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Cry, Voidbringer

Elaine Ho

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In a broken system, do you save yourself or fight for the people you love?

With the godspower waning, the queen of Ashvi has had to find another way to bolster her fight against her imperialist oppressors. The solution: wrenching children of other cultures from their homes and conscripting them into service.

Hammer was one of those children. Now, she’s a jaded soldier waging Ashvi’s perpetual war, thinking only of her own survival. But when she accidentally rescues Viridian, a child with rare and potentially devastating powers, her priorities shift. The girl appears to be the answer to the queen’s prayers—the perfect weapon to restore her kingdom’s ancient borders, even if the colonized cities they reconquer don’t want her version of liberation. Can Hammer protect Viridian from the system that broke her . . . before the girl’s power is unleashed on the world?

Cry, Voidbringer is a gripping saga of how far one will go for freedom and control—and how easily it can all be taken away.

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Posts about this title from Left Unread Books

Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jun 22

Publishing Updates for all of our current projects

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jun 12

Do we have an award winner? TUNE IN!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Apr 30

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Apr 16

We officially have a bestseller! Can I share some thoughts?

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Apr 8

I love this community. Thank you.

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Mar 3

Help Cry, Voidbringer win the Ursula K. Le Guin

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Dec 26 2025

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Dec 5 2025

Hey, everyone! As you know, we read Cry, Voidbringer together last month! I don't know about you, but I had a great time revisiting the book. And to end the month, I reached out to Elaine and asked if she'd be open to joining us for a special bookclub meeting. AND SHE SAID YES!!!\ \ If you are free this upcoming Monday (December 8th) at 7pm CST, come join us for a fun dive into Cry, Voidbringer with the author. \ \ Here is the invite link for those of you who are available and able to join!\ \ https://us05web.zoom.us/j/87221470022?pwd=ks91no7CE9FG96cy4FNk5AYwakZLns.1\ \ Feel free to invite a friend. I would love for events like this to be an opportunity for us to introduce more people to the incredible community we've built here! Thanks, y'all!!!

UPCOMING EVENT: Bookclub with Elaine Ho

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Dec 3 2025

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Nov 17 2025

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Nov 15 2025

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Nov 7 2025

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Oct 31 2025

I Love You... say it back or else. (Kidding, but thank you!).

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Oct 26 2025

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Oct 23 2025

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Oct 22 2025

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Oct 21 2025

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Oct 13 2025

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Oct 7 2025

What are people saying about Cry, Voidbringer?

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Sep 26 2025

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Sep 25 2025

I'm ready to talk about Charlie Kirk and Christian Nationalism

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Sep 17 2025

Why pre-orders matter more for Black and brown authors

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Sep 3 2025

COMMUNITY ACTION: Please read this! Let's make Cry, Voidbringer famous!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Aug 22 2025

Cry, Voidbringer Bookbox Giveaway!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jul 18 2025

Excerpt of Cry, Voidbringer!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jul 16 2025

Racism, revisionist history and white entitlement

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jul 4 2025

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jul 3 2025

Link for Tonight's Family Chat

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jul 1 2025

Two chances to win an ARC of Cry, Voidbringer

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jun 27 2025

Pre-Order Update for Cry, Voidbringer

Cry, Voidbringer comes out in FOUR MONTHS. Let's talk about getting this book onto as many shelves as possible!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jun 25 2025

Black and brown readers, can we talk?

It has always been Black and brown readers who have forced this industry to take our stories seriously. And that is exactly what needs to happen now.

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jun 13 2025

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jun 6 2025

PUBLISHING UPDATES

Here is your monthly update for each of our projects, our acquisition efforts and the health/goals of the imprint as a whole! Thank you for investing in this community!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jun 4 2025

> DISCLAIMER: This blog does not have any spoilers in it. I am discussing themes that are right there in the book's description.\ \ There are many stories out there that have something meaningful to say about resisting colonialism. But the thing that stuck out to me about Cry, Voidbringer is that it approached the conversation from a question that I don't know that I regularly see asked. That question being: What effect has colonialism actually had on us?\ \ It's a powerful question. And a dangerous one. Because the truth is, the suffering we have experience has had an impact on who we are. It effects the way we move through the world, the way we process truth, even the way we identify ourselves. And that change is relevant as we engage in conversations, and actions, meant to break our people free.\ \ Cry, Voidbringer isn't solely about resistance. It is also about wrestling with what resistance is, what it is not, and what it could be.\ \ It is no secret that the British Empire was built off of the destruction and colonization of pretty much the entire globe. Empires were broken to create space for their colonial land-grab, cultures were erased, nations were broken apart, histories forgotten. That is what colonialism does. It takes, it erases, and it steals. And while we--the people stolen and erased--remain, our fight to survive has come with a cost. Pieces of ourselves lost, or changed, forever.\ \ This book assumes that the victims in its world have suffered in the very way that many of our own people have. That years prior to the start of this story, a great colonial power ravaged the world, breaking kingdoms, stealing land, erasing culture and history. And now, like our own world, time has passed and the iron-grip of that empire has waned. Though the effects and systems of its power have not. Nor has the pain of its victims.\ \ If ever there is going to be change, it is now.\ \ But what does that look like?\ \ Cry, Voidbringer is set in the remnants of a formerly great nation who was brutalized by the largest colonizing force of their age. For generations, they have been resisting. Fighting back, trying to not only break free from their oppressors, but to reclaim everything that was lost. This war has waged for a long time, and in an effort to turn the tides, they grew desperate and began to take children from a neighboring nation to train as elite soldiers in their fight against the colonial empire. Our FMC is one of those soldiers. Now an adult, Hammer is a brutal weapon in the hands of an angry Kingdom, bent on reclaiming everything they lost.\ \ As I said before, the questions being asked in this book are powerful and dangerous. Because what does liberation look like when the tools you fight with require the oppression of others? And is it actually freedom if the kingdom you are rebuilding doesn't want to be torn down again in the process? Is there even such a thing as a benevolent and righteous government?\ \ Who actually suffers in the fight for freedom?\ \ Often, these stories are told from the perspectives of scorned leaders. We see the jaded King fighting to rebuild his empire, or the ignored princess proving her worth, but we never see the pain their campaigns force on soldiers on the ground, or on mothers and fathers just trying to survive. We never ask what cost the citizens of their kingdoms pay to fund that "freedom". And that is not to say that pressing back against colonialism is ever the wrong call. It is only to ask what it means to press back and how we define oppression. Are the weapons of our abusers even capable of freeing us from them? And is it freedom to replace our abusers, instead of destroying the systems that allow them to rule us at all?\ \ This was a concept that led me to fall in love with The Poppy War trilogy. Because Kuang did something I had never truly experienced before in fantasy. She allowed me to focus more clearly on the effect of war on every day people than on the outcome of the war itself. We saw people on the ground starving and suffering, being slaughtered and erased, while powerful people sat on thrones, fighting over kingdom's that didn't represent actual humans to them. That is what leaves readers horrified as they read that trilogy, and it is the primary question of this story.\ \ That is why I call this an anarchist story. Because Elaine Ho does something truly brilliant in this book. She asks us to set aside our need for a cookie cutter answer and to instead wrestle with what colonialism and resistance actually mean. What does it look like when we begin to see the system itself as the enemy? And what do we do about it?\ \ Cry, Voidbringer is the first book in a planned duology and I need you to know, you will not leave this book ok. It does not provide easy answers. It doesn't allow us to sit in the promise that everything will be ok. And it isn't afraid of being honest about the motivations and desires of our characters. Sometimes what they want is freedom, sometimes it is revenge, sometimes it is power. But at all times, it is honest.\ \ There were so many moments in this story where I had to stop and ask myself how to reconcile choices that were being made, weapons that were used. Even relationships and alliances that existed. And often, I just couldn't. Not every decision is defensible and just. Because at the end of the day, the people at the bottom are the only actual victims, while the people we are conditioned to focus on are just fighting about who has the right to rule us.\ \ If you haven't already pre-ordered your copy, I want to encourage you to do so right now: https://bookshop.org/a/87137/9781964721521\ \ Pre-Orders make a difference in our early metrics, which will help us to push this book further and make sure it ends up in more hands. And if you want to help us build this community so that we can invest in even more projects like this, consider upgrading to a paid tier. Even just $5 a month makes a massive difference. \ \ Thanks for being a part of this community and I CANNOT wait for this book to be in all of your hands! \ \ If you want to read the first chapter, I will be releasing that for all of my paid subscribers in a few days. Along with some pretty in-depth commentary from Elaine herself. Feel free to upgrade if you'd like early access!

Cry, Voidbringer and the question of colonialism & resistence

Here are some of my more nuanced thoughts about our upcoming release: Cry, Voidbringer by Elaine Ho.

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • May 1 2025

Left Unread Events in May/Bookclub info

Here are links to our weekly family time zoon as well as some information on Bookclub! Check it out.

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Apr 26 2025

Psssst, you awake?

If you're up, let's talk real quick. If you're not, please read it tomorrow, because it's an important conversation. Thanks!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Apr 7 2025

Left Unread Bookclub 2025

Here is the list of books we will be reading in bookclub for the rest of the year.

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Apr 6 2025

Publishing Updates!

I have a couple of fun updates for you! Check them out and let me know if you have any feedback! Also, make sure you go to your account page and sync your Bindery account to discord. That will give you access to our subscribers only chat in the server and enable you to get earlier access to updates, as well as direct access to me and the rest of the publisher-level subscribers! Thanks!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Mar 30 2025

Do you want your name in Cry, Voidbringer?

