Following Up On Unbridled’s Innovative Project

May 25th, 2006 · 2 Comments
by Booksquare

Cover of Golem SongWe are very enthusiastic about the current online serialization project going on at Unbridled Books. This is a really cool, innovative project — and that more independent publishers could benefit from this model. Briefly, Unbridled is serializing Golem Song by Marc Estrin.

Subscribers will be able to access new chapters of the book every week, with the final chapter being made available at the same time the print version of the novel is published. Additionally, subscribers will be able to access Estrin’s podcast reading of his novel. Subscriptions are $8; subscriptions with a signed copy of the book are $15.95 (bargain, people, bargain!), and the podcasts are free to subscribers.

Since it’s a few weeks into the project, we checked in with Caitlin Hamilton Summie (and now that we’ve met her, we feel totally guilty for making her run all over the Unbridled complex to get answers to our questions) to see how things are going:

  1. How has the response been to the online serialization of “Golem Song”?

    We have a small but enthusiastic group of subscribers, some even from overseas. As this is a new endeavor, we view it as the kind of effort one builds and builds upon.

  2. For the reader who picks up on this promotion after the start date, what happens? Do they get the previous chapters or do they pick up the story in progress?

    We will make certain latecomers receive earlier chapters. Indeed, we hope that as early subscribers start talking about the book, that others are encouraged to join in.

  3. I’m very curious — any idea of how the numbers of online subscriptions only versus signed copy subscriptions are shaking out? What if someone decides, after the fact, that they want a signed copy of the book after all?

    Everybody who has signed on has chosen the option of the subscription plus signed book! If someone decides to join in, chooses just the subscription, and later wants a signed book, we would send one and simply ask them to pay the balance.

  4. Unbridled Books is looking at new and different ways of building online communities and reaching new readers — what’s next from Unbridled?

    Our podcast radio show, Unbridled Aloud, beginning this fall. I sent you the press release last week but do let me know if you want it again. We are very excited about these shows!

We, too, are excited about the podcasts — and we’ll be posting more about them closer to launch. We like that Unbridled is taking a multi-media approach to introducing Marc Estrin to a larger reading audience. Different types of readers can access the work in different ways — this is the key to success.

File Under: Non-Traditional Publishing · Publishers and Editors

2 responses so far ↓

  • Joanne Gonzalez // Sep 29, 2006 at 2:21 pm

    I can’t find out too much about Unbridled Books. I am hoping against hope that it’s a vanity press because I just read Wolf Point, the worst book I’ve read in a lifetime of reading. No editor worth his or her salt would have let that turkey out into the world. Do you have an address for this company ? Joanne

  • Booksquare // Oct 3, 2006 at 11:40 pm

    Real publisher, great stuff. I’ve been pretty excited about their books. i may not always love what I’m reading, but, since I read a lot of books in a given year, the fact that I remember what I do read from this publisher is a major plus. Reading is so often in the eye of the beholder that it’s hard to imagine how any commercial publishing venture survives. I’m not being facetious.

    The link is in the post above.