I wonder if the two commenters saying it’s a pyramid scheme understand what a pyramid looks like. For it to be a pyramid scheme, Mari would have to be recruiting others, and profiting from those she recruited, and from those that THOSE recruited, etc. This is basically a kickstarter publishing company. It’s not nearly as nefarious as the ignorant want it to be.
It’s actually wild how misinformation spreads and how someone can just say something on the internet and people believe it. And it’s also wild how badly some people want things to be morally reprehensible just because they don’t like it.
I am beyond confused how anyone can look at what Bindery is doing and logically and truthfully state on the internet "yep this is definitely a pyramid scheme" 🤯🤯
I think I got a negative impression of Bindery purely because I first heard about it when a prominent booktuber called it an MLM. Actually reading about it, it's about as MLM as Patreon. I'm glad it's working well for you and excited to see how it develops!
I know and it sucks because people just heard that and ran with it with absolutely no evidence, like it’s a small thing to be accused of being in an MLM when everyone and their mom has a Patreon 😭
Yep! Wasn’t sure of the name since I no longer follow Just wanted to add that though the UA-camr was really irresponsible, so was I by not thinking critically. I think the fact that this unsubstantiated rumour caught hold so well is embarrassing for us as a community - and me personally! I don’t want to put all the blame on Jess and not learn from this because I think there will always be uninformed creators
Thanks for this video, it was super interesting to hear you break down the business of bindery and how you see it fitting in with the publishing and the book community overall! It made a lot of sense, especially when you described The Unmapping, and my first thought was, "That sounds like a book Mari would love and convince us all to read."
Great video, great breakdown of the entire process. I was so shook when I realized this "MLM" claim was something people were actually saying about Bindery. Thanks for this and for for reiterating that words.mean.things.
The big 5 seem to be increasingly pivoting to focus on authors who lean more heavily on marketing skills than writing skills. ("How many followers do you have?") Then they can use their marketing money to placate their shareholders and pay the C-suite. If Bindery sees the issue and decides to let authors be authors and marketers/influencers/reviewers be the marketing force, I'm all for it!
Is the pyramid in the room with us right now? In seriousness, I’m going to withhold judgement until I see what the books that come out of bindery are like. Publishing as an industry moves so so slowly (in terms of making systemic changes to the processes involved in making and promoting and distributing books, for the purposes of this soapbox), perhaps too slowly to proceed healthily in the existing market. Digging our heels in against things breaking up the status quo won’t make things stop changing, but they might kill good changes before they get a chance to develop, and leave us with only the shitty changes pushed by those already in power (AI, when I catch you…). I really hope these books work out, and your enthusiasm about em speaks to good things imo ♥️
Exactly this! I think people are right to take a “wait and see” approach with a new business, but it’s wild to be so against anything new in an industry that is like notoriously all about gatekeeping lol.
I hate the word “tastemaker” but it sounds nice to completely skip over trad pub’s current standards of practice which are generally loathed by the bookish community. Hope this works out. I think I’d like to see a break down of what the 50% of subscription fees that goes to Bindery is allocated. Just transparency in general is appreciated.
This is a great question! I will ask Bindery, primarily because I don’t want to give you false information and I want to capture how things may have changed from their launch model!
My hesitation from Bindery comes from them using net royalties for authors where they decide what “businesses expenses” are to deduct before paying authors. There are smaller publishers and contracts that have used that before and the one who gets got is the author (the person who wrote the book Mean Girls is based on had a contract with net royalties and has never seen a dime from adaptations because Paramount gets to say the business expenses means the property has never made a profit). There’s a reason traditional publication doesn’t use net royalties. Also, with the amount of rights Bindery seems to want from authors in addition to publishing like tv/film and merchandising, authors usually get paid again for selling those rights (and why would a publishing house not leave the former with an author’s film/tv agent when it’s a medium they know nothing about?). I haven’t seen anything about them also wanting foreign rights, but if so that’s even more disadvantageous to the author because that’s missing out on even more money they’d get for selling (usually paid each time for each region too). Also, with them approaching tastemakers themselves, they are bound to come across an influencer that is shady or will be (rightfully) cancelled eventually if they continue as a business. Having an author’s book connected to one singular influencer could eventually jeopardize them through no fault of their own because their book gets directly associated with one person that’s not them. With traditional publication, if a house gets rid of a bad actor editor/marketer/etc, there’s someone else in-house to go to. And for the tastemakers, you all are doing the jobs of multiple people in traditional publishing. A few of those jobs are usually salaried with health benefits (and combined would probably bring you all up to or past the average salary of a household) and since that’s likely not happening, it also feels unfair to you all. I don’t know. It’s definitely not an MLM, but it doesn’t seem that much of a treasure trove for anyone else involved except the heads. It would be cool if all of this is just paranoia on my part and it works out for all the people involved.
