RuPaul’s Online Book Marketplace Allstora Empowers Underrepresented Authors

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Legendary multi-hyphenate artist, RuPaul, announced a new endeavor. The talented entertainer has stepped into the online book marketplace with Allstora, a 100 percent author-owned platform empowering underrepresented communities. Read more about RuPaul’s latest venture inside.

RuPaul announced his new project, Allstora, which is a 100 percent author-owned online book marketplace committed to protecting, empowering and uplifting storytellers. According to a news release sent to Blavity, the platform offers users more than 10 million titles, amplifying authors from underrepresented communities, including “LGBTQ+ people, women and communities of color.”

RuPaul is the platform’s Chief Creative Officer. He co-founded the company with bestselling author Eric Cervini and his partner, Adam Powell. The two founded ShopQueer.co, a predecessor to Allstora. RuPaul will also start RuPaul’s Book Club, which will aimsn to highlight authors from diverse backgrounds.

“Reading is fundamental, and we all benefit from stories that give us a different perspective or take us to another world,” RuPaul said in a statement. “Creatives – whether drag queens, philosophers or authors – are driving our culture forward, and should be properly compensated for their work. I’m passionate about uplifting the voices of underrepresented groups, and I’m proud of what Allstora offers to both authors and readers: a community.”

It’s a unique company that advocates for the author with its profit-split. When customers purchase a book on Allstora, the authors will receive the bulk of the profits. It’s a process that’s unheard of for competitive online book marketplaces.

“As an author, I understand firsthand how impossible it feels to survive in the literary world, and we hope to create an industry-wide shift in how we purchase books and compensate authors,” Cervini added. “Allstora’s mission is to empower authors and cultivate communities through the power of literature, made accessible to all, and we’re thrilled to have the legendary RuPaul by our side.”

Allstora also boasts a philanthropic component called Rainbow Book Bus, which is a cross-country tour taking place from Los Angeles to Atlanta. The tour plans to make stops in places affected by queer book censorship.

RuPaul’s memoir, The House of Hidden Meanings, was released on Mar. 5. It’s available on Allstora for purchase, and there’s currently a 50% discount for members.

Congrats to RuPaul and the Allstora company!

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