The Role of a Partner

Providing the best way to buy & sell Usborne books

What is an Independent Usborne Partner?

Independent Usborne Partners (IUPs) are a vibrant community of self-employed booksellers, dedicated to putting their customers first. Working with everyone from schools and nurseries, to toddler groups and markets, they bring books directly into their communities, helping every child find the perfect book for them.

Your business in a box

For a small joining fee of £48, you’ll unlock everything you need to start a successful bookselling business. You’ll get:

A Starter Kit of bestselling books and business stationery worth at least £150
Your own templated website
An online business portal to manage your business and place orders
Access to a wealth of training resources, videos and support materials
Inclusion into all our company incentives which range from free books right through to luxury holidays
Marketing and admin support from our Head Office team
A dedicated Mentor to provide you with 1-2-1 support to grow your business and achieve your goals
20-24% commission on everything you sell and the opportunity to earn extra bonuses through hitting personal or team sales targets

Training and support

When you become an Independent Usborne Partner, you’ll unlock a whole host of training and support to help you succeed in your bookselling venture. Training opportunities include:

A suite of pre-recorded training programmes to work through including Business and Sales Foundations courses
Regular live training sessions including those focused on sales and seasonal opportunities
Top tips guides
Video hints and tips from experienced IUPs
Community events with workshops and key-note speakers

Community

Community is in our very name and is an important part of everything we stand for. When you join, you’ll become part of a team of like-minded business owners, all with the common interest of beautiful books!

You’ll also have the support of a dedicated Mentor whose job is to help you succeed in your business – whatever that success looks like for you.

Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to attend company events to celebrate successes, learn new skills, and connect with Usborne friends new and old. And then there’s the community you live in – your business will mean that your community will be surrounded by amazing books, and you’ll be making a huge difference to levels of literacy and reading for pleasure.

Incentives

We have a huge range of incentives for all our Independent Usborne Partners to aim for. Our 2025 incentive prizes include:

Exclusive branded marketing packs
Free books
12 x £50 vouchers
Free attendance at training conferences with an overnight stay and celebration
A private tour of Christ Church College, Oxford, home to Alice in Wonderland!
A behind-the-scenes trip to Usborne Publishing and evening celebration at The Sheraton, London
An all expenses paid trip to Vietnam!
PLUS new IUPs can earn everything from their joining fee refunded, to a £300 bonus by following our Quickstart Programme in their first 6 months as a bookseller

Ready to get started?

Start your bookselling business

Real life stories

Carron Charlesworth

Independent Usborne Partner

As a mummy to twins, the flexibility of Usborne is perfect! I love celebrating reading with schools, and I'm very passionate about supporting my team too with their bookshops!
Laura Stones

Independent Usborne Partner

Usborne has allowed me to be me again. It has given me the chance to get great books into children's hands including my own children. I love Usborne.

Monthly prize draw

Enter our monthly competition for the chance to win a bundle of lovely new Usborne books worth £100! It's free to enter and you can try, try again next month (or the month after) if you're not successful this time.

Feeling lucky? Let’s go!