By Yaqi Ni
I don’t know about you, but whenever I walk into a bookstore, I’m almost as excited to see the merchandise and gift section as the books themselves.
The display tables are usually filled with all kinds of book-related trinkets: mugs, bookmarks, scented candles, pins, notebooks, stickers and of course, tote bags. They’re designed to be irresistibly charming, and I always find myself picking them up one by one. Before I know it, the money in my pocket has magically disappeared.
When I’ve been wandering between the bookshelves for too long and start to feel a little drowsy, or when I simply can’t find a book that grabs my attention, this area becomes my sanctuary.
With BookTok’s growing influence, book merch is becoming an indispensable part of book publishing. Many authors and publishers now proactively launch interesting and eye-catching merchandise. But sometimes, people seem even more enthusiastic about the merch than the book itself. So, what does book merch actually mean today?
Bookstores as cultural spaces
Bookstores have always been a vital space for cultural consumption. More and more bookstores are now incorporating cross-disciplinary elements such as cafés, exhibitions and talks, hoping to transform themselves into cultural lifestyle hubs. Carefully curated displays, themed events and interactive experiences all aim to encourage visitors to linger a little longer.
Many bookstores also design their merchandise based on their own identity. Take Kinokuniya, for example. As a bookstore brand from Japan, it carries a large selection of Japanese books, manga and other Asian literature. Correspondingly, it also sells a variety of manga-related merchandise and exquisite Japanese stationery, allowing readers to enjoy a more complete cultural experience alongside browsing for books.
Similar examples can also be found in public cultural institutions. The New York Public Library runs a gift shop that sells books alongside a wide range of bookish merchandise. Much of the inspiration comes from the library’s most famous ‘residents’: the two stone lions guarding the entrance. Once considered a little too stern, the lions have gradually become beloved symbols of the library, and even of New York City itself. Today, they appear everywhere in the shop: on scaled-down lion bookends, scarves, tote bags, mugs and jewellery. The merchandise turns the library’s iconic image into something visitors can take home.
Through these tangible objects, the identities of bookstores and libraries become easier to grasp, and to remember. In this sense, bookish merchandise is not only a product, but also a way for institutions to express their own cultural character.
Beyond Tote Bags
Of course, the appeal of book merch extends far beyond tote bags. The most obvious example is the development of major literary IPs. Take Harry Potter as an example—its merchandise has long moved beyond wands, scarves, or the books themselves, and has become an entire universe.
At this point, the franchise’s merchandise has been explored to an almost extreme degree: themed shops, exhibitions and even theme parks. Unlike the NYC library merchandise, Harry Potter products are not only aimed at readers, but at a much broader audience. Many consumers may engage with the franchise through its symbols, aesthetics and fandom culture rather than through the books themselves. As a result, Harry Potter is often recognised through its merchandise rather than its books, with fandom, large-scale marketing and years of mainstream exposure keeping these symbols constantly visible.
Beside these top-tier IPs, publishers sometimes create merchandise around a particular book or series. A romance novel, for instance, might come with a themed tarot deck or small items inspired by the story itself. This allows readers to continue immersing themselves in the story’s atmosphere even after finishing the book.
On a broader level, some publishers also use merchandise to express their values. In response to the book ban wave in the United States last year, Penguin partnered with the Los Angeles clothing brand Online Ceramics to launch a collection titled ‘Reading Is a Right’. The line included items such as socks, sweatshirts, T-shirts and hats, with all proceeds donated to the American Library Association.
From the ever-present tote bag to IP-based merchandise and designs that engage with social issues, book merchandise is gradually becoming a richer form of cultural expression.
Merch as reader identity
Interestingly, despite all the creativity in book merchandise today, the format remains remarkably traditional: tote bags, mugs, notebooks, bookmarks and hoodies … Yet somehow these simple items still manage to fascinate readers. Is it only because they’re the safe choices?
By scrolling book merch content on ‘BookTok’ and ‘Bookstagram’, I might have found an answer: soft colours, carefully arranged bookshelves and cozy reading environments often attract young readers. A beloved quote from a novel or a relevant illustration can turn a tote bag into a secret badge of belonging—a quiet signal understood only by fellow readers. That feeling of being seen is exactly what makes book merchandise so appealing. These little items are an extension of reader’s emotions, and buying them becomes a way of expressing a shared identity.
This sense of ‘bookish’ identity has even started to move beyond reading communities themselves and into fashion culture. From Coach collaborating with Penguin Random House on literary bag charms, to Dior’s famous Book Tote designed with the French publisher Les Saints Pères, books are increasingly being transformed into visible fashion symbols. At the same time, young female celebrities such as Dua Lipa, Laufey and Kaia Gerber have made public displays of literary taste feel more fashionable than ever through their book clubs and reading recommendations online. Reading is no longer simply a private activity—it’s also becoming an aesthetic, a lifestyle and, increasingly, a form of self-expression.
In a way, perhaps book merchandise does not need to become radically innovative at all. Tote bags, mugs and bookmarks continue to appeal to readers precisely because they are familiar, visible and easy to incorporate into everyday life. Their simplicity allows them to quietly communicate taste, personality and belonging, which may explain why these seemingly ordinary items continue to survive in an ever-changing online culture.
The merch is all right!
Amid the booming development of book merchandise, some worry that when books are packaged as commodities, the essence of reading might be diluted. However, I believe that merchandise is not the enemy of publishing, rather, it is more like an amplifier of the content. When consumers are still willing to pay for these creative products, it indicates that their craving for good content has never vanished. Merchandise can help lower the threshold for people to access literary content and encourage them to keep reading.
So, the next time you see someone carrying a tote bag printed with some words or images, take a second look. It might be a secret signal sent by a like-minded fellow!
Yaqi is a postgraduate student in Publishing and Communications at the University of Melbourne. She loves web fiction and literary classics, and rarely leaves a bookstore empty-handed.
Cover image from the Grattan Street Press Instagram Page.
Leave a Reply