Today is the last day you can get your name into our debut book--Cry, Voidbringer. Make sure you don't miss the deadline! I want everyone to know what you are helping to accomplish here!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Mar 17 2025

Cry, Voidbringer Discount: Community Action

There will be a pre-sale discount available for Cry, Voidbringer coming up. Here are all the details and how we can utilize this opportunity to push the book forward as a community. Thanks.

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Mar 13 2025

Publishing Updates!

Publishing update! Enjoy! And make sure you go join the discord for more regular updates. https://discord.gg/5Ze4eJMGxF

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Mar 11 2025

It's Netgalley Time!!!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Feb 26 2025

Wrestle

I am posting this a little late because it took me some time to sit and process what I was writing before I was ready to share it with you. But here are my thoughts as I sit with the heaviness of today. (TW: systemic oppression, death, racism)

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Feb 18 2025

Do you want your name in your favorite book of the year?

I don't know about you, but I would love to have my name listed in some of my favorite books. So many sure you take this chance to get yours listed in Cry, Voidbringer. Because I'm convinced it is going to be one of your favorite books of the year!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Feb 9 2025

Is Publishing Redeemable?

There is a lot that the publishing industry has to answer for. What I want to talk about in this essay is whether the system we currently have is actually fixable and, if not, what can we do?

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Feb 4 2025

Publishing Updates!

Here are some updates on our next few seasons of publishing!!!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Feb 1 2025

Day One of Black History Month

It's officially day one of Black History Month. Here are my thoughts going in. Come along for the journey!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jan 29 2025

Excerpt of Cry, Voidbringer!

I want to introduce you to two of my favorite characters from Cry, Voidbringer! You ready? AHH!!!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jan 22 2025

Want an early look at the finished cover of Cry, Voidbringer? Here ya go!

I'm going to keep this short and sweet because all I can think about is how badly I want you to SEE IT! So here you go!!!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jan 21 2025

You said you wanted an Anarchist fantasy novel in your life? Aight, bet...

I don't know if I told you, but we are putting out a book later this year about a woman who is wrestling with whether the country she has been forced to fight for is capable of reform, or whether she should help burn it down and start fresh from the ashes....any chance you want your name in the book?

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Dec 25 2024

I got y'all something for Christmas... here's a look at the cover concept for Cry, Voidbringer!

Do you want a sneak peak at the cover design concept we are going with for Cry, Voidbringer? Good, because I want to show it to you!!! Make sure you sync your discord so that we can talk about it more in depth after you take a look!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Dec 2 2024

What is Cry, Voidbringer about?

Imagine having to fight for a country that stole you from your home and forced you to become a warrior in their army, while fully believing they are justified in oppressing you because they, themse...

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Nov 29 2024

UPDATE: Cry, Voidbringer!

Here are some updates on where we are in production, including an update on the cover, the promotional text and the developmental edit process! Also... I included a top secret sneak peak for you.

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Nov 27 2024

New Milestone: We reached 1,500 community members this morning!

We reached a massive milestone today. And I want to talk about (1) why that matters and (2) where we are headed from here. We have a lot of work to do and I can't wait to see where we end up together!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Nov 24 2024

Behind the Curtain: The Second Draft is DONE!!!

Y'all... the next draft of Cry, Voidbringer is READY FOR ME TO READ!!! AHHHHH!!!!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Nov 20 2024

Can I share my end of year goals with you?

As the year draws to a close, I am very focused on getting our community ready for all of the work we will need to get done in 2025, so here is a little bit of what I am focused on going into December!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Nov 12 2024

Behind the Curtain: The Developmental Edit is in for Cry, Voidbringer!

Elaine has officially received her first round of developmental edit and is hard at work reshaping the story into an even better manuscript! If you want to read a snippet of the developmental edit letter and hear a little bit about what this process has looked like and what Elaine has left to work on, check out this blog! Thanks again for being here and I can't wait to bring you more updates!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Nov 1 2024

UPDATE: Cry, Voidbringer by Elaine Ho

We are at the end of our first week really diving into the work of bringing Cry, Voidbringer into the world! I thought I would take a moment to update you on all of the meetings/events Elaine and I were a part of this week and maybe set some expectations for future updates! (Oh, and there might just be a piece or two of character art for you to look at).

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Oct 29 2024

Come meet our first Left Unread author TONIGHT!!!

Hi! If you're a part of this community, this is the moment you've been waiting for! A chance to meet our first author and to celebrate this new part of the Left Unread Journey! Clear your calendar for tonight at 7:30 CST and make sure you are ready to come celebrate Elaine!!!!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Oct 26 2024

Meet the first Left Unread author: ELAINE HO!!!

We are publishing our first book together!!!! And I want you to come meet Elaine, the author of our first publication: Cry, Voidbringer!! This Tuesday, December 29th at 7:30 PM CST! Book and event info down below!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Oct 16 2024

Let's talk LOGO designs for Left Unread!

I received an email this morning with the first round of concepts for our official LOGO!!!! And I would love to hear your feedback before I email back to let the team know what direction I want to move in!!! Feel free to just tell me which is your favorite OR (and this is the option I hope you take), give me your thoughts on each. I'd love to know what works for you and what doesn't! I want to make sure this logo really speaks for this community well!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Oct 9 2024

So... I have some top secret, super exciting news!!!!!

I know you have been patiently waiting for news on our first acquisition. And I finally have some news for you! Click the graphic below to read up on what's happening!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Oct 5 2024

Let's catch up on the publishing front!

Our Imprint has been up for a little longer than three months and I thought it was time for a family meeting to talk through everything I've been working on and what you can expect in the immediate future! Click the graphic for details!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Aug 22 2024

I have news...

OK, I won't leave you in suspense! We have officially made an offer on a book! Check out the post below for information on what to look forward to!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Aug 22 2024

ANNOUNCEMENT: We officially made an offer!

This won't come as a shock to any of you...but we have officially made an offer on a book! Check out the details on what that means for us below!! AHHHHH!!!!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Aug 19 2024

I shared a post a few days ago, updating all of you on a manuscript I am really excited about. That being the anti-colonial story about a nameless/identityless warrior who is fighting to protect a young girl from falling into the clutches of empire just as she has. For more detailed information on that story, check out that post HERE\ \ As I shared in that post, I am really excited about this story. And the only real hesitation I had was that it is a part of a duology. Specifically because I am hesitant to take on a project without a clear vision of where the story is going.\ \ To help with that problem, I asked our Acquisitions Director to reach out to the author for a synopsis of book two, so that I can make sure I am on board for the conclusion of the story.\ \ And...well... I very much am!\ \ I heard back from the author earlier today and have had most of today to sit with the details of book two (which she was gracious enough to share in a very detailed letter) and I am even more obsessed with this story than I was before.\ \ I mentioned in my previous post that there were elements in this story that reminded me a lot of the Poppy War series by R.F. Kuang, and that came through even stronger in the synopsis of book two. The conclusion of the story reminds me a lot of the heaviness of The Poppy War series and I could not be more excited about the potential of being a part of a story like this.\ \ With all of that said, I really think this is the one! This story checks all of my boxes and fits very firmly in the type of stories that thrive on my platform. I think I could very successfully champion this author.\ \ I think it's it, y'all! I really do! And I could not be more excited. ( But keep in mind that nothing is for sure, as I have not had a conversation with the author about the potential of working together yet.)\ \ And that's not all I have been up to. I also reached out to one of the authors from my short list and initiated a conversation about their manuscript and we are having what I think could be a very productive conversation about potentially working together in the future. Obviously, there are no guarantees, but I loved their writing and would be interested in a different story from them, or even a different version of this same manuscript. We'll see where the conversation goes. I'll share more about that later, assuming there is news to share! For now...just know it's something I'm working on.\ \ I am also still in conversation with the author of Snow White Burns the Patriarchy. She is hard at work on that manuscript and, at this time, has every intention of working together to get the manuscript where she envisions it being!!! I won't offer any guarantees regarding future publication, because the author has every freedom to choose not to work with us if she doesn't want to later, but for now, my hope is very much that this book will have our stamp on it sooner rather than later!\ \ So a lot in the works!!\ \ AHHH!!!!!\ \ ​

Publishing Update

I shared about a manuscript that I am really excited about a few days ago. Here is the latest update! And make sure you give it a read... it's an exciting one.

