What if indie authors sold only to indie bookstores?

Anyone who casts even a casual glance at the publishing industry knows about the battle between Amazon and Hachette. Frankly, I don’t have a problem with Amazon, my book is an Amazon exclusive, in fact. I also don’t feel like I have any vested interest in the traditional publishing industry. Let’s be honest, for a guy like me, where traditional publishers put up a wall, Amazon put up a ladder.

Still, there’s something ironic about the indie-spirited being beholden to the queen mother of corporate giants. It occurs to me that with all the options available to indie authors, it doesn’t have to be that way. What if there was a groundswell of independent authors making their books available only to independent booksellers? How would that change the publishing landscape? Would indie bookstores go for it? Would authors?

It pains me to imagine my local community without independent book stores like Blue Willow Bookshop, Brazos Bookstore, or Murder by the Book. I’d be proud to go indie exclusive, but I don’t have the clout to get my books into indie bookstores. However, there are many authors, authors with loyal fan bases, that could make this happen.

I think.

Of course, there’s money to consider, but I’m a purist and believe the art of writing should always trump the business of writing.

Thoughts?