Why this publisher?

Unbound is a UK based funding platform and publishing house founded by three writers who have a very unique approach to publishing that may be one of the future successful business models in this industry.

They simply cut out the middle-man by allowing authors to appeal to the readers to find out what they want to read. Readers have the opportunity to fund the projects they want, and once an author has enough funding he/she begins writing. Unbound also gives readers a unique view into the writer’s processes. Different levels of funding allow the reader varying levels of access, such as to the author’s blog or lunch with the author. Once the book is complete, the reader gets an e-book and/or a print copy with their name listed in the acknowledgements. If the book project doesn’t get enough funding the reader can use the money to fund another book project. I think this is a very interesting approach, and the only one like it that I’ve come across. 

Some preliminary things I will track include picking a book to fund and following the process from the reader’s point-of-view. I will also follow their use of social media to promote themselves and the books, specifically on twitter. They currently only accept submissions through agents, but are trying to change to an open submissions policy. I will be watching to see if their submissions policy does in fact change, or if they try to implement something completely different. I would also love to track their success ratio of proposed-vs-completed books. I’m not sure yet where to find that information, but I’m working on that angle. I may find more things to track once I start to really dig, but this is my initial plan.

I found out about this company before I even started GW’s publishing program and I would love to see how it changes and grows, even as the publishing industry itself is in a great transition.