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Aug 19 2024

[Good morning, everyone!\ \ I want to talk about Pitchfest, agented vs unagented authors, and what I am intending to do in this space to bring change to the industry.\ \ I have seen a couple of comments from people feeling that it is unfair to unagented authors for me to seriously consider an agented manuscript, and want to have a conversation about that. I was going to film a video, to keep it more personable and to make sure that my tone was understood, but I think better when I write, so i decided to do this through text instead. So my only ask is that you read this with the understanding that I am writing this to bring clarity and to engage in conversation with people I consider myself to be in community with. Please read it charitably, and with the understanding that I am not angry, frustrated, or annoyed. I am just bringing clarity because it was asked for. And if anything I say doesn't bring enough clarity, please ask for more clarity instead of leaving unsatisfied. I am not intentionally leaving any questions unanswered.\ \ So let’s dive in! Without addressing comments I received specifically, here are some of the bulletpoints I think we need to hit:\ \ 1. What is Pitchfest?\ \ Based on the comments I have received, I think that we are viewing Pitchfest as a publishing opportunity set aside for unagented authors. That is not what Pitchfest is. Our Imprint will be accepting manuscripts all year long, but we will only be publishing one to two books a year. Pitchfest does not present an addition opportunity for publishing. It opens the door for unagented authors to add their books to the already existing list of manuscripts we have received. But that doesnt mean we have the opportunity, as Imprints, to choose ANOTHER book from that pool specifically. It is the exact same publishing opportunity and process, with the door opening for unagented authors to present their work too for consideration. There is no guarantee or expectation that a book will be chosen from Pitchfest specifically.\ \ Hopefully, in the future, our community will have the resources to publish more books a year. But right now, this is where we are. We have a limited number of books we can publish a year, and Pitchfest ensures that unagented authors are considered equally. But not necessarily preferentially.\ \ 2. My Priorities with Pitchfest\ \ Now, I can’t speak for other Imprint’s priorities, so please understand that what I am going to say here only speaks for me and my own intentions. But I am absolutely prioritizing the least represented. I had access to manuscripts for weeks before my Imprint was even announced. And I did not read a single one of them, because I wanted to give space for unagented authors before I even touched those. That was not an expectation put on me. It was just based on my own priorities.\ \ And when Pitchfest happened, I very carefully read through those pitches and manuscripts. In fact, I searched very hard through my Pitchfest submissions, looking for a manuscript that really did the things I was looking for. And I found one. Snow White Burns the Patriarchy. That book checks every box I have. But it’s not ready. That’s a decision the author made, not me.\ \ I read through the rest of my short list, and even pulled in a few that were not originally on my short list, and I did not find a second one that checked the boxes I was looking for. And I think that is important to say here, because I think it may have come across as if I had a number of pitchfest books I was interested in publishing and then I saw an agented one and chose that one over them. That is not accurate.There were several I was potentially interested in, and I read more of them to determine if they were a good fit for what I am looking for, and they weren’t. (Which is not a reflection of the story, the author’s writing ability, etc. Some of them were VERY good books, as I have said multiple times. I am just looking for something specific.)\ \ I had already decided that I had not found a book among the pitchfest submissions before I even picked up the agented books. And once again, I think that is important to clarify here, because it needs to be said that I am not choosing an agented author over an unagented author. I chose an unagented author, they were not ready to publish, and there wasn’t a second unagented author that checked all of the boxes I was looking for. So I looked at the other list of books I have access to, and there happened to be one there.\ \ I understand the desire to pick an unagented book. Especially considering how much of this community is unagented authors. But I did give those books my first glance. And I SEARCHED for it there. If I had found what I was looking for, I would not have even hesitated to move forward. This is not an us vs them moment. I think I have proven over and over again that I am in love with indies and am focused on indies, but I am in this to change the entire industry for Black and brown people. And while choosing an unagented author does send a big message, so does publishing a story that strongly speaks for the vision I've spent two years putting out there. I wanted to be able to do both, but that didn’t shake out this round. And I truly believe that is largely because my imprint was announced just weeks before Pitchfest, so there are many authors who did not have time to finish projects they were working on, etc. I am very hopefull that next pitchfest will have even more submissions. I also want to expand what I’m looking for with future books, but I am looking for something very very specific with our first book, and I just didn’t find it. And I think I would be doing a disservice to our community, and to a woman of color, if I were to throw away a book that checked every box because it didn’t come from an unagented author. She is still a woman of color and deserves to be put in the hands of someone who will fight for people of color as hard as I will. Because, if we are being honest, we know i’m going to fight harder than trad publishers are going to. Because even with agents, Black and brown people are almost always failed.\ \ 3. Regarding The books I said I wanted to see resubmitted\ \ I want to be clear that I am not making my choices based on which books need the least amount of work. I agree that it would not be fair to compare an agented book to an unagented one, because agented authors have already had the support of other people looking at their manuscripts and will therefore be further along usually (not always). I was fully aware of that going in, and I have zero problem picking an exceptional story that needs support. That’s the point of a publisher. I am not looking for the book that is in the best shape. I am looking for the story that most closely aligned with what I am looking for.\ \ There are two reasons I said there are a few i’d love to see resubmitted.\ \

• Because while I have something very specific in mind for our first book, that doesn’t speak for every book we will publish together. There are stories that did not check the boxes I’m looking for with our first publication, that I may be interested in championing under different circumstances. For instance, I want to eventually publish a Black romance that deals with some of the specific joys and challenges of being a Black couple in this world. But it would not have made sense to do that with our first book, because my platform was not built off of romance. Our first book needs to speak to the platform I've already built. This is where we prove that our efforts to change the game are going to be successful. And from there, we can grow what we are looking for.\
• There are stories that I loved the bones of, but did not feel were structurally ready to be submitted to a publisher. And yes, there is work we will do together to improve any manuscript we sign, but it would be a disservice to an author to sign them before their book is ready to begin this process. Editing and publishing deadlines are incredibly stressful, so asking an author to meet those deadlines while adding the extra stress of an entire re-rewrite and restructure is not reasonable. Or doable, honestly.\ \ Please know, I am not passing over books lightly. And I hope that my track record of championing indies helps to put your mind at ease. I am not comparing agented and unagented authors. I am prioritizing change in the industry. And that change looks like access for all Black and brown people. I do not consider it a compromise to work with an agented author. I would consider it one to prioritize them, but i have been very careful not to do so. I prefer that I find books as far in the margins as I can, and I have been working with multiple indie authors in DM's to talk through books they want to bring me for future publications. I have and will continue to do everything I possibly can to make this industry create space for Black and brown people.\ \ I also want to clarify that agented does not mean traditionally published. It means represented. It is a hard door to get through, and I get that. But these authors have not won anything. They are still Black and brown people, many of them with additional marginalizations and barriers that ensure they won't make it through the publishing door either. And I think it is important that we remember that. My goal is access for Black and brown people. Not to replace the Black and brown authors who are being failed differently. I want change for them too.\ \ With that said, my comment section is open and so is my discord. Share your minds, friends. I want to flesh out this conversation fully, because ultimately, we are a community and whatever book I end up going with will depend on this community's support. But I just wanted to provide this clarity. If we end up not publishing a book this first year, that is ok. We don't HAVE to put one out immediately.\ \ (Also, PLEASE hear me when I say that I am not saying that the unagented books I received were not as good of a book. If that is what you are hearing, please believe me when I say that isn't true. I am saying that I am looking for a specific type of story and am very invested in finding that for our first book. I was not just reading all of the books so i could figure out which story was the best. I was searching through a bunch of good books for one that fit what I was looking for.)\ \ ​\ \ ​\ \ ​\ \ ​](https://leftunreadbooks.binderybooks.com/item/7TShpJSZ2VhUBheizmep/)

Let's Talk Pitchfest & Agented books vs Unagented books

I have had a few commenters express discomfort with an agented manuscript being in the running for our first publication. So I want to talk about it. Let me know your thoughts, y'all. You know how we do here. There's an open door for communication.

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Aug 16 2024

Publishing Update: This MAY be the one 🤞🏽

Nothing is for sure yet, but this book is really calling to me! It may be the one 😱

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Aug 16 2024

[As you know, I have been searching for the perfect manuscript to be our first Left Unread book! And I have been STRUGGLING. Over the last month, I have read SO many incredible books. I read a chapter from each of the 30+ books submitted to us through the Pitchfest and the 10+ agented books that I found interesting. And out of all of those books, I've come across 13 total that I thought had potential to be the kind of story I am looking for.\ \ So I have been BUSY for the last month, reading through manuscripts, searching for the PERFECT manuscript. And honestly, a lot of these books really spoke to me, for various reasons. Some of them for the incredible writing, some of them for the ambitious storylines or the dynamic characters, etc. I feel so privileged because I've been able to spend the last five weeks reading some truly incredible authors. But I was struggling, because while many of them were really good books, they just weren't the very specific thing I am looking for. And honestly, I was getting a little discouraged over the last week, wondering if I was even going to find one! Because while many of them interest me, and I think would do well in my hands, I really really wanted our FIRST publication to have some really big conversations. That has been the mark of my content. Books that say something challenging about the world. And I wanted that for our first one! Something dystopian or a fantasy that was heavy on the dismantling of systemic oppression.\ \ And don't get me wrong, that's not ALL I want to publish. I am very open to publishing a wide variety of stories. But I wanted the first one to really dive into some of the themes I built this community talking about! (And some of these books did that on a smaller scale, which is fine! I am not diminishing those stories or saying they don't say important things.).\ \ I found one during pitchfest that really did what I was looking for, but after speaking to the author, it seemed a better fit to pursue for a later publication! (Which, no promises there, but at this point, I am very eager to figure out a timetable with that author so that we can stamp the Left Unread seal on it--meaning Snow White Burns the Patriarchy, of course). But that left me without a sure manuscript for the 2025 Fall season.\ \ Well...the one I just read is a strong contender. So let's talk about it:\ \ This is a dual POV fantasy, following three women in a small nation that has spent the better part of a century fighting for it's independence from a larger aggressor:\ \

