About Alienated Majesty Books:
Company Size: 5+ employees
Where: Austin, TX
Client Industry: Startup | Bookstore | Community space
Joined OnPay: July 2023
HOW IT ALL STARTED
One impulse buy transformed into a thriving bookstore and community space
When Melynda Nuss bought a bookstore during the pandemic, she didn’t realize she was taking on more than a business — she was inheriting a community.
Long before Alienated Majesty Books opened in August 2023, the space had become a literary haven. From 2013 to 2022, Malvern Books served Austin as both a bookstore and a gathering place for readers, writers, and poets. It specialized in visionary literature and poetry from independent publishers, championing small presses, translations, and emerging voices.
Around the time of COVID-19, the original owner of Malvern Books passed away. That’s when Melynda, a recently retired academic with a legal background, stepped in. “I impulse bought a bookstore,” she says, only half joking. What started as a quirky retirement idea quickly became a mission.
Two employees from Malvern stayed on, carrying institutional knowledge and a collaborative culture where staff have “a strong voice” and hierarchy takes a back seat.
In August 2023, Melynda reopened the bookstore as Alienated Majesty Books, staying true to its roots by stocking small presses, comics, works in translation, and titles you won’t easily find elsewhere in Austin’s growing literary scene.
Today, the reimagined shop runs on a team of five part-time employees, and it’s more than a bookstore — it’s a venue for art shows, music events, and literary discovery.
THE CHALLENGE
Starting a bookstore requires learning payroll overnight
Before founding Alienated Majesty Books, Melynda Nuss never had to think about payroll. But as her new business began to take shape, that quickly changed. During a trip to Corpus Christi, Texas, she found herself talking with local business and property owners who all echoed the same advice:
“Get a payroll service. We use one for our employees. We have no idea how we’d handle payroll taxes without it. Get a service.”
Taking their guidance to heart, Melynda began researching her options. She focused on finding a payroll partner that offered:
- Flexibility to pay and manage part-time staff all from one easy-to-use platform
- Affordability that fits a startup business budget
- Automation to simplify payroll and tax filings
THE SOLUTION
Finding the right payroll partner for a new bookstore in OnPay
When it came time to choose a payroll provider, Melynda dove into research mode — comparing providers, clicking through interfaces, and reading every customer review she could find. OnPay rose to the top. The intuitive design, built-in automation, and strong customer service made the choice clear. So she went for it. And just like that, the next chapter of her bookstore began.
Startup and entrepreneur review
“It’s so intuitive and easy to use! Plus, customer service has been great. I love OnPay!”
— Melynda N., Owner, Alienated Majesty Books
THE RESULTS
Simplifying bookstore payroll with OnPay
Since choosing OnPay, payroll at Alienated Majesty Books has become far less of a race to the final chapter — and more of an easy page-turner. OnPay checks all of Melynda’s must-haves: it’s affordable, intuitive, and flexible enough to pay her team of part-time booksellers without any extra hassle.
OnPay’s simplicity lets her manage payroll in minutes, giving her more time to focus on the stories, events, and community that make the shop special. As Melynda puts it:
“Now, we come in and count the drawer. Usually the employees get here before I do and count the drawer, turn on the lights, turn on the music — and we’re ready to go.”
All of this helped power a smooth opening chapter for a bookstore that’s just getting started.
