Earlier this week, RuPaul launched Allstora: an online bookstore that he says will “challenge the e-commerce status quo by introducing a new model of splitting its profits with authors, in turn doubling their income on the sale of a book,” per a press release from the company. This will, the company says, “uplift the voices of underrepresented groups, including LGBTQ+ people, women, and communities of color.”
This announcement was initially met with positive press. Many noted that, given the current lack of diversity in publishing (Lee & Low Books’ quadrennial “Diversity Baseline Survey” of the publishing industry found that a majority of respondents were cis-gendered and white), any efforts to elevate people from underrepresented or marginalized groups would be appreciated.
However, when Allstora launched, internet users quickly soured on the venture. Users browsing the site found that one could purchase books that they did not feel fit with RuPaul’s stated message of “uplift[ing] the voices of underrepresented groups”; for example, one X user discovered that Libs of TikTok founder Chaya Raichik’s childrens’ book is on the site.
Others noted that the infamous antisemitic text The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is available for purchase on the site, as well as other texts associated with white nationalism like The Turner Diaries.
To be clear, these titles are not prominently featured on Allstora. They are simply available alongside many other books. Allstora does not seem to take any political positions at all with the books it sells—shoppers can easily purchase a variety of religious texts including The King James Bible and the Qur’an, as well as politically-charged texts from across the political spectrum, from The Communist Manifesto to Mein Kampf.
On the site’s FAQ, Allstora defends its decision to keep this broad array of literature, including titles many RuPaul fans may find offensive. “At Allstora, we believe that the censorship of any book, perspective, or story is incompatible with the survival of democracy. We cannot fight the ideologies of hate if we lack the ability to study, understand, and react to them. For this reason, like university libraries and online book marketplaces across the world, Allstora has made the decision to carry all books.”
However, given that Allstora was launched with the express purpose of “uplift[ing] the voices of underrepresented groups,” many internet users felt dismayed that the company was selling literature that they perceived to be working against this goal. Additionally, some questioned the practices of this business, with a few users accusing the site of simply being a front for a dropshipping operation.
One user on TikTok recently shared their complaints about Allstora, going viral in the process. In a clip with over 352,000 views, and more across many reposts on X, an employee of the Bookends Bookstore in Florence, Massachusetts explains why RuPaul’s bookstore isn’t as much of a publishing revolution as he might want shoppers to think.
“Allstora isn’t increasing access to gay books, it’s a rainbow capitalist dropshipping operation,” the employee says.
From looking at the site, the TikToker says that the company is likely simply shipping books from Ingram Content Group, a major book supplier, and “the method that every bookstore uses to buy their books,” the TikToker notes.
“It means that there’s all kinds of sh*t on there because they haven’t actually been thoughtful about what they’re stocking,” the TikToker states. “They just stock literally any book, so you can buy anti-woke books, you can buy transphobic books, you can buy books written by Nazis and other fascists.”
“Again, because this is not a queer bookstore; this is a dropshipping operation with a kind of veneer of progressivity over it,” the TikToker summarizes.
The TikToker then questions the profit split mentioned in promotional material. While Allstora’s author program claims that authors will get an additional 10% commission that will “[double] the earnings potential per book,” it’s presently unclear if books sold through Allstora, but not under their author program, will earn authors more than if they were sold on other platforms.
“This is a scam. This is completely fake. This is completely nothing,” the TikToker summarizes. “This won’t actually do anything to increase access to queer literature. What it will do, because of their membership where they sell books for less expensive, is undercut brick-and-mortar retailers, undercut actual queer booksellers, and make RuPaul more money, which I guess he can frack with.”
“So f*ck this. This is completely stupid. Don’t waste your money on Allstora,” the TikToker concludes. “There are better ways to obtain queer books. There are better ways to obtain diverse books, including supporting your local bookstore, like us.”
@bookendsinflorence #stitch with @RuPaul #greenscreen i love rainbow capitalism! I love “founding a bookstore” (dropshipping operation)! I love profiting from banned books being in the news! Yasss mama ru!!!!! Get that coin honey!!!!! #rupaulsdragrace #werktherunway #yaaaas ♬ original sound – Bookends in Florence
In the comments section, many users said that the TikToker’s investigation has pushed them away from using the site.
“The second I saw the ad it felt sooooooo off. Makes sense. Thanks for the info!” said a user.
“Thank you for this. I was planning on looking into it, but now I’m not even going to give the website a landing hit,” added another.
“Love how this launch is also timed perfectly with Ru’s just-released memoir,” observed a further user. RuPaul’s memoir The House of Hidden Meanings, which was released earlier this week, is not only available on the site, but it is the inaugural pick for the site’s RuPaul’s Book Club, according to Publisher’s Weekly.
The Daily Dot reached out to Allstora via website contact form and Bookends via Instagram direct message.
Sign up to receive the Daily Dot’s Internet Insider newsletter for urgent news from the frontline of online.
The post ‘With the added step of giving your money to RuPaul’: Allstora called out for allegedly dropshipping books under the guise of bookstore for ‘marginalized voices’ appeared first on The Daily Dot.
WATCH VIDEO
DOWNLOAD VIDEO
