Fury Unbound

Unbound is a neat little idea. A digital platform (oh, go on then, website) which allows authors to upload details of their project, courting support from individuals, corporations, anyone with their credit card at the ready I guess, which, when published will give them privileges including their name printed at the back of the book. Financial support equals eventual publication. Fantastico, one thinks, a gem of an idea which will surely result in the unpublished, the unsupported, the under-funded and the undiscovered becoming – well, becoming the reverse of all of those things.



And then you visit the website and discover that current submissions are from authors already described as 'legendary' and future submissions are limited to those who have already been published. Yes, the unpublished can submit if they're supported by an agent, but what about those undeservedly in the literary wasteland? It does seem like a wasted opportunity, with the burgeoning homogenisation of the book trade – support for the unsupported should be a priority. Surely these 'legendary' authors could get their newness published anyway? What do you think?

Picture: 'The Natural World', 2009, by Stanford Kay