In this eye-opening episode of Fully Booked, returning guest Ariel Anderssen shares her firsthand account of the collapse of Unbound Publishing. After successfully crowdfunding her debut memoir through the hybrid publisher, Ariel soon encountered missed royalty payments, a lack of transparency around sales data, and growing frustration. It was only through threatened legal action that she recovered her earnings, leading her to realize the company had far deeper issues. Sensing trouble ahead, she reclaimed her book rights and exited just days before Unbound collapsed, a move that spared her the worst of the fallout experienced by more than 300 affected authors.
Ariel’s story is a powerful case study in how easily authors can be taken advantage of, even by seemingly reputable publishers. Her experience underscores the importance of understanding your rights, recognizing red flags early, and maintaining control over your work. The wider failures at Unbound — and the emotional and financial toll on its authors — offer a cautionary reminder of why transparency and accountability matter in every stage of a publishing career.
Ariel Anderssen https://www.arielanderssenauthor.com/
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