The store specialises in romance and romantasy, stocking books from traditional publishers alongside titles written and published independently.
For self-published authors, owner Lauren Allan says getting a book onto a physical shelf can provide something that’s difficult to achieve online: discovery by new readers.
“We hope to grow a whole new community of book readers” Allan says.
“It’s huge for our independent authors, it’s such a great way to put it out there for everyone else who might not normally see these books.
“Social media is what they rely on to get their books out there, but by having them in the store, they are able to have them front and centre in people’s faces.”
Romance and romantasy have developed a passionate community of readers, especially online, where independently published authors have been able to build audiences through platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.
However, having an audience online does not always translate into having a physical presence in bookstores.
Without the distribution networks available to traditionally published authors, independent writers can face additional challenges getting their books onto physical shelves.
Independent author Nicole Bazley said having her work stocked at To Be Read gave her another way to reach readers.
“It’s actually incredible, because as an independent author, I can’t get into the big bookstores – they will only stock traditionally published books.
“For us to have a smaller bookstore like To Be Read that take a chance on us, we wouldn’t have as big of a platform to be able to get our books in front of readers.”
Bazley will host her upcoming launch of The Right of Him is Wrong at To Be Read on October 4.
For fantasy author Alicia Dingley, having an independent-friendly bookstore closer to home also makes promoting her work easier.
“It’s awesome to have a bookstore local to me that stocks indie books, I usually have a long drive ahead of me to promote my books at book events.”
During the opening, Dingley was signing copies of her latest book, The Knucker King.
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For the independent authors attending To Be Read’s Mandurah opening, the significance was tangible: their books were no longer confined to online listings or their own collections.
They were sitting on the shelves of a physical bookstore, waiting for someone to pick them up.