• One of them is a warrior who was taken as a child from a neighboring nation and raised to be a soldier in the Queen's war for independence. She is a ruthless warrior who is not only accomplished in battle, but has built her entire identity around her ability to kill for a Queen who robbed her of her own family, home and culture. She has no public name of her own, no identity outside of her service, and is forced to wear a mask at all times to ensure anonymity and conformity.\
• The second POV is a more senior member of that warrior sect who, despite being a second-class servant as well, has somehow risen to one of the highest positions in the nation as advisor to the Queen. She is fighting between advocating for her people and fighting to distance herself from the shame of being one of them. Her entire life is about nudging the Queen in the right direction while helping her to oppress her own people for a kingdom none of them are quite allowed to exist in.\
• And the third POV is a small child who is rescued from their larger oppressor because of her potential for supernatural power. She knows there is a chance that, if her power ends up being unhelpful, she will be left for dead. But if it ends up being helpful...she will be turned into a weapon just like everyone else under the Queen's rule. Because at the end of the day, her only value is as an asset in a war that has nothing to do with her.\ \ This story follows these women as they pursue their own aims, while their stories interconnect and weave together a tale about colonization, oppression, and the perpetual victimhood of the people under empire, regardless of empire's aims. While reading this story, I found myself wrestling with questions about freedom, oppression, and the concept of empire. Because in the hands of empire, even liberation is a weapon against the oppressed. This book had me unsure who the good guys are, who the bad guys are, and what it means to truly be free.\ \ I took plenty of notes on areas where I thought the story could expand, grow and develop, but overall, this story was masterfully told. And my brain is already churning out all of the incredible conversations that I could have with this story!\ \ Here are some of the comparisons I drew as I read:\ \
• Watching our characters be reduced to their service to empire reminded me a lot of the primary conversation happening in The Name Bearer by Natalia Hernandez. Throughout that series, we are following a young woman who was taken by her family and stripped of everything that made her her own person. She has no family, no home, no posessions...not even her own name. She exists only to fulfill her role to empire. And that is a major theme in this story. No one--not even the Queen--has real atonomy. Everyone exists as a pawn in the all-consuming fire of empire.\
• Engaging with our FMC's reminded me a lot of the way NK Jemisin navigated The Broken Earth series. We know early on what players hold power in this kingdom, what their aims are, and just how hopeless its people are. We are watching as they suffer, hoping with them as they fight against the system...while knowing just how little chance they have of actual escape. It reminded me of the absolute hopelessness of Jemisin's characters, and just how desperate they had to get to actually get freedom within reach.\
• One of the things that impacted me most about The Poppy War series by RF Kuang was just how willing Kuang was to confront us with the horror of war. She never asked us to focus solely on the powerful. She let us see as the common folk suffered under the weight of war. This book does that as well. We are not just watching our main characters fight in a war. We are seeing the effect their war has on the people who have no power to fight for themselves. And i find that so powerful. Because that is the position our readers are in in the real world.\ \ One of the things that makes me hesitate is that it is a duology. The book had a very strong conclusion to this story, but it opened the door to a massive development that I am VERY CURIOUS ABOUT. But I would want to know where the second half of the story is going before I could really commit to it. Because colonization and oppression are massive conversations. I would hate to commit to a story this ambitious and then find out later its heading in a direction that I couldn't co-sign. But based on THIS story, I'm not too concerned about that. (I have asked our team to reach out for some clarity there so we can make an informed decision).\ \ Let me know what you think about what I've shared in the comments below, and over on discord!\ \ I am very interested in both of the stories mentioned here, and if our stars are aligned, we could absolutely release this story in Fall of 2025, and then have just as strong of a follow up with Snow White Burns Down the Patriarchy in Sping of 2026. (Don't quote me on that, because obviously neither author has actually signed on. I am dreaming here, not announcing how things will go.)\ \ But yeah...I am pretty interested in that thought. Putting out two very strong female driven stories back to back, written by women of color who have a lot to say about challening empire? Kinda a good vibe, right?\ \ Let me know what you think. Like I said, there are some others I would be interested in the future I think. Some, as is. Some, contingent on some redirection. But here is where I am looking for our debut and second launch...assuming both authors are interested.\ \ I am not SOLD yet. But I could be. How do y'all feel about these two stories? Would you be in for helping me chamption two strong FMC stories in a row? Or should we keep looking? It's really not the end of the world if we don't find something immediately. Agents will continue submitting manuscripts, and there will be future pitchfests as well! We can take our time if the stories we have in front of us aren't speaking to us!\ \ Share your thoughts and ask your questions! Let's talk this out for real! I meant it when I said I want to do this together. I don't want to make a decision without considering your thoughts and ideas!!!\ \ ​\ \ ​](https://leftunreadbooks.binderybooks.com/item/Kp1hHIcCwwhlKKRAM9W8/)

Publishing Update: Finger's Crossed... we might have something here!!!

I am feeling really really good about the manuscript I just finished reading this morning and I wanna talk about it! Click down below to read about this manuscript and what next steps may look like...because this might be it, y'all!!! So make sure you engage. I want us to talk this out as a community!!!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Aug 11 2024

This has been one of the hardest decisions of my life and it's driving me crazy that I haven't been able to make it yet! But here's where I'm at!\ \ I read through all of the pitches and narrowed it down to 11 manuscripts that I was potentially interested in. From there, I read 50 pages of each manuscript, and was able to narrow those down to 2 books I was very interested in, as well as a few maybes.\ \ Well, I have officially read all of those, and I am still unsure how to move forward!\ \ As you may recall, the two books I was very interested in were _Snow White Burns the Patriarchy _and _Black Boy with the Magic Pen. _I loved both of these books and saw (and still do) incredible potential in them. I ended up moving on from _Black Boy with the Magic Pen _because it didn't quite fit the very specific type of story I am looking for for our debut! Which left me believing that Snow White Burns the Patriarchy would be our debut pick! Except, as I told you before, there are a few things I would like to see happen with that manuscript before I would be ready to make an offer. So let's talk about it.\ _Snow White Burns the Patriarchy _is about three women who live in a war-torn Kingdom who are both trying to survive the effects of war, but also the reality of living under a patriarchial society. The author was inspired by the relationship between Snow White and the evil Queen. She was bothered by the fact that the evil Queen, like most women, was never allowed the benefit of context. She is just the villain. Nothing more, nothing less. No one cares how she ended up positioned that way. And this story is the author's attempt to remind the world that women are just as complex and nuanced as men, and deserving of context. Throughout this story, we are watching as women on every side of this conflict navigate the world, suffer under men, and are shaped into both heroes and villains simply because of their position in the world.\ \ This story says powerful things about the world we live in, about patriarchy, and about women's place in media... and I am in love with it. However, it is a very early draft and having read it, I felt it needed a little love before it was ready. Which is why I reached out to the author late last week. We had a very nice chat about the book. I asked her what her vision was for the story, and what she thought it needed before it was ready to go out into the world. And honestly, the two of us had very similar ideas on what the story offers, what it needs, and what all needs to happen to get it ready for publication. A lot of that can happen during developmental edits. But the author and I agreed that, for the story to be as impactful as it can be, it needs a little more content before we even get to that. So while I am still INCREDIBLY interested in partnering with this author, it would not be for this first publication. So definitely keep your eyes peeled for this one. Fingers crossed it will end up a Left Unread Publication!!!!\ \ So yeah...back to the drawing board!\ \ I read through my maybes and one of them did stand out to me. _The Undead Warrior _is a high fantasy that spoke to me because of its anti-colonial themes. It was a thick book and the first of a duology, and it took me a fair amount of time to get through! But I loved it. Let's talk about it!\ \ This book follows an undead warrior who has come to the human world in search of his brother and squandron that have gone missing. Instead of finding them, he finds some of his people's bodies, covered in markings that suggest they were killed by a curse. When he confronts the human king, he accidentally kills him, and ends up on the run with a magic user who accidentally binds their fate together and a bounty hunter who is determined to protect them both. It is filled with action, intense fighting, beautiful displays of magic, found family, and pretty big conversations.\ \ I loved this book and see a lot of value in it, but it didn't really call to me. I think it's a fine book and I suspect that it will be an incredible duology, but this first book in the duology didn't give me enough of the conversation to really be able to champion this story. I really want our debut to be something that truly stands out for its real-world conversations.\ \ So where does that leave us? I am currently reading through a book that was submitted last week by an agent, and it is really promising._ _It is about a woman who is a part of a warrior sect who are born and bred for service in order to help the queen overthrow colonial forces that have invaded her kingdom. Our FMC only cares about her own future, knowing there is no way to escape the systemic injustice she's been forced to live under in the name of freedom...that is, until she happens across a small child that reminds her of herself. She makes it her mission to help this girl understand herself and to prepare the girl to resist the Queen's attempts to turn her into the same kind of weapon she was turned into.\ \ I find this story pretty fascinating. I am only a few chapters in and am unsure how quickly I will finish as I currently have covid and am struggling to get much reading done! But I will update you as I go.

Publishing Update #7,358,478

We are a month into our search for our debut release and here is an update of where we are! Let me know your thoughts in the comments and then head over to discord so we can talk more!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Aug 7 2024

Publishing Update: We’re almost there!

I am down to two books and I honestly do not know which is gonna be it. Ahhhhh! We’re at the end of this process! Let me know you’re thoughts!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Aug 4 2024

