of those in the book community to raise money for organizations protecting human rights and civil liberties. Novel Models have also collaborated on author events, book clubs, marketing campaigns, book drives, fundraisers, and more. See more about our collaborative efforts at the link below.

If you would like your store’s Bans Off effort added to our main campaign page, please email hello@novelmodels.org.

What is a Novel Model?

Novel Models include, but are not limited to, pop-up stores, niche markets, mobile stores, stores with multiple boutique locations, micro spaces, co-ops, employee-owned, nonprofits, online-only, events-only, traditional brick-and-mortar locations with novel aspects, etc. We are largely owned/operated by and/or intentionally employ people from traditionally underrepresented groups.

Our Mission

We work to build a more equitable and inclusive book industry by empowering, promoting, educating, celebrating, and advocating for novel models of bookselling and by providing a space where these booksellers can be in community.

We offer a benefit-based solution for novel model stores to provide them with the resources and financial support to help them operate successfully and reach their goals.

Our group is founded by owners of novel model bookstores who are members of the BIPOC, queer, disabled, neurodivergent, immigrant, socio-economically disadvantaged, and religious minority communities.

Our Vision

We envision an equitable book industry where all models of bookselling are accepted as credible, supported as relevant, celebrated as uniquely worthy, and provided with the opportunity to be sustainable businesses culturally, economically, and environmentally.

Novel models are where innovative and revolutionary bookselling lies, yet the support structure is simply not there for these trailblazers, nor is there often even acknowledgement of their contributions to their communities and to the book industry.

If we really want to build a more equitable and inclusive book industry, we need to empower novel models.

Learn more about Novel Models