Writing a book is a labor of love, but it can also be an incredibly isolating experience. I’m Courtney Hendricks, the founder of Unshelved Authors. As an indie author myself (writing under the pen name C.S. Hendricks), I know firsthand the exhausting reality of the self-publishing hustle. I know what it means to be your own writer, editor, publicist, and shipping clerk all at once. I understand the mental gymnastics of funding your passion—I currently teach middle school full-time to support mine—and the frustration of being hindered by traditional publishing gatekeepers.

The indie publishing industry is booming, but almost entirely in the digital space. While self-publishing has broken down barriers, it has also created a massive new hurdle: real-world discoverability. Authors and readers are craving authentic, physical connections, but indie authors often struggle to secure the spaces needed to make that happen.

That is why I created Unshelved Authors: Raw & Unplugged Presents...

Our mission is to empower independently published authors by giving them a physical stage to amplify their voices. We are stepping away from quiet, traditional retail environments and replacing them with highly engaging, dynamic live events right here in the Kansas City area.

The "Raw & Unplugged" Experience

We provide a turnkey promotional stage designed to help indie talent perform, sell, and connect through four core pillars:

• The Stage: Forget sitting passively behind a folding table. We treat our authors like featured artists. Through curated open mics and reading showcases, you get 5 to 10 minutes to captivate a live audience, showcase your personality, and turn casual listeners into dedicated fans.

• The Signing: Traditional bookstores often take up to half of an indie author's physical sales. Our events act as a direct-to-reader marketplace. We host structured book signings so you can sell your inventory directly to the audience and keep your profit margins intact.

• The Content: Generating engaging social media content is a constant struggle. We solve this by capturing the live experience for you. We provide professional photography and video clips of your stage performance, giving you high-value marketing assets to use long after the night is over.

• The Community: We dedicate a portion of every event to a Networking Mixer. This collaborative environment connects you with local peers to share industry resources, swap marketing strategies, and build a supportive ecosystem so no one has to write in isolation.

We are currently preparing for our official launch! Unshelved Authors is a brand-new space dedicated to changing the way indie authors are discovered. Stay tuned as we build the physical stage your words deserve.