TAVERN by Deston Munden: This book follows Xel, a tavern owner and leader of a notorious mercenary group. He is an ORC, but unlike the Orcs that are typically portrayed in fantasy, he is not a violent, savage brute. Munden works to unravel decades of anti-Black stereotypes that are attached to this fantasy race by giving us an Orc who is soft, loveable, and kind while still being every bit as powerful as every other member of his race we've met. In this story, Xel heals a group of people who are suffering, which puts him on the radar of a group of assassins who are working to destabalize Xel's city. In order to survive, he must get to the bottom of their evil plan and unite his community in standing against them. This book is classic high fantasy with a strong pro-Black undertone. I knew I wanted to be a part of this project the moment I read it, and so, together with the author, I helped to get the book a new cover and to relaunch it with a strong media campaign. I am very proud of this project and would love to see it grow even bigger with the next two books in the already finished series!\ _**Devil of the Deep by Falencia Jean-Francois: **_This book is a high-fantasy queer pirate mermaid story that follows a young mermaid who is forced to flee from an underwater cult that has taken firm control of her community. She flees to the above sea world with an artifact her uncle entrusts to her and ends up partnering with a notorious pirate and a navy-captian who is struggling to deconstruct the colonial religion that has a grip on his organization in order to protect the artifact and hopefully save the world from utter destruction. I did not have a part in publishing this book but I have spent the last few months strongly championing this book and fighting to get Falencia's name into every corner of BookTok. And I think I have been pretty successful in helping to make sure everyone heard about this book. It is one of the best books I have ever read, and if you haven't read it...fix that, friend.\ \ MAY A DIVINE AWAKEN by Michael Tinsley: This book is another fantasy. It is about a young boy who is struggling to find his place in the world. Due to a skin condition (vitiligo), he has been partially ostracized from his community. And on top of that, he lives in a world that is devastatingly divided by things like gender, class, and power, which further isolates him. In his world, an order of people with supernatural power work together to protect eight sacred keys. If those keys are combined they can be used to unleash an unbelievable power. And of course, our main character finds himself caught right in the middle as the world's major players decide its time to make their bid for that power. After a team of mercenaries destroy his town, he ends up on the run, fighting to find answers and to unleash a power he has always dreamed of so that he can save his people from unfit rulers and powerful tyrants. I did not help publish this, but I have been taking a very special interest in promoting it as far and wide as I possibly can and have played a huge role in getting this book into hundreds of hands. And I fully intent to continue championing it until Tinsley is a household name.\ \ Why am I telling you this?\ \ Two reasons... first, because I want you to be aware of these books adn to buy them if they speak to you. And two, because I want you to see that our goals are acheivable! Fighting for indies is not hopeless. Here are three examples of authors I have been able to partner with to bring ACTUAL change to people's careers. And TOGETHER as a community, we can do that same thing for soooo many more authors.\ \ This community is giving me so much hope. This work has been so lonely! And I am so thrilled by the chance to do all of this at a much larger level, and it is all thanks to you!\ \ Thank you for being here!!\ \ (Also, if you want to be a part of choosing and championing whatever book we will publish together as Left Unread Books, make sure you are subscribed at the $5 tier or higher so you have access to the publishing content!)\ \ ​

Here are some indie books I have helped with in the past!

Our Bindery community may be new, but this vision is not new. I have been in this work, and here are just a few projects that I have helped to either publish or market in the past year or two! Check them out and give them some love if they sound interesting to you!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jul 31 2024

Publishing Update! WE’RE SO CLOSE!!!

We are very close to picking out our first book to publish as Left Unread Books! Watch the video below for a full update and for info on how to get involved in making space for Black and brown authors!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jul 30 2024

Snow White Burns the Patriarchy: My reaction to the FULL manuscript

I finished reading Snow White Burns the Patriarchy late last night and took today to really sit down and think about the manuscript, how I feel about the story/writing, and whether I think my platform would be receptive to the story. Here are my thoughts. The video is around 3 minutes long. Check it out when you have a moment and let me know your initial thoughts!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jul 28 2024

[My Short List as of Now\ \ DEFINITES\ \

• **Snow White Burns the Patriarchy: **I am sure none of you are surprised this one made it onto the list. Not only did the pitch and the first fifty pages blow me away, but you all seemed to really resonate with this story as well! So it will naturally be the first one I read in it's entirety!\
• **Black Boy with the Magic Pen: **This story also really spoke to me. I loved the pitch and the premise really called to me. I read about fifty pages and those were compelling, well written and very imaginative. So I will definitely be reading this entire manuscript as well.\ \ MAYBES\ \
• **Inhuman Curse Breaker: **This story was very strong, the pitch called to me very strongly, and the writing was incredible. I feel attached to these characters. It did not start having the conversations I am looking for, but the pitch and premise promise that it does, so I am very interested! It didn't grip me QUITE as hard as **Snow White Burns the Patriarch **and Black Boy with a Magic Pen, but it did grip me very hard! Let me know if you want more of this one. I could go either way.\
• Uncle Ghost Boy: Another one I could go either way on. It was a great premise and an incredibly first fifty pages. The book was a tiny bit short for the amount it is attempting to do, but based on everything the author accomplished in those first fifty pages, I have pretty strong confidence they manage to accomplish their goals even in the lower number of pages. And I am perfectly fine with a short book if it told the whole story! Let me know if this one calls to any of you.\
• **Urban Gothic Demon Town: **This is not necessarily the type of book I pictured publishing, but it did grip me something fierce! As you may recall, the first chapter really didn't do it for me, but y'all pushed me to keep reading and you were so right! I am very interested where this story goes, and if it continues down the track it has been, I could see myself really loving this one!\ \ AS FOR THE OTHERS\ \ Every single one of those eleven books spoke to me. It was hard not to include some of them on this list. In fact, even as I type this, I am tempted to throw a few more on. But ultimately, I know that these four gripped me the hardest. Not necessarily because the other books weren't written as well. Some of them were clearly masterpieces! But these are checking a lot of the boxes I created for myself while planning out what I want _Left Unread Books _to look like! So I am setting down some that I REALLY LOVE in order to chase stories that I think have the best shot of really appealing to my audience and going far within the community I have influence with.\ \ If there are any not on my list that you think I am making a mistake in not having on this list, let me know why you think so in the comments or over on discord and we can talk through it! It probably wouldn't take long to get me to read more books! BAHAHA!!!](https://leftunreadbooks.binderybooks.com/item/98vIsD8hRGlyqNs50acv/)

Let's put together our short list!!!!

I have read the first 50 pages of all 11 manuscripts that I was potentially interested in and posted a summary of my experience with each book for you! Which means it's almost time to pick a book to make an offer on! But first... here is my short list of books I want to read all the way through. If you would like to make a case for a book that hasn't made it onto my list, please do so in the comments or on discord! Happy to hear you!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jul 28 2024

ANCIENT SAPHIC FANTASY\ \ This story follows a couple as they navigate a new romance between them while juggling living in a world where they hold multiple marginalized identities, alongside a set of supernatural powers that put them in constant mortal danger. One of them is not only trying to juggle new love in a dangerous world, but also trying to remember the centuries of life they know hides behind a mental block they are struggling to overcome. From what I've read, it feels like this story is going to have large reflective conversations about the nature of the world, systemic power, oppression and the reality of existing in this world with identities that bring you pain.\ \ The first fifty pages were both sweet, endearing and powerful. There was plenty of action, but also plenty of sweet moments where we just get to know these two people and the growing affection they have for one another. In the pitch, the author called it a slow burn, but we jump right in very early on the page. But watching them grow in love with each other is so beautiful! There are also a few moments where our characters demonstrate raw power and commitment to use that power to protect one another and the love they share. Which was beautiful to witness!\ \ I did enjoy my experience with this story, but I don't think it quite fits what I am looking for. While I loved the romance aspect of this book, it takes a more central role than the more fantasy-related elements, and in general, romance heavy books are not my bread and butter. Not that I do not ever enjoy them--I am enjoying THIS one, in fact--but that just isn't quite what I focus on in my reading, or in the work I spend significant time fighting for.\ \ I'm not opposed to picking up romance-heavy books, but I think I really want our FIRST publication to be something that SUPER fits the niche I have become known for. I want this first book to really speak for me and the community we have built here. So I think this one may be a tiny bit outside of what I'm looking for. Though, I repeat--It was VERY GOOD!\ \ ​\ \ ​

PITCHFEST UPDATE: Manuscript 11

ANCIENT SAPHIC FANTASY: Check out my thoughts on the first fifty pages below!!!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jul 27 2024

UNCLE GHOST BOY\ \ Let me tell you, these chapters were a RIDE!\ \ This story follows a young root user who can see ghosts. And when her uncle dies unexpectantly, she uses her root magic to help him move on...only for a new preacher in town to call his spirit back for devious purposes. Now, she must fight against dark forces to stop her Uncle's spirit from stealing the breath of an innocent and losing any chance of rest on the other side.\ \ I knew I was interested in this story when the author compared it to books like Mexican Gothic, Blood at the Root and Toni Morison's Beloved. But boy did the story deliver! Right off the bat we were introduced to Black people in the midst of messy grieving. And we watch as our main character fights for her uncle while having to face the scrutiny of everyone around her, many of whom think she is a bit "touched". And within these fifty pages, we don't only get to know our main character incredibly well, but we are introduced to her family, her closest friend, and get a plethora of information on who she is as a person and what her power looks like.\ \ I was incredibly impressed with these first fifty pages. There were moments that had me wide-eyed, moments that had me side-eyeing, and moments that had me so invested I didn't know if I'd be able to put this book down.\ \ I am not yet sure if this story is going to have the kind of conversations I am looking for, so I can't say for sure if it's gonna end up being a good pick for me. But I am definitiely impressed with this story.\ \ At this point, it is a strong maybe. Let me know what you think below or on discord!

PITCHFEST UPDATE: Manuscript 10

UNCLE GHOST BOY: Read below for my thoughts on the first 50 pages!!!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jul 27 2024

COZY CITY OF THE DEAD\ \ Y'all, these first 50 pages FLEW BY!\ \ This story is about a retired warrior who once turned on the evil overloard he served in order to save the world. Now, in his death, he has been forced to retire to a small town of the dead, where he is taking up an old passion... cooking.\ \ When I tell you this story has been so well written that it hurts my spirit, I need you to believe me. The world building is immaculate and the characters have a life of their own. This was not only easy to read, it was an incredible pleasure to. I loved every moment of my experience with this book so far.\ \ With that said, it is very cozy. Which I knew it was going in. And I do enjoy cozy fantasy, but I don't know that it widely appeals to my audience. The majority of the work I do is with literature that is filled with major conflict and conversations about the global fight for liberation. I really enjoyed this story... like I REALLY enjoyed it... but I'm not sure I have the brand that will make it a success. So I am hesitant to short list it, knowing I may not be the best voice to champion this story.\ \ Let me know your thoughts in the comments or over on discord!

