Vending

Book vending machine supports DC authors amid funding cuts

Photo: Adobe Stock

October 16, 2025

A vending machine in downtown Washington is giving local authors an innovative way to reach readers, according to an NPR report.

LitBox, created by writer Lauren Woods, sells books by D.C.-area authors from small and independent presses. Located inside the Western Market food hall near the White House, the machine offers titles such as "Let's Get Back to the Party" by Zak Salih and In the "House of Modern Upbringing for Girls" by Majda Gama.

Woods launched LitBox in May after raising nearly $7,000 through crowdfunding. She said she wanted to give smaller publishers and overlooked writers a fair chance to reach readers. "I had friends who wrote award-winning books and couldn't get them into D.C. bookstores because they were smaller presses or didn't have mass appeal," Woods told the news outlet. "That always seemed wrong to me."

Woods said she hopes to expand LitBox to other neighborhoods to promote access to local literature and independent publishing.