Barefoot Books

Barefoot Books was started in 1992 by Nancy Traversy and Tessa Strickland, two young mothers working from their homes in England. They wanted visually captivating children's books that celebrated cultures from around the world, and they could not find enough of them, so they made their own. The company crossed the Atlantic in 1998 with a first US office in Brooklyn. Since 2021 its global office has been in the Bradford Mill building in Concord, Massachusetts. Nancy Traversy is still CEO.

Barefoot added its grassroots selling opportunity in the early 2000s, inviting other women to run book businesses in their own communities. Those sellers were called Stallholders, then Ambassadors, and are now Community Booksellers. Today the home-based channel sits alongside bookstores, schools, libraries and literacy groups. In 2022 Publishers Weekly reported that direct sales made up about 6% of the business, while education and literacy partners were the largest channel.

The company has picked up a long list of honors. Forbes named it one of the 25 Best Small Companies in America in 2017, and its Barefoot World Atlas app was downloaded about 4 million times. In 2024 it launched Barefoot Bilinguals and the chewable, washable Baby-Proof format, and in late 2025 it announced a partnership with Reach Out and Read to get bilingual books to more families.

Barefoot Books today remains a rarity in the industry: a fiercely independent publisher offering a deep and diverse collection, published in multiple languages and distributed globally.

The Bookseller, August 2023

The books themselves are the draw. Bestsellers include Children of the World, Bear on a Bike, Dinosaur Rap and the award-winning Nour's Secret Library, along with board books, sticker books, story collections and card decks. Many, like Bear on a Bike and Dinosaur Rap, include online audio or singalong video. The company says it wants its books to act as windows and mirrors, so children see both themselves and the wider world.

we believe in the power books have to make a difference, and that making better books will create a brighter world.

Nancy Traversy, CEO and Co-Founder — Barefoot Books website, 2026

To join, you register online and buy the Community Bookseller Starter Kit for $199.99 in the US or $269.99 in Canada, plus tax. The company puts the kit's retail value at about $400 (US). It includes a collection of more than 20 bestselling books and activity decks, a branded table runner and a Barefoot Books table sign, so you can set up your first event straight away.

The registration also covers your personal Barefoot Books website, online tools, monthly webinar training, a private Facebook group and an invitation to the annual Community Bookseller conference in Concord, Massachusetts. You can also ask for a mentor, an experienced seller who helps you learn the ropes at no cost. Membership renews each year for $49.99 (US) or $64.99 (CAD), and the renewal fee is waived if you had at least $1,000 in gross personal orders in the previous 12 months. The company says it can help with the joining cost case by case if you need financial help. The program is open in Canada and the United States, except Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico and APO addresses.

The Barefoot Books plan is one of the simplest in direct sales. There are two main ways to earn:

• Sell in person. Community Booksellers get a 50% up-front discount on Barefoot Books products. Buy $150 of books at your discount, sell them at full retail price at a fair or market, and you keep $150 profit.
• Sell online. Share your personal Barefoot Books website link. You earn a 30% commission on orders placed through it (not counting tax or shipping), with no minimum order size.
• Mentor others (optional). Booksellers who mentor new sellers can earn a 5% quarterly Mentor Bonus on their team members' sales.

You can also host online book fairs, where schools and organizations earn free books while you earn your commission. Online commissions and bonuses are paid electronically after the end of each calendar quarter, within 10 to 14 business days of the following month. Profit from in-person sales is yours as soon as you make the sale.

There are no sales quotas to stay active, no order minimum and no requirement to recruit. The company suggests planning for 5 to 10 hours a week. Remember that 50% of retail on an $8 to $20 book is a modest amount per sale, so income depends on volume and events. Check the company's current Community Bookseller FAQ for the latest terms.

PROS

• A real, respected publisher with more than 30 years of history and books sold in stores, schools and libraries
• Simple plan: 50% discount on in-person sales and 30% commission online
• No monthly minimums, no sales quotas and no recruiting requirement
• Leftover books are yours to keep, gift or donate if you stop
• Strong fit for teachers, librarians and parents who love children's books
• School and online book fairs give you a natural way to reach families
• Free mentoring, training and an annual conference

CONS

• Low price points mean modest profit per book; you need volume
• $199.99 to start plus a $49.99 yearly renewal unless you sell $1,000
• Only open in the US and Canada, and not in Hawaii, Alaska or Puerto Rico
• Team earnings are limited to a 5% mentor bonus, so there is little leadership income
• Inventory for in-person events is bought with your own money
• Books are widely available in stores and online, so customers can shop around