PITCHFEST UPDATE: Manuscript 9

COZY CITY OF THE DEAD! Read below for my thoughts on the first 50 pages!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jul 27 2024

I am so grateful for every single one of you that are here, whether you are a paid subscriber or a free follower! The number one goal here is COMMUNITY! When our first book comes out, I will need ALL OF YOUR help to make sure it is a massive success! So thank you so much for being here and being a part of making this dream a reality!\ \ If you want to be a part of choosing a manuscript to make an offer on, and a part of the publishing process once we sign our first author, make sure you are subscribed to a paying tier! The lowest of which is cheaper than a cup of coffee ($5). But if you are not interested in doing that, I'm still glad you're here! Get ready for more book reviews and bookish content! I have been crazy busy reading through all of these manuscripts, but that part of this is almost over and I will be back to my normal content schedule!!!\ \ Thanks for being here! Can't wait to change an author's life with your help!!!

Publishing Update

Hey, everyone! We are fifteen days post Pitchfest and I have almost narrowed down my final list of books! I have spent the last week reading the first 50 pages of all of the manuscripts that really called to me, and I have three more to go before I put together my short list of books and read through those entire manuscripts! If you want a sneak peak at what I have been reading and be a part of picking out a manuscript we LOVE, make sure you're subscribed to the $5 tier or higher! You can upgrade in the "Manage My Account" page (top right hand corner)! And hurry up, there are already like ten posts for you to catch up on! Bahah! :)

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jul 27 2024

GOTHIC DEMON TOWN\ \ What can I say? Y'all were right! When I read the first chapter early on, my only hesitation was that the story opened fairly slowly. And you all told me to keep going because a more gothic story is always going to start slow. And I'm glad I listened, because the next few chapters were phenomenal!\ \ The story is about a small american town that is riddled with dark magic and supernatural creatures. It is a dual POV, the first being a man who has to return to this town after the death of his father, despite years of being estranged from his entire family. And our second POV is the devil himself. Turns out, our town is SO evil that the devil, himself, feels the need to intervene.\ \ I am enthralled! And funny enough, the devil is my favorite character so far! I don't typically read gothic stories, or much urban fantasy, but this is giving strong Mexican Gothic vibes and I LOVED Mexican Gothic.\ \ I think it's fair to say we are adding this one to our short list and reading the rest of the book!

PITCHFEST UPDATE: Manuscript 8

GOTHIC DEMON TOWN! I just finished the first 50 pages! See my thoughts down below!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jul 27 2024

STREET THIEF\ \ This story follows a street thief who has supernatural power over other people's memories. Early in the story, she uses her power to steal important information for a growing revolutionary group. However, when that plan goes badly, she, her best friend, and two of their enemies have to work together to uncover the dark underworkings of their city. This is a story about colonialism and dark reality of government.\ \ I loved the first fifty pages. Filled with action every step of the way, as well as incredibly characters with a diverse set of personalities. It was a pleasure meeting each of these characters and I can already see the themes working themselves into the story. The story was very compelling and I love the author's quick-writted and exciting writing. But I am hesitant on this one because it is pretty short, especially considering the very big subject matter. I am open to reading the rest of this one, but based on what I've read so far, I I am wondering if we have enough pages to fully flesh out this plot.\ \ Which...I am very open to working with an author to flesh out a story idea that has a lot of potential, and this one certainly does. Let me know what you think. And if I don't move forward with this one, I very much hope to see it again in a future pitch fest.

PITCHFEST UPDATE: Manuscript 7

STREET THIEF! Check out my thoughts after the first fifty pages down below!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jul 27 2024

Inhuman Curse Breaker\ \ This story gripped me from the very first paragraph. It is a multi-POV, action heavy story. One of our main characters--an inhuman--has spent centuries fighting against their supernatural enemies, but when his brother's squadron goes missing, he must go into the human world to look for him, where he finds an ancient curse that must be broken in order to save everyone. But when things go wrong and the human king ends up dead, and he ends up supernaturally tied to an inept magic user, the two of them must flee before the humans can find them and put them to death.\ \ This story is speculative fiction and, based on these first fifty pages, I suspect is going to have some pretty big conversations about history, oppression and what it means to exist in a world where your identity is considered a mark against you.\ \ I loved every second of my experience with this first chunk of the book and am very interested in reading more.\ \ I'll let you know where it lands when I get through the last five!\ \ Off to our next manuscript!!!

PITCHFEST UPDATE: Manuscript 6

Check out my thoughts on the first fifty page of our next manuscript!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jul 26 2024

Ancient Creature From Below\ \ On the brink of a sensless war, a desperate explorer goes out in search of help, only to uncover an ancient creature living beneath an inactive volcano...along with it's unhatched embryo...which she takes, of course. Only, instead of saving her people, she ends up waking the creature and submitting her people to unimaginable danger.\ \ This book has me interested. It feels very enviornmentally driven and the imagery is beautiful. I could imagine every moment of our main character's experience during these first fifty pages, and struggled to put the book down once I had reached my stopping point. The author did a great job giving their characters strong voices and personalities and I found myself wanting to get to know these characters better. I also think there is room for this story to have a great conversation about colonization, which I am very interested in.\ \ I am not yet completely sold on this premise yet, because in general, mythical creatures are not my ballpark. With that said, I do find myself wanting to know what happens next. So this one is a strong maybe for me. I may revisit it after I have made my way through the other manuscripts. I am not 100% decided one way or another.

PITCHFEST UPDATE: Manuscript 5

I read the first 50 pages of this manuscript, as promised, and have shared my thoughts below! Check it out and let me know what you think!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jul 26 2024

This book is a dual POV that follows two women who each have a unique attachment to a monster that has lived beneath a theme park for years. Our first POV is from one of the park’s employees. Her job is to negotiate the release of any children that the monster manages to get its hands on—a job that comes with great personal risk…and loss. The second POV is one of the children she managed to save years ago. Now all grown up, there is something about the park that still calls to her. Which ends up reconnecting her with her childhood hero as they work together to take down the beast that has haunted both of their lives.\ \ The premise of this story was really fascinating to me. I love speculative horror. And I loved the uniqueness of having a heroine partner with one of her enemy’s previous victims in order to confront the creature once and for all. That really called to me. And I enjoyed getting to know both of our main characters and seeing the unique relationship they each had with the monster of our story. However, this story didn’t deeply grip me in these first fifty pages. They were good. Compelling even, but I think I am looking for something with a bit more intensity than we got in this first chunk of story. I don’t mind a story that takes it’s time to set the stage for us, and i certainly don’t think that hurts a story, but I LOVE a book that jumps right into the heart of it. I am certain I would enjoy this story if I were to finish it, but I am really looking for something that grips me early on. Especially for our first release.\ \ When I have finished all eight, I will post a short list of books I plan to read in their entirety this weekend!\ \ Let me know in the comments what you thought of this summary.

PITCHFEST UPDATE: Manuscript 4

Speculative Horror Theme Park. Check out my thoughts below!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jul 26 2024

[Poll:\ \ How often do you want updates?\ \ This week has been intense and I haven't had a lot of time to sit down and read, but I am settling down now to finish the rest of our manuscript samples! Here is what I want to know from you!\ \ We have eight more manuscripts to get through! Would you prefer me to:\ \

• Post an update after I finish each book\ \
• Post an update every two or three books\ \
• Post a single update when I finish all eight\ \ \ Full disclosure: I will be reading A LOT OF PAGES today, so I will probably post these as text updates, as opposed to videos, but they will be as thorough as you've come to expect from me!\ \ ​](https://leftunreadbooks.binderybooks.com/item/MzjeaFNmR4ZfBgnUirh0/)

PITCHFEST UPDATE: Final Manuscripts

Hey, everyone! Just checking in with a quick update on our Pitchfest manuscripts! Make sure you read the post below and participate in the poll so that I know how best to move forward!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jul 23 2024

I didn't even notice it had been over a week since I posted until I saw the Sunday night recap emails come out and there wasn't one for me! lol! My bad, y'all! Let me share a little bit about what I've been up to!\ \ As you know, earlier this month (July 10-12), Bindery hosted a pitchfest, where unagented authors were able to submit their finished manuscripts directly to Bindery imprints. Well... Left Unread received 34, along with a handful of agented manuscripts. So I have been hard at work, reading through manuscripts and trying to find the perfect book to release next spring!\ \ Here's where we are:\ \ I read through every pitch letter and the first chapter of every book and was able to narrow down my list from almost 40 books to 11 that I am potentially interested in. You can see that list HERE .\ \ Now, I am in the middle of reading the first 50 pages of each of those manuscripts to narrow my list down further. If you want to hear about the first three books I have started reading, you can find those breakdowns HERE and HERE.\ \ And I plan to have the first 50 pages of the other EIGHT books done by the end of this week so that I can move forward with a shortlist of books that I want to finish before I hopefully choose one to publish!\ \ Thank you all for being here, this has been such an exciting process and I can't wait to update you further! In the meantime, I have been squeezing in regular reading where I can! I am currently reading When Blood Meets Earth by E.A. Noble, and it is SO GOOD so far! It follows a woman named Bellamy, who is in line to be the next ruler of her Kingdom. The only problem is, she hasn't manifested her magic. So when her nation goes to war, and political tension puts all "ungifted" people under scrutiny, she must find the key to unlocking her power so that she can save her kingdom.\ \ I'm also working on a series of articles about publishing and marketing on a budget. The first of which can be found HERE .\ \ I plan to make another post tomorrow with some book recs for the rest of summer. And don't forget, we are meeting with Natalia Hernandez TOMORROW NIGHT at 6:30 pm CST. Zoom info is pinned to the top of my Bindery!\ \ ​\ \ ​

Where have I been?

