Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Graham.
Hi Melissa, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My partner, Chelsea Belland, and I have been writing together for 17 years and published our first co-authored Urban Fantasy novel, Dance with the Devil, in 2024 under the name Madison Chase. Early on, we made the business decision to forego the traditional publishing route in favor of independent publishing, because we did not want to give control of our worlds and our voices to someone who hadn’t nurtured these stories the way she and I had over nearly two decades.
After its release, we sold at book events and connected with Staci Hubbard and Trisha Otis, who at that time were President and Vice President of KC Book Beat, a local nonprofit whose mission is centered around bringing a love of literature to KC, connecting local authors with resources and opportunities, and building a thriving literary community that is accessible and collaborative at heart. By early 2025, we were assisting at KC Book Beat events, and by mid-year we joined its Board of Directors, allowing us to connect further with other authors of KC.
During many conversations with authors like us, it became clear that, though KC has an incredible collection of bookstores who welcome indie books, they often felt secondary to traditionally published books–which often have entire teams to help with the marketing, logistics, and printing and designing of their book and also often come with (at least some sort of) advance. As Indie authors ourselves, we know full well that those parts of publishing are squarely on our shoulders; we either become a Jack of all trades, or open our wallets to hire one with our own budgets.
There are so many incredible stories waiting to be heard that are often overshadowed by the mainstream titles churned out by the Big 5 Publishers. Chelsea and I wanted to create a space where that way of thinking is turned on its head and the indie voice is given a chance to flourish.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There are always struggles when opening a new business. I like to say this store was built from scratch! Started with two nickels and a fever dream. It became clear that we weren’t going to qualify for any small business loans, so we did attempt a Kickstarter to see if we could crowdsource some starting capital. In the end it did not fund, but a few donors were generous enough to donate a couple hundred dollars to help us purchase some extra inventory because they believed in what we dreamed of. We painted and crafted and did creative budgeting and eventually were able to have our soft open in December 2025.
The first month came with plenty of learning opportunities. When we hit a major roadblock, a kind friend opened a gofundme to get us over the hump and we got just enough donations to make it to month two. Since then, we have noticed a steadier rise that has us completely giddy with the future!
Additionally, we are in a unique location that presents its own challenges. Growing up in Independence, I have always had a curiosity about the Englewood Arts District, and returning back to the area to find that they are revitalizing brings me so much joy. Just in our building, the Winner Plaza, we are with some fantastic small businesses: The Story Loft event space, Andae’s Aquisitions crystals and gifts, Nirvana Coffee & Games, Everheart Tattoo, Divine Designs and Solutions where you can gather and create with friends and family. We joke that our building is the “Self Care Plaza” in Engelwood, where you can get ink therapy, crystal therapy, a good coffee, and escape into a book! However, even with all of that, it is hard to get people to know we are here. Nirvana and Everheart are staples in the community, but patrons don’t realize there are businesses on the balcony above them and signage is a difficult obstacle in this city in particular—both logistics-wise and financially.
We’ve been impressed with Nocterra Bookery, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We created Nocterra Bookery to be an Indie-forward bookstore. A place where the independently published author–whether they start that way, end that way, or choose to always be that way–can be uplifted and celebrated.
The bookstore hive in Kansas City is thriving, and growing in number every day. Each store tends to have its own flavor or niche to bring to the table. However, those niches are still set firmly in the realm of traditionally published books, and while just about every bookstore will warmly welcome some indie titles onto their shelves, more often than not, the total number of those indie titles can fill a single bookcase. Even more rarely are they hyped up as much as the mainstream titles you see recommended over and over on social media, unless the indie authors are invited to have a signing at the store–which we are lucky to have quite a few stores that happily do this!
We just want more!
At the beginning, we set a goal to carry a minimum of 60% indie-published books on our shelves and take the indie voice from a single shelf among the giants to the main attraction. We might carry some traditional titles, whether new or used, but our main focus is indie. Small press, self-published, hybrid press… trad authors who started indie, indie authors who have been picked up by traditional publishers, or those who have made an intentional decision to always be independently published… they are all part of the indie family we wish to serve!
In addition to simply making a bookstore shelf more accessible to the indie author and screaming our love for indies to readers, we are also cultivating author services that are indie-friendly in affordability and accessibility. Cover design, formatting, editing, PA services, book art and merch shouldn’t be exclusive to authors with a Big 5 contract. When we say we want to give our indies the full princess treatment, we mean it.
We are delighted to find that, within the first 4 months of operation, we have acquired an inventory of 174 Indie-published titles, 78% of which are local Kansas City voices. It’s a phenomenal start for a baby business with a specific dream.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
We understand there is still a bit of a stigma around “self-published” books. Though it is better than 10 years ago, people still view them as vanity projects, last resorts after rejections, or inferior to traditionally published books. The truth is, more authors than ever have CHOSEN to go straight to indie publishing as an intentional business decision. It allows them to tell their stories authentically, without having chunks removed for any number of reasons publishers may cite. We aren’t bound by market trends, our niche stories aren’t suppressed for fear of not having “enough” of an audience, and we can make our books look and feel the way we dreamed of instead of what “sells better.”
Still, many of the reasons that stigma persists stem from not having the same resources given to us by publishing contracts. We are bound to the limits of our personal budgets, which can end up in a “judge a book by its cover” situation. Some of the best stories I have read had a simple, unassuming cover, or wonky formatting. We hope to combat this by offering our author services soon, but in the interim I would always challenge readers to pick up a book with that “meh” cover and read the first 5-10 pages before considering it inferior. You never know what hidden gem you found until you give it a try.
Finally, I would like to end with how our core values of accessibility, community, and collaboration, play into our business.
We offer our indies consignment and wholesale direct from authors (no Ingram here when we can help it!) as well as hybrid models to make getting on the shelves as easy and accessible as possible.
We have partnered with KC Book Beat to open the Book Beat Bodega, as a retail room inside the bookstore for artists and creators and small businesses to rent space and extend the audience for their products.
We also partner with other small businesses, both in our building and throughout KC, to try and bring back the love of shopping small and local.
And we are just getting started. We want Nocterra to become the bookstore where creatives thrive, gather, and are celebrated.
Nocterra Bookery is by Indies, for Indies, in Indie. Because wondrous things can happen with creativity meets community.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nocterrabookery.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nocterrabookery
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nocterrabookery/
- Other: http://www.tiktok.com/nocterra.bookery
