OPENING HOURS:

We are closed from 25th December - 3rd January.

FAQ 

Are you a publisher or a bookshop?

Both! Dead Ink was founded in 2016, using innovative methods to bring great writing from outside of the mainstream to a wider audience. In 2022 Dead Ink became a National Portfolio Organisation with Arts Council England, allowing the company to expand in a number of ways, amongst them - opening our bookshop!

Where is the bookshop?

We're located on Liverpool's Smithdown Road, on the stretch running between the bottom of Ullet Rd and the big Asda - on the same block as Belzan, opposite the Black Cat. Our full address is 375 Smithdown Road, L15 3JJ.

What books do you sell?

We exclusively sell books from independent publishers, alongside a range of gifts, homewares and lifestyle products all from independent, mostly local producers.

Is your space accessible?

The shop has a wheelchair ramp at the entrance. It is a small space but can be navigated in a wheelchair and we will do everything we can to ensure your visit is a comfortable one.

Can you stock / publish my book? Can you stock my products?

Maybe! We do not stock self-published titles as our focus is on independent publishing. If you have a book you’d like us to stock, please ask your publisher to get in touch with us at shop@deadinkbooks.com. Please be aware that we receive many such e-mails and it is not always possible to reply to them. Our homewares selection is carefully curated and we try not to duplicate products from different producers but again - if you have stock you would like us to sell in our shop, please get in touch via shop@deadinkbooks.com. Photographs of the products are always helpful!

Are your events broadcast online?

Not at the moment - we do not have the technological capacity for livestreaming. However we often record our events and will make these recordings available… at some point in the future.

Do you ship overseas?

No - not yet. But we are hoping to be able to in future.

Why are there so many Dead Ink social media pages?

The publishing end of the business has a seperate social media identity to the bookshop. Across facebook, twitter, tiktok, instagram etc you’ll find publishing operations at @deadinkbooks and the bookshop at @deadinkbookshop. Follow the bookshop for stock updates, recommendations, special offers and articles from our online literary magazine Required Reading.

How do I contact you?

You can e-mail shop@deadinkbooks.com, or contact us on any of the social media accounts mentioned above.

Do you run a Book Club?

Not at present, but our events programme will become a lot busier and more varied in 2024.

I run a book club in Liverpool. Can you host it?

We’d be happy to discuss this, and actually offer any book groups registered at the bookshop a 15% discount on each title they read together (currently available in-store only). Send an e-mail to michael@deadinkbooks.com if you'd like to arrange this.

Do you do a Student Discount?

We are not currently able to offer an online discount, but students who can show a valid student card in the bookshop are entitled to a 15% discount.

I’ve written a book and I want to be published by Dead Ink!

Please follow the publishing side of the business on social media or visit their website, www.deadinkbooks.com. Any open submission windows will be advertised there.

My order hasn’t shown up, or is late. What gives?

Please e-mail shop@deadinkbooks.com and we’ll get it sorted out for you.

Are there any jobs available at the bookshop?

At present we are not looking for any additional staff but when the time comes, all job vacancies will be posted on our social media accounts first, so make sure you're following!

I’d like to do an event at the Dead Ink Bookshop… is that possible?

It may be! Please contact shop@deadinkbooks.com with as many details about the prospective event as you can provide, and we’ll get back to you.

Ethos

Dead Ink was founded out of dissatisfaction with the mainstream which has only grown more pronounced in subsequent years. The Dead Ink Bookshop is an offshoot of the publisher Dead Ink Books and as a company we value a quality and design-led approach that is ethical and eco-conscious.

We know there are plenty of ways for you to buy your books, but we want you to shop with us to support independent publishing, small brands and keep literature interesting. 

Break the Mainstream

The Dead Ink Bookshop setup on Liverpool's Smithdown road in the autumn of 2022 as a bookshop solely stocking independent publishers and small brands. 

Every book on this website is from an independent publisher — ranging from the smallest boutique presses to the largest independents there is a shared ethos of risk-taking and convention defying. 

Even the stationery, coffee, and greetings cards that we've selected are from independents and local producers. Everything on this site is curated by our team to give you an experience unlike any other bookshop where you can feel safe that your purchases are supporting the unconventional risk-taking independents that keep literature interesting.

Welcome to the North

Based in Liverpool, the outsider of outsider cities, as a publisher and bookseller we are proudly shifting the centre of publishing away from its conventional hotspots. We believe a geographically dispersed industry is a fairer and more accessible industry. As such, Dead Ink Books is a founding member of the Northern Fiction Alliance and we're committed to generating development opportunities across the North of England and showcasing it as a centre of excellence for the publishing industry. 

Sustainability & Ethical Practice

Environmental sustainability and ethical practice is one of the foremost considerations we give to every decision that we make.  We don't want to just minimise our impact, we want to our impact to improve the world we live in. We have tried to ensure that every product we sell has a positive impact and that may be just in supporting a small local maker or it could extend to brands and partners commitments to wider causes. 

In-house we have ensured that all of our packaging is environmentally friendly and for that reason it is supplied by Freckl whose packaging is 100% sustainable, plastic free, printed in the UK, made with water-based inks, and kerbside recyclable. 

If you have any concerns about brands that we are working with or believe that we have missed an opportunity to have a more positive impact then please do nto hesitate to get in touch. 

Funded by Arts Council England 

Dead Ink Books is proud to say that it receives support as one of Arts Council England's National Portfolio Organisations. Our bookshop is also a member of the Booksellers Association.