Self-Publishing with ALLi The Bookstore Indie Authors Deserve: ALLi Members' Big New Shopfront, with Orna Ross and Melissa Addey
Feb 22, 2026
Melissa Addey, Campaigns Manager and Bookstore Lead at the Alliance of Independent Authors, explains the new Big Indie Author Bookstore and how it boosts indie discoverability. They cover why a searchable, trustworthy indie storefront was needed. Conversation touches on outreach to readers, librarians and reviewers, marketing links and bulk upload support for member backlists.
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ALLi Built A Central Discoverability Hub
- There was no single searchable place to find thousands of indie-author books until ALLi built the Big Indie Author Bookstore.
- Melissa Addey conceived the idea after repeatedly being asked where to find indie books and stumbling to name a few authors.
Opt In To The Bookstore From Your Member Profile
- Join the Alliance and opt into the bookstore when completing your author profile to gain visibility in the catalogue.
- Orna Ross emphasizes this is an active showcase, not a passive list, and ALLi will promote it rather than leaving it as a dead catalogue.
Bookstore Solves Scattered Indie Discoverability
- ALLi will actively reach readers, reviewers, magazines, podcasts and influencers to drive traffic to the bookstore.
- Melissa notes readers ask for indie-book links on TikTok but get scattered lists; the bookstore centralizes discovery across genres and quality levels.