It's been a minute since I have posted here, so here I am checking in! I have been hard at work, reading manuscripts and trying to find the perfect book to release as our first Left Unread Publication! And I want to share a little bit about that experience with you! Check out the post below for a quick update!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jul 22 2024

Black boy with the magic pen & the four horsemen of the apocalypse

I read the first fifty pages of two of our shortlisted manuscripts! Go check out my thoughts and meet me over on discord to talk more! Also, compliment me on my pretty covers I made on Canva pro. 🤣🤣🤣

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jul 18 2024

50 page review: Snow White Burns Down the Patriarchy

I read the first fifty pages of our first manuscript! Here are my thoughts! Let me know what you are excited to hear more! And make sure your discord is synced so you can chat with me in the subscribers only chat!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jul 16 2024

Pitchfest: Here are the manuscripts moving forward!

I have finished reading the first chapter of every pitchfest book and here are the ones that really gripped me! Check them out and let me know which one(s) you are most excited to hear more about! Also, make sure you link your discord in the (my account) section so that you can access our subscriber only room and talk more about this there!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jul 11 2024

First round of PITCHFEST MANUSCRIPTS!

I am so excited to be on this journey with y’all! Here are the first four unagented manuscripts and I think I’ve found a couple of really good ones! Take a listen and head over to discord so we can CHAT!!!! Also, please respect that these manuscripts will be talked about anonymously. I won’t be identifying the authors in order to protect the integrity of their work and to prevent this space from blurring lines if any of the authors happen to be subscribed (which they are welcome to be). Thanks, everyone!

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jul 10 2024

Pitchfest is here! Help me pick our first book to publish!

We are officially open to unagented submissions through Friday! And I already have over a dozen manuscripts sitting in my inbox! Click below to read about my experience with day one of Pitchfest so far, and make sure to upgrade to at least the $5 tier so that you can see all of the exclusive publishing content that will be dropping soon. Thanks, y'all! (Click the photo below to see the full post)

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jul 3 2024

[I cannot wait to start reading manuscripts! Here is what this is going to look like for everyone!\ \ From July 10th through July 12th, authors will be submitting their manuscripts to us for review. After that, I will be hunkering down in my house to READ like I've never read before! And I will be filming a lot of my thoughts and reactions along the way.\ \ For those of you subscribed to a paying tier, here is what you can expect:\ \

• Early on, I will share a video, summarizing the pitches I have received and kind of giving you my gut reaction to those story ideas. I will open the comments to hear your thoughts and feedback, and will be taking your comments into consideration as I filter out any stories that I know from the jump wouldn't be a right fit for us.\
• Once I have a list of books that sound like they are up our alley, I will read the first 50 pages of every single one and create a series of videos where I summarize those stories generally and give you my thoughts on which I'm excited about, which lost me, and which i'm unsure of. And once again, I will open the comments for you to offer feedback! I want whatever book I pick to be one that we can champion as a community, so I want to know what you're interested in pursuing! The purpose of this part of the process will be to narrow down those submissions to a small number of books we are very excited about!\
• Then the FUN part starts! I will hunker down and read that entire short list of books from cover to cover. I will share small excerpts and discuss the general themes and vibe of each book with you, without going into too much detail. But I'll share enough where you can craft informed opinions.\
• And then... with all of your thoughts and feedback taken into consideration, I will hopefully find a book that we can champion! If not, we will keep searching!\ \ AHHH!!!! WE'RE PUBLISHING A BOOK TOGETHER, Y'ALL!!!\ \ If you are subscribed to the free tier, I will still update you periodically, I just won't be sharing details about the manuscripts. You will still hear about things before the wider world does and I will continue to create all of my regular content! But for those of you that want an early peak at the stories I am reading and a part in deciding which book we publish, please make sure you are subscribed at a paying tier!\ \ You can upgrade by clicking the three lines at the top right of your screen and choosing "upgrade membership".\ \ Every paid member will get to contribute toward publishing decisions. And additionally, $5 members will get a free e-copy of our books once they are published. And $12 members will get a free paperback copy and your name listed on a thank you page in the book!\ \ SEVEN DAYS!!!!! AHHHH!!!!](https://leftunreadbooks.binderybooks.com/item/tN10Fen2VSKNKC2aO72I/)

Pitch Fest is in 7 Days!

We only have SEVEN days until Bindery opens up submissions to unagented authors! I am anticipating a large rush of manuscripts. Open up this post to read what this process will look like, and if you want to be a part of publishing decisions (and get sneak peaks of the stories we are considering), make sure you are subscribed at the $5 tier or higher. You can upgrade by clicking the three lines at the top right hand and choosing "upgrade membership".

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jun 19 2024

WE DID IT! WE HAVE AN IMPRINT!

Thank you for all of your support! As of today, Left Unread is the newest Bindery Imprint! And this summer, I am on the hunt for the next Octavia Butler! And I will be bringing you along for every piece of the journey! Thank you all for being here and here are a few things to keep in mind: (1) I have a discord where you can engage in even more conversation with me and one another (2) $5 subscribers can now expect to receive an e-copy of all of our future published books (3) $12 subscribers can expect paperback copies of our future books and an acknowledgement in the book itself (4) I will continue to REGULARLY post exclusive content for every tier--including the free tier--but paid subscribers will now have the added benefit of being an active part of our hunt for the next Black or brown BookTok sensation. So check out the new tier benefits when you have a chance! Let's get to it! AHHH!!!!

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Posts about this book from across Bindery

Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jun 22

\ \ Upgrade for $5 or login](https://leftunreadbooks.binderybooks.com/item/dbibso8O0rFOfWcdYwI8/)

Publishing Updates for all of our current projects

4 books

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jun 12

Do we have an award winner? TUNE IN!

1 book

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Rootbound\ \ Kenzi Didericksen\ \ • May 29

Join for free

\ \ Upgrade for $5 or login](https://rootbound.binderybooks.com/item/SAnIArRAHFhPLb1WOClZ/)

Reading Thru Recovery ep. 3 📕❤️‍🩹

although reading has been a struggle through recovery, in this vlog you can expect some thrifting, an early morning chat, lunchtime catchups, and an exciting announcement.. I finally launched my Bindery! be sure to check out Rootbound on Bindery and Discord to join my book club, enjoy exclusive content, or just support me 🌿 thanks for following along on another chill, casual, vulnerable reading (& other things) vlog.

books mentioned: cry, voidbringer by elaine ho broken country by clare leslie hall the hundred years war by rashid khalidi things we never say by elizabeth strout honey by imani thompson

in this vlog: 00:00 intro 02:21 cry, voidbringer update 04:49 thrifting 08:49 early morning thoughts 13:24 lunch 14:15 exciting announcement 15:21 book mail 18:25 final thoughts & recovery update

keep in touch: 📱 tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kenzibooks 📸 bookstagram: https://www.instagram.com/kenzibooks/ 🕯️goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/136830407 📚 rootbound book club on discord 🌙 rootbound on bindery

Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe if you want to see more 🫶​

#booktube #readingthrurecovery #thrifting

4 books

Rootbound\ \ Kenzi Didericksen\ \ • May 18

Join for free

Reading thru Recovery ❤️‍🩹

welcome to episode 2 of reading thru recovery! we've officially made it through two weeks of surgery. read with me as I recover from an achilles rupture and surgery. in this vlog, I read cry, voidbringer, left the house for the first time, bought new books, open a blind date with a book, and ... took a fall. this is a very chatty, vulnerable, reading vlog.

books mentioned: cry, voidbringer by elaine ho yesteryear by caro claire burke taiwan travelogue by yang shuang-zi

in this vlog: 00:00 intro 03:33 reading update 05:35 book shopping 13:30 recovery update 15:52 blind date with a book 19:01 I fell... recovery update 25:13 I got out of bed 28:36 after work update 34:22 final thoughts

keep in touch: 📱 tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kenzibooks 📸 bookstagram: https://www.instagram.com/kenzibooks/ 🕯️goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/136830407 📚 rootbound book club on discord

Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe if you want to see more 🫶​

#readingvlog #readingthrurecovery #bookhaul #booktube

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Apr 30

\ \ Upgrade for $5 or login](https://leftunreadbooks.binderybooks.com/item/SclFP2ZLfp2tVZqBP0fg/)

Publishing Updates

5 books

7

Collectible Science Fiction\ \ Adam\ \ • Apr 20

Join for free

\ \ Excited for today's Bindery haul! Straight to the top of my TBR.](https://collectiblesciencefiction.binderybooks.com/item/XqpcxaqBSp3nWFQbeZ5K/)

Bindery Haul!

3 books

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Apr 16

We officially have a bestseller! Can I share some thoughts?

2 books

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Apr 8

I love this community. Thank you.

4 books

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chronicallybookish\ \ Kaley\ \ • Mar 24

Join for free

an overly ambitious last-week-of-March TBR

Me: read 0 books last week Also me: yes I can definitely read 7 books this week #booktok #tbr #toberead #fantasybooktok

6 books

Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Mar 3

Help Cry, Voidbringer win the Ursula K. Le Guin

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Dec 26 2025

Books For People Dealing With Grief

8 books

8

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Chanterelle Solace\ \ Sabie\ \ • Dec 19 2025

Join for free

Get a Rec from me & What my Taste in books look like

What are some books that represent your taste overall and do we have any in common? 👀

Before we dive into this, Bindery now has an option to request recs and you can go to the 🔗 in my bio and click “Get a Rec” and ask for details of what you’d like from the books I’ve read! I’m also making lists of 2026 releases in fantasy, romance and horror so far so happy to share some of these early on with you guys (these will be recs of what I’m looking forward to rather than what I’ve read) so GO GO GO 🤎

As for my taste in books, I’m never going to be the type that picks only 5 top books for the year guys and I’ve learned to accept it because honestly, what do you mean my top 5 books in one year? I would have to host a meeting with myself for a whole month to decide that 😭 So instead, you guys get my taste in books throughout various sub-genres that I yap about all the time!

