This regular post from the Alliance of Independent Authors celebrates ALLi member successes to inspire our indie author community. Our ALLi Member Milestones, October 2025, celebrate the successes of author members Julie L. Brown, Áille Róis, Michelle M. Pillow, Jackie Watson, Daniel Ellrick, Janus Lucky, and Michael Banks. Congratulations to all those featured in this month’s roundup and to everyone in our community who has hit a milestone!
Do you have a member milestone to share?
We are always looking to hear from our members about your achievements, from those of you who are just setting out to our most experienced Authorpreneurs. Whatever your achievement, if you are a member of ALLi, please tell us about your success stories using this form. We will share a selection each month with our members and our wider indie author network.
Julie L. Brown
Julie L. Brown
Julie L. Brown is the award-winning author of the historical novel Bend, Don’t Break, the alternative-history novel No One Will Save Us, and the Jade Harrington political thriller series (written as J. L. Brown). You can find her at julielbrown.com.
Member Milestone
Julie’s novels received multiple honors this year. Bend, Don’t Break was a finalist for the Wishing Shelf Independent Book Award. Her latest, No One Will Save Us, was a finalist for the Next Generation Indie Book Award (Fantasy) and the National Indie Excellence Book Award (African American Fiction), and won the Independent Press Award for African American Fiction.
What Have You Learned?
I never considered entering a book award prior to last year, until my wife encouraged me to enter my last two novels. After researching the most appropriate awards, including using the information on ALLi's website, that is what I did. It is gratifying and confirming for me to have my books recognized by these awards, and the feedback that some of the awards provided was an added bonus.
Áille Róis
Áille Róis
Áille Róis is a psychological romance author inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe. You can find her on Facebook.
Member Milestone
The paperback edition of Áille’s book has officially launched, following weeks of preparation and coordination with cover designers and formatters.
What Have You Learned?
I learned that sometimes things take patience if you want it made just right.
Michelle M. Pillow
Michelle M. Pillow
Michelle M. Pillow is a prolific New York Times and USA Today bestselling author with millions of books sold. Though she writes in many genres, she is best known for paranormal romance and urban fantasy. You can find her on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Goodreads, and BookBub.
Member Milestone
Michelle received a grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission, supported by the National Endowment for the Arts. The funds will be used to distribute complete book series bundles and review copies through her personal author store. This initiative will help promote her Merely Mortal urban fantasy romance series and reach new readers. The series is also drawing interest from a traditional publisher for subsidiary rights.
What Have You Learned?
Never underestimate the power of applying. You miss one hundred percent of the opportunities you do not pursue. Public arts support is not limited to literary fiction or nonprofit institutions; genre writers and indie publishers are equally valid contributors to the cultural landscape. I have learned that professional presentation, strategic planning, and a clear vision for your work’s impact matter just as much as the story itself.
Jackie Watson
Jackie Watson
Jackie Watson writes gripping contemporary fiction and romance set in Greece. She is the author of the Apokeri Bay series, which includes a trilogy based on the Greek island of Lefkada and a dark romance novella set on a cruise ship. You can find Jackie on Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, and at jackiewatsonwrites.com.
Member Milestone
I published Chosen Lies, the final part of my Apokeri Bay Trilogy. In the last three years I’ve published a trilogy and a spin-off dark romance novella. My second novel in the trilogy, Saving Elora, was a finalist in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards, and the cover for my novella Agnes Karapetsa is All at Sea was also a finalist in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards.
What Have You Learned?
Believe in yourself, don't give up, invest in expert advice when you need it, keep learning and enjoy the ride.
Daniel Ellrick
Daniel Ellrick
Dan Ellrick is a Missouri farm boy, a twenty-year Marine, and now a science fiction author. He and his wife have lived in Japan as Christian missionaries since 1996. You can find Dan on Facebook and BlueSky.
Member Milestone
Dan Ellrick has taken his first step into long-form fiction with the release of Interstellar Refugees, a science fiction trilogy now available for preorder on Amazon. This milestone marks a major turning point in Dan’s writing journey. After years of steady progress, he feels like he's finally gaining traction as an author.
What Have You Learned?
“Having a writing group keeps you going and growing. If you're new to writing fiction, accept that you have a lot to learn. Never give up.”
Janus Lucky
Janus Lucky
Janus Lucky is a storyteller with a sharp eye for the strange intersections of everyday life and the exceptional. His work blends wit and intensity, inviting readers into worlds that feel both familiar and quietly uncanny. You can find Janus on Facebook.
Member Milestone
My second novel is now available on Amazon from September 30: Amazon link. It is a coming-of-age novel I hope I would have had when I was 15 – and also much older.
What Have You Learned?
Be consistent, write every day, and say yes to the characters even if they put you sometimes in very dark places.
Michael Banks
Michael Banks
Michael Banks is an award-winning journalist who spent 30 years working at newspapers in Kentucky, North Carolina, and Mississippi. He and his wife, Danette, reside in Belmont, North Carolina, with a pair of cats who have the misguided belief they rule the roost. You can find Michael on his website, Facebook, and Instagram.
Member Milestone
Published my first novel, Bend In The River. My momma always said, “Son, you have a novel within you.” Well, I'm now 58 years old and that novel has finally been published.
What Have You Learned?
That it's OK to believe in yourself and to aim for greatness. Oftentimes, I set the bar low, fearing the disappointment that goes hand in hand with not achieving your goals. Believe in yourself.
Not yet an ALLi member?
The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) is a global membership association for self-publishing authors. A non-profit, our mission is ethics and excellence in self-publishing.
Everyone on our team is a working indie author and we offer advice and advocacy for self-publishing authors within the literary, publishing, and creative industries around the world. All the membership options and benefits, including free access to our collection of self-publishing advice ebooks, are on our website. Take a look and join us today.
Thoughts or further questions on this post or any self-publishing issue?
If you’re an ALLi member, head over to the SelfPubConnect forum for support from our experienced community of indie authors, advisors, and our own ALLi team. Simply create an account (if you haven’t already) to request to join the forum and get going.
Non-members looking for more information can search our extensive archive of blog posts and podcast episodes packed with tips and advice at ALLi's Self-Publishing Advice Center.
