Update []: The Bookseller has reported that troubled on-demand book publisher Unbound has gone into administration.
Allister Manson and Charles Turner of Opus Restructuring were appointed administrators of the company on 10th March 2025.
Author Steven Goodwin, one of the many writers who hasn’t been paid by the publisher, has posted the following message on Linkedin:
I might have accidentally destroyed an entire publishing house!
At the end of 2023 I released a book “20 GOTO 10” via the publisher Unbound. (4.4 stars on Amazon!) It sold tens of thousands of copies, and yet, I was not paid for any of them. I waited. Politely emailed. Looked past their emails of “any day now” and waited some more.
Last year, I filed a legal case. The week after, they sent an email to all their authors claiming “issues” with payment.
A few weeks ago, I escalated my case to the County Court. Today, they sent an email saying “We will shortly be announcing that Unbound (United Authors Publishing Limited) has gone into Administration.” In short – they took my royalties, paid themselves, ran, and started a new company to absolve themselves of the responsibilities and the debt.
Guess what? The same people are in charge!
No morals. No learnings. Had I filed suit earlier, it might have distracted them from genuine recovery work, and more writers would have lost money. Had I not filed, they might still be selling the dream. But since they launched a new magazine while we were all waiting on royalties, I don’t feel bad about playing my part in their downfall. (As Spike Milligan might have said!)
Original Story: Crowdfunding publisher Unbound has admitted it has been hit with cash flow problems that have led to authors and freelancers not getting paid for their work – and some have been waiting for as long as a year.
Unbound says it failed to raise sufficient capital in 2024, which is the root cause of the cash flow problems and late payments. An internal restructure has taken place, including redundancies, and no new books are currently being commissioned.
The publisher covers a wide range of topics, but has released video game books such as Perfect Organism, 20 GOTO 10, Who Hunts The Whale, Fuck Yeah, Video Games, Things I Learned From Mario’s Butt, Taming Gaming, Itchy, Tasty, Terrible Games You’ve Probably Never Heard Of, Region Locked and Video Game Obscurities.
Speaking to The Bookseller, new CEO Archna Sharma had this to say about the situation:
I want to express my deepest regret for the delay in royalty payments and the financial uncertainty that our authors, freelancers, suppliers and investors have endured. I want to assure everyone engaged with Unbound that we are working extremely hard to clear our debts and honour the trust you have placed in us.
Sharma was previously the chief executive of Neem Tree Press, which was acquired by Unbound in September of 2024. She replaced Wil Harris as CEO.
The Bookseller has highlighted several authors who are owed money by Unbound, including Tom Cox, who has not been paid for over six months. Another author claims that they published a book in early 2024 with Unbound and still haven’t seen any money. Meanwhile, Anastasia Miari says her book raised £30,000 via the Unbound crowdfunding campaign, but she still hasn’t seen a single penny.
Time Extension has been speaking to authors of video game-related books published by Unbound and has heard similar stories, with the publisher at one point claiming that a move to a new payment system was to blame.
One of the authors Time Extension spoke to revealed that an email from John Mitchinson – one of the company’s original founders – appeared to suggest that the previous CEO, Wil Harris, had been dismissed. There was also an email which claimed that an expected level of investment had fallen through.
In a statement given to The Bookseller, Mitchinson said:
Authors are at the centre of what Unbound does and this has been the most difficult period in our 14 year history. I’m deeply sorry for the distress and anxiety the delay in payments has caused our amazingly loyal authors and suppliers. But I firmly believe Archna Sharma has what it takes to lead Unbound out of its current difficulties. Since we first started working together last year, I have been hugely impressed by her vision for the business, her energy and her deep understanding of the publishing process. I welcome the chance to work with her to build an ambitious new version of Unbound.
Sharma and new chairman Hugo Drayton both invested money in the company last year, but have told The Bookseller that these sums were not enough to cover the shortfall. Further investment is being sought, Unbound confirms.
Unbound, founded in 2011, produces books using a crowdfunding system. Customers pledge cash prior to publication.
Go on.... treat yourself to a new game.
1 Comment
This is such a bummer to hear about Unbound going under. It’s wild to think that so many authors, including some whose work I really dig, are left hanging without their royalties. The whole crowdfunding model is supposed to empower creators, but it seems like Unbound just dropped the ball hard. It’s frustrating when you pour your heart into a project and then end up with nothing to show for it.
I get that financial issues happen, but it’s pretty shady to see the same people trying to start fresh while leaving authors in the lurch. Honestly, I hope the authors can find a way to get what they’re owed, and maybe we’ll see some of them team up with other publishers who actually respect their work. It’s a tough scene out there, but I’m rooting for them to bounce back!