Over the past few weeks, I’ve reported a couple of times on the troubles at what was Unbound and has since become Boundless Books. Most recently, the founder of Unbound, John Mitchison, left the new company that had been set up under the CEO-ship of Archna Sharma to attempt to rescue what had once seemed like a groundbreaking initiative that mixed book industry know-how with a Kickstarter-type business model for authors.
ALLi News Editor Dan Holloway
This week there have been two news stories focused on the company. The first, which has only been noted in passing, is the good news that books brought to the world through its model continue to attract a positive response. Queer as Folklore by Sacha Coward appears on the longlist for the Polari First Book Prize, which has always had an open door for indie titles.
The End for Boundless Books
Whether Sacha will get to enjoy the fruits of any publicity this might bring is, however, moot. Sadly, the other story is that the curtain seems to have finally closed on Boundless Books. I highly recommend you read The Observer’s in-depth account of the whole affair, which covers not just the history of Unbound/Boundless but also offers insights into whether the crowdfunding model could ever be a viable business platform in the book world—something that may be of interest to indies still considering this avenue.
As per its website, Boundless Books ceased trading on August 1. In an all-too-familiar story, its authors only seem to have found out by roundabout means (authors of sibling imprint Neem Tree Press were emailed, but not those of Boundless). Many authors are still owed royalties, which they seem to have diminishing prospects of ever receiving.
Possible Help for Affected Authors
It is a sad state of affairs that has affected many indie authors as well as traditionally published authors who believed in the platform as a way to crowdfund and reach a wide audience with minimal risk. The failure of one platform is not necessarily a reflection on the crowdfunding model, of course.
Help in some form may be on hand for those directly affected. Various sites are reporting that Will Atkinson, formerly of Atlantic Books, has set up Wilton Square specifically to help Unbound/Boundless authors left in the lurch. There is no website for the new venture yet, but Companies House suggests that such a company was registered on August 4—so watch this space.
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