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Ethical brand ratings and accreditation since 2001

The Book Shelf

How ethical is The Book Shelf?

The Book Shelf is one of The Good Shopping Guide’s leading Ethical Accreditation members and is featured on our list of the Top 200 Ethical Businesses.

The Book Shelf supports aspiring authors in writing and creating books, as well as navigating the publishing industry.

The Book Shelf believes that everyone has a book in them – something that can change readers’ lives and even change the world. This is why the brand guides everyday people from idea to bookshelf, from planning to writing, editing, design and publishing.

The Book Shelf’s mission is to make the publishing industry more accessible and sustainable so that it’s for the many, not just for the few, and better for the planet too. So, if you want to write a book but don’t know where to start, The Book Shelf can show you the path and will be there every step of the way.

What makes The Book Shelf so sustainable?

The Book Shelf is well aware of the destructive impact of the publishing industry, estimating that 320 million books go to landfill every year! To help address this issue, the brand minimises the environmental impact of its books by encouraging printing on demand and publishing e-books, rather than bulk printing.

Additionally, The Book Shelf donates 10% of its profits to Rainforest Alliance, protecting 375 acres of rainforest to date. The company also makes annual donations to Book Trust UK and Book Aid International to support literacy projects and donate books to vulnerable children. Through its work with its local Sport4Life charity, The Book Shelf also offers work experience programs to young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The Book Shelf prides itself on its open-door policy, based on its belief that everyone deserves to be published, regardless of race, ethnicity, sexuality and more. This makes the company stand out from traditional publishing companies, which are notorious for being extremely exclusive.

The Book Shelf helps authors all around the world to publish books. This includes authors who are dyslexic, neurodivergent, speak English as a second language, are from minority ethnic or disadvantaged backgrounds, are from the LGBTQ+ community, and so on.

How did The Book Shelf attain Ethical Accreditation?

The Book Shelf has been awarded Ethical Accreditation from The Good Shopping Guide. This involved a rigorous assessment of the brand’s ethical policies and practices to verify the brand’s ethical status. The Book Shelf is subject to regular audits to ensure the company maintains high ethical standards.

As a result, The Book Shelf is permitted to use our Good Shopping Guide Ethical mark, which certifies the brand’s ethical status and allows consumers to recognise The Book Shelf’s ethical achievements.

Visit our Accredited Brand Directory to see which brands have achieved The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Accreditation. To find out more about how it works, please get in touch or complete a Free Initial Assessment Form.

Check out The Book Shelf website to find out more about its services.