BINDERY BOOKS: I READ THE FIRST 4 BOOKS SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO (unless you wanna 🤷🏾‍♀️)

[@jaimee-kate]

I appreciate you reading them all and sharing! The thing for me is that these all sound like they are hitting the same themes & styles as trad pub books, and it sounds like they are also all of the same middling quality. I thought the point of Bindery was to really push the limits and have READERS pick things that readers want based on that genre/creator (because pub houses also have a bottom line to worry about, they are focused on trends and mass appeal). I don't see the point of doing this if all the books that come out of it are still half baked ideas.

[@notstlouise]

so true. i have not looked at bindery's catalogue of to be published books, but from the fact that they hire influencers, i don't think there was any different outcome. the demographic they cater to isn't the one that reads highly niche books or literary theory; so it is more of the same, without the ethical queasynessof being tied to the big five publishers....

[@pithygrapefruit]

I don’t think they’re going to differ much from the themes of general trad pub because it’s a populous vote. The majority of people like and read those. So they majority of people on bindery will too.

[@jaimee-kate]

@@pithygrapefruit Right but I was thinking it would be more niche because each creator would be bringing in their specific audience

[@jessicadoneganreads]

I feel like Bindry made big promises and that a mid first set of book launches makes sense to me, they can't live up to the hype when they're still kind of paving the way so to speak. I do think there's been more hype for these books from debut authors than I usually see so that's a win. And as far as the goal of getting more diverse voices in the publishing selection process and finding more diverse authors presumably writing the stories they want to write, it seems like as success. Something that worries me about the project is just that we don't give people the space to try something, fall short, and make corrections to improve. Not saying anyone has to love these books or keep buying them if they don't like them. An authentic review is valuable no matter if it's positive or negative. I'm just saying it's too early to really say anything about Bindry's success or failure.

[@JessOwens]

Very true. I’m interested to see how their books progress over time. I want to see if they become promoted like other trad pub books, like if I just hear about them randomly, not from seeking out Bindery’s titles, if that makes sense?

[@jessicadoneganreads]

@@JessOwens Makes total sense. We can only hope we just hear about the Bindery books like they're from an average publisher. We don't need another Red Tower Books where the books are infamous as much because of the publisher as they are for the story.

[@aluralorrell3297]

I had a friend get picked for a bindery, and he attended the launch in New York, and he's excited about working with them. I think they've cast a wide net of creators from different backgrounds.

[@moustik31]

I only know about them bec. MyNameisMarines has her own imprints in production. If the books are available internationally, I'll buy hers for sure. I LOVE her reviews! Edit: D*mn, those are some lackluster reviews! I guess, we are sticking to traditional publishing (and a few indie authors)! 😬

[@JessOwens]

Truly supporting indie authors seems a better bet

[@MrRorosuri]

House of frank sounds like it wanted to be foster 's home of imaginary friends

[@heabooktubes]

I have been sooooo skeptical about this lol.

[@HungryEyes-sl3mu]

Always appreciate your perspective on books, Jess, and it's always good to have/learn about other publishing avenues. However it is disappointing that these all sound pretty typical.

[@marygracewriting]

I am intrigued by Inferno's Heir. It sounds like its the one most honestly represented in the marketing strategy and back blurb. It will be interesting to see how the next batch of books is received. And you are so right about the lack of developmental editing in many books these days. I think it might stem from the desire to just pump out content and make money.

[@JessOwens]

I really think publishing as a whole is investing in the art and marketing of the books for sales. It makes me sad bc there’s so many great ideas but they need work!!!

[@TheBookHerm]

This was super helpful... thanks for doing this!

[@Maeve_Ever_Books]

I’m so glad you made this video! Lots of great insights.

[@CityGirlWriter]

I appreciate your reviews on these first set of Bindery Books. I'm glad you enjoyed Inferno's Heir despite that being young adult. I still want to read these books (I preordered one of them and have eARCs for the rest) and very curious to see how I will feel about them. Based on the marketing, I think these books are supposed to be standalone novels. I am nervous for Strange Beasts because I have also heard about the sapphic romance being middling. Personally, I am curious to see how these imprints will evolve in book acquisitions and hopefully editing in a few years. I will remain optimistic for the time being.

[@MeMyshelfAndI]

I actually really loved Strange Beasts, but I wouldn't enter into it expecting a sapphic romance. It's very very very very slow burn and I imagine will be developed over the series but is barely present at the end of this book. (Think Veronica and Stoker in the Veronica Speedwell series)

[@JessOwens]

Interesting bc some of these feel like there should be a sequel

[@balletbookworm]

Oh, and this just occurred to me, I've never quite figured out who does the editorial work at Bindery. Like, once the book is picked for an influencer's imprint, who does the developmental editing? The influencer? Or is the author on their own, like in self-pub? Which could explain why these are all "the writing is good but the storytelling isn't there" - it's like a couple of good rounds of dev edits might have fixed some of those

[@JessOwens]

Bindery uses a company (I think, have to check my notes) for editing. I think they also do the cover design? But they do have agreements for editing and distribution

[@orladdin]

In a weird coincidence, right after watching this video I was browsing new fantasy on an Australian site and saw both Inferno's Heir and Strange Beasts are being published here by Hachette and it's subsidiaries.