Here is a list of the books (if you prefer to read through it or for accessibility needs)🤎: Cottagecore: 🍄 Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries 🍄 After the Forest by Kell Woods 🍄 A Witch’s Guide to Love and Poison by Aamna Qureshi 🍄 The Geographer’s Map to Romance by India Holton 🍄 The River has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar 🍄 An Arrow to the Heart by K.R. Bacher

Cozy Fantasy: 🍄 The Baby Dragon Cafe by Aamna Qureshi 🍄 Legend & Lattes by Travis 🍄 The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong 🍄 The Nameless Restaurant by Tao Wong 🍄 Watermoon by Samantha Sotto Yambao 🍄 The Spellshop by Sangu Mandanna

Witchycore: 🍄 The Hedgewitch of Foxhall by Anna Bright 🍄 House of Frank by Kay Synclaire 🍄 The Lone Wolf Cafe by Sydney Wilder 🍄 The Witch and the Tsar by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore 🍄 A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna 🍄 Best Hex Ever by Nadia El-Fassi

Retellings, Fairy Tale & Historical Fantasy: 🍄A Sorceress comes to Call by T.Kingfisher 🍄 What the River Knows by Isabel Ibanez 🍄 Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross 🍄 We Shall be Monsters by Tara Sim 🍄 The Briar Book of the Dead by A.G Slatter

The rest is in my pinned comment!

#fantasybooks #topbooksof2025 #favoritebooks

74 books

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Fantasy & Frens\ \ Zoranne\ \ • Dec 8 2025

Join for free

And The Winner Is...

7 books

7

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Dec 5 2025

UPCOMING EVENT: Bookclub with Elaine Ho

1 book

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Dec 3 2025

Is disruption really revolutionary?

10 books

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Fantasy & Frens\ \ Zoranne\ \ • Dec 2 2025

Join for free

GIVEAWAY! Win a set of all Fall Bindery Titles!

Who wants free books?

7 books

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Nov 17 2025

So Goodreads hates Black people... but do you?

2 books

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Nov 15 2025

\ \ Upgrade for $5 or login](https://leftunreadbooks.binderybooks.com/item/7LTf6Fd64XIXCpamxCFG/)

CRY, VOIDBRINGER LAUNCH UPDATES

1 book

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Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Nov 8 2025

Join for free

\ \ Upgrade for $5 or login](https://boundless.binderybooks.com/item/r8TYAyvhkpQdKDzmz6P8/)

Interview with Mona Tewari, author of BURN THE SEA 🌊

open to watch this exclusive interview that we filmed back in April!

10 books

8

Cozy Quill\ \ Meg\ \ • Nov 7 2025

Join for free

\ \ Hi friends! We recently had our monthly "Reading Recap" hang with our Cozy Quill paid members and, boy, did they come through with recs!\ \ I wanted to share all these book recommendations with you asap because they just kept coming and they kept getting better. Thank you to everyone who popped into the virtual recap this month and shared the stories you're loving! Your contributions were very generous and I'm excited to offer the list to everyone in our cozy crew.\ \ Scroll down and you'll see all 38 books our Cozy Quillers recommend this season! You can purchase them right from the Bindery site (I do earn a commission on that, I think? I haven't yet so I'm not sure ha!) or just add them to your TBR. Love you all! Until the next reading recap...\ \ x, Meg\ \ Join for free or login](https://cozyquill.binderybooks.com/item/9c4JMh80PlKFSM7uicW9/)

38 Reads We're All Obsessing Over 📚

38 books

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Nov 7 2025

BOOKCLUB: Week One of Cry, Voidbringer

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Oct 31 2025

I Love You... say it back or else. (Kidding, but thank you!).

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Oct 26 2025

7 Days of Giveaways: DAYS FOUR AND FIVE

2 books

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Oct 23 2025

7 Days of Giveaways: DAY Two

2 books

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Children of Diaspora\ \ Rae the Reviewer\ \ • Oct 23 2025

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Unboxing Bindery Boxes + My New Favorite Mug

I'm so excited to share these 2025 Bindery releases with you!

Check me out on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raethereviewer/ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@raethereviewer Storygraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/profile/raethereviewer Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/20898931-rae-the-reviewer My Website: https://raethereviewer.com/ and services (sensitivity reading, freelance writing, copywriting, case studies) https://raethereviewer.com/services/ Bookshop Affiliate: https://bookshop.org/shop/raethereviewer

00:00 Intro 00:59 Orange Wine 01:47 Dust Settles North 03:01 Cry Voidbringer 06:55 Recipes for an Unexpected Afterlife 10:35 Outro

4 books

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Boozhoo Books\ \ Naomi\ \ • Oct 22 2025

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[Poll:\ \ Hi Friends, \ \ We are scheduled to talk to author Nick Medina tonight at 7pm EST. You will find the zoom link at the bottom of this post! Our book club Good Day To Read Indigenous read The Whistler this month (highly recommend the audio!) If you are in the bookclub, simply connect to the Discord! That's where all the fun happens!\ \ We are searching for book 2.\ \ Pitchfest ends today! I have 13-14 really great premises that I'm interested in right now, and I'm discussing them here and over on the Paid Subscriber chat in Discord. \ \ As a reminder! Paid subscribers get all of our publishing news first. Here are some things I've shared recently:\ \

1. What Feeds Below: first draft cover, back copy of the book, second draft cover walkthrough\ \
2. Pitchfest pitches that I'm interested in and how I go about prioritizing what I read. It's also a great way for me to get feedback on the books YOU would love to see come from this imprint. \ \ \ The book I choose now will be publishing in Spring 2027. As of right now, I am only approved to publish one book per year. There are two things that could happen to increase my chances of getting a Fall 2027 book: \ \
3. Increase my paid subscribers by 100 people.\ \ \ Paid subscriptions are split 3 ways:\ \ a. goes into the production of the books we publish under this imprint\ \ b. goes back into the community. Whenever I host a giveaway where I am doing the shipping, It is $5 for media mail. \ \ c. goes to buy me an iced latte (literally lol)\ \ $5 members get e copies of the book\ \ $12 + $25 members get their names in the book on the thank you page! (and get physical copies of the book). \ \ One of our community members shamed me this morning while showing what the Bindery books signature page looks like, while showing off a final copy of Cry Voidbringer. Michael's thank you pages are like 3 pages long! We still have time to get there and for me to not be crying in the closet. (PS, Michael deserves it and go pre order Cry Voidbringer RIGHT NOW. The book comes out next week) \ \
4. I believe pre-orders for What Feeds Below will start in January (don't quote me). If I can get 1,000 preorders month one, I think I would have a solid argument for getting a second book. Mind you, no one has done this as of yet. That would mean every single person in this community commits to pre-ordering the book when it first goes on sale. \ \ \ Why does this matter?\ \ Our mission has always been to amplify voices fighting to be heard. I opened up my imprint to include Women in Horror because I was not getting many Indigenous submissions. I have continued to work behind the scenes building community and getting the news of my imprint out to authors and will continue to do so.\ \ In order to meet that goal, my imprint has to exist and be profitable. Since the beginning of my platform, I have always been a vocal supporter of women writing horror. And recently learning that out of 191 authors nominated for a Bram Stoker award, only 26 women have been nominated, I've been incredibly motivated to help open doors where I can. \ \ I would love to be able to publish 1 Indigenous book and 1 horror book per year. (and as we grow, eventually 4-6 books per year with a 50/50 split whenever possible). \ \ I have received TOO MANY good manuscripts to only publish one book. Can you help support this imprint?\ \ Here is the link for tonights event with Nick Medina. This event will be spoiler free so feel free to drop by even if you haven't finished the book:\ \ Naomi Darling is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.\ \ Topic: Nick Medina + Good Day To Read Indigenous Book Club\ \ Time: Oct 22, 2025 04:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)\ \ Join Zoom Meeting\ \ https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85498206762?pwd=rLvb3bQuREETEUt3XiYj8wqV453Z22.1\\ \ Meeting ID: 854 9820 6762\ \ Passcode: 048386\ \

• • *\ \ One tap mobile\ \ +14086380968,,85498206762#,,,,*048386# US (San Jose)\ \ +16694449171,,85498206762#,,,,*048386# US\ \ Join instructions\ \ https://us06web.zoom.us/meetings/85498206762/invitations?signature=57s-osZfVDVbu-0mvT8UxL4VYp8nIRQZC\_cAb2x\_Fcw](https://boozhoo.binderybooks.com/item/5Sf10Upv32o55lKzjMVd/)

Big Publishing News and Hang With Nick Medina tonight

5 books

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Oct 22 2025

7 Days of Giveaways: DAY ONE!!!

2 books

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Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Oct 21 2025

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new releases & upcoming books that sound cool (& that you should add to your TBR) 📚

are your excited for any of these releases?!

19 books

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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Oct 21 2025

Why These Seven Days Matter

1 book

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Children of Diaspora\ \ Rae the Reviewer\ \ • Oct 19 2025

Join for free

\ \ Upgrade for $5 or login](https://children-of-diaspora.binderybooks.com/item/dCbmNLJBapFzU1PFdXXJ/)

*EARLY ACCESS* Bindery Books Unboxing!

I'm so excited to share these 2025 Bindery releases with you!

Check me out on:

00:00 Intro 00:59 Orange Wine 01:47 Dust Settles North 03:01 Cry Voidbringer 06:55 Recipes for an Unexpected Afterlife 10:35 Outro

4 books