[@t.a.summers]

I appreciate you doing a video on this Jess, thank you. I'm not sure if I'm picking up any of these myself.

[@t.a.summers]

Also, Hell/Hele as a nickname? Why would they do that? Lena, Lene, Len, among others were right there! 🙃😫

[@JessOwens]

@@t.a.summersTHIS!!!!

[@Elizabeth-uu5tv]

Thanks for sparing us having to read these. None of them interested me. I do love Marines though so Im interested to see what her imprint produces!

[@JulieTheReader]

Elemental magic and revolution seemed like a neat combination, so I was already interested in Inferno’s Heir. Glad you covered it! Now I can go in with adjusted expectations. (Putting a hold on Strange Beasts at the library because the premise sounds fun and seasonal. Ooh! My hold on Thyme Travellers: An Anthology of Palestinian Speculative Fiction just came in. Nice.)

[@Ektambo]

If I see these at the library I might try them out for curiosity’s sake, but most of these sound kind of derivative of things I’ve already read so I’ll temper my expectations 🧐

[@JessOwens]

Borrowing them seems like a good idea!

[@balletbookworm]

Kind of not surprised that these seem kind of middling - with the "voting" of patrons involved, it did seem like regression to the mean would make it more likely to get something mediocre rather than breaking something unique. (Bc from the jump, House of Frank just sounded like Wayward Children x Cerulean Sea)

[@Yosoybean]

For the love of God, vote

[@JessOwens]

PLEASE!!!!

[@MrRorosuri]

The video is here 🙌🏾 ❤

[@renee_3364]

I was very interested in the concept of Bindery, but I didn't love the way they started off. I read and reviewed House of Frank and DNF'ed Inferno's Heir. House of Frank was a 2-star and probably will make my most-disappointing list at the end of the year. Inferno's Heir was just painfully average. Their first 4 titles are giving a "budget-store-version-of-popular-books"-vibe. Like: House of Frank is a clear TJ Klune-dupe, Inferno's Heir feels a little like a Leigh Bardugo-fantasy, the sherlock-holmes-retelling has been done to death by the likes of Kerri Maniscalco/Brittany Cavallaro etc. I wish they truly leaned more into their uniqueness than copying what the big-5 have already been publishing...

[@noelanikaanana]

Ive see two of the books around..but they didnt pull me in enough to pick them up at this point. Yes.... GO VOTE U.S. PEOPLE.

[@abigailb8206]

I still don’t see the benefit/revolution of bindery for the regular reader/reviewer. Seems SUPER cool for the influencer running the imprint but I just don’t ever see myself paying to be parasocial to their experience

[@Marie45610]

I also got And the Sky Bled from Netgalley. I didn't enjoy it either. I read it last month but I have no memory of anything that happened. I just remember feeling like it was half-baked.

[@isabellavalentine7268]

I read two of these Bindery books (after seeing bookcommunitea) and I agree- I was so underwhelmed with the two books I read. Strange Beasts was interesting to me until about chapter 18 and then I got bored and thought it was too long and dragged out. I thought House of Frank was cute, but just a rip off of House on the Cerulean Sea

[@NerdyNurseReads]

"It's not long" isn't really compliment lol

[@cassiemerson7789]

I like the idea of Bindery, pairing influencers with writers and they take submissions from un-agented authors which I think is great! The part that is a little wishy washy to me is the editing. Part of what agents do is edit and no shame to influencers but they generally aren't editors - so who is helping to make sure the characters are flushed out and that there is a story and not just plot? I bought Strange Beasts and Inferno's Heir but haven't read them yet.

[@JessOwens]

Hopefully you enjoy them!

[@michellecgb]

I liked Strange Beasts, it was entertaining, but I agree with you on the romance. That was the weakest element for me

[@JessOwens]

It was a quick read!

[@samantharose1001]

My name being Samantha 😂 I felt so called out during the review of that book

[@JessOwens]

😂😂😂

[@abigailb8206]

Can you pleeease read the unmapping so I don’t have to?

[@ohladysamantha]

thank you for your service with this. it's disappointing to hear that they aren't really breaking new ground compared to trad publishing. i do like two people who are working with bindery so I may check out their imprint's books but overall i'm not thrilled by this. the book with a protagonist named samantha.... i hate it here.

[@devlyn873]

Early voting here in MD opens tomorrow!

[@JessOwens]

🎉🎉🎉

[@notthemostread]

❤📖📚❤

[@yo.johnson]

This is the ONLY negative review for House of Frank that I have ever seen.

[@JessOwens]

I knoww. I didn’t see many and I hate I didn’t love it 😢

[@sims_books]

I feel so bad for these authors. Just because you’re an influencer doesn’t mean you’re a developmental editor-those are totally different skills. And Bindery doesn’t have any infrastructure to get these books into bookstores.