Hi! None of this is posed like a question, but I'm going to answer anyway. The terms of the "net royalties" are specified in the contract between the content creator and the authors, and they are specific. It's not nebulous "business expense" language that could later be claimed to be just about anything. I reviewed my contract thoroughly, as I'm sure agents do on behalf of their authors. All additional rights are negotiated separately, just like any other publishing deal. For instance, with The Unmapping, we negotiated audio rights but not media rights, as those were sold elsewhere. Again, this is all approached with the author and agent and negotiated. Bindery has partnerships with IAG and Atlas Literary and a first-look deal with Bad Robot for those who sell media rights to them. There has been a mix of Bindery approaching Tastemakers, but also of Tastemakers reaching out to Bindery. As I mentioned in this video for instance, I reached out to Bindery. Bindery does address with the authors and influencers what happens in the case that either doesn't fulfill their obligations or does something egregious that woud injure the brand or the book. Additionally, the influencer is only one portion of the marketing plan for a book. They also get a traditional marketing plan, including ARCs, PR, wide distribution in bookstores, etc. While it would certainly not be great if an influencer or an author goes off a deep end, there are fail-safes in place, and it feels like a similar risk of anyone creating stuff at risk of being "canceled." I don't feel like I'm doing the job of multiple people. The content creation and book promotion are what I do anyway for fun, except now I'm getting paid for it. I am doing the work of an acquiring editor, but certainly not at the pace or volume of a full-time acquiring editor who would qualify for benefits. Tastemakers are acquiring 1-2 books a year. If that cost/benefit wouldn't appeal to you for you to participate, that's certainly fair, but I'm not sure why that has to work out to something being shady or wrong vs. it not being something you personally would do. As I mentioned in the video, the business still certainly has to prove itself, as all new businesses do. And the company has a chance to fail, as all companies do. But even so, I'm having a great time, I'm being well compensated, Bindery has treated us super well and given us unending support, our authors are well-treated, and it has a good chance of working. Thanks for your hope that it continues well! I hope so too!
so far the only argument I've seen in favour of it being an mlm is that "it sounds like one and it operates like one" which has me convinced people have no idea what a mlm is and how they operate lmao anyways excited for the new books we will get from this! will they be widely available? would love to get them but I live in europe :)
That’s what I’m saaaaaying!! Like I grew up around people selling Amway and Mary Kay and those knives and I know exactly what an MLM is and how it operates. I swear that people this days are resorting to just calling whatever they don’t like either AI or an MLM. No further thoughts about it. It will receive wide distribution in the US. International and translation rights are negotiated separately so 🤞🏽🤞🏽
I was very skeptical of Bindery when it was announced, but as more and more information has become available I've become excited instead. I've still got reservations but most of those are just because I haven't been able to read any of the books announced yet, and I'm hopeful they will be as good as they seem so far. Especially The Unmapping, haha
Thank you! My Discord helped me pick out the name. I wanted a word in Spanish and something tied to Florida or my family or something along those lines. I also loved that it starts with the same letters of my name as my “brand” and username has always just been Ms and my name lol
I don’t think Bindery is an MLM, but I still feel hesitant! I think the business model strikes me as part of the larger economic trend toward gigification. I’m worried about what happens if we start to see publishing expand into competing subscription services a la the TV/movie streaming market. Trad publishing SUCKS but this also doesn’t feel like the answer…
Fair enough! I don't think it's quite fair to compare it to subscriptions like TV/movie streaming because the books being published aren't exclusive to subscribers. They receive wide release and will be available wherever books are sold. It's also not quite gigification because there is a whole Bindery team doing all the jobs that they would do at a regular publishing house. The main thing they are doing differently is adding additional PR/marketing support by bringing in an influencer and their community at a different stage of the publishing game. Very valid to still be hesitant because, as I said, it still needs to prove the concept, but I don't personally think these are fair comparisons!
I feel like the people saying it’s a pyramid scheme are taking the “if it sounds like one/feels like one it is one” and running with it when from my vague understanding,that phrase comes from anti-mlm groups talking about how if you find yourself in a job model and you personally start to feel you’re being scammed you probably are. Like if you’re realizing you’ve spent a lot of money or you’re making more on recruitment or if people are trying to push you to not be negative when you have questions etc. the phrase is supposed to help ppl already in a bad spot and is still referencing real concerns…not just vibes from a new companies you aren’t connected with at all lol
Exactly this!! Like I think it’s amazing that people are now more aware of MLMs, especially because they prey on people who are vulnerable or in need of money and community. But everything you don’t like isn’t automatically an MLM. I’m begging people to let words mean things and to do their due diligence instead of just accusing people based on 0 understanding. 😭
I think it makes sense to hold a lil skepticism BUT I feel like so much information is readily available, Bindery team seems happy and willing to answer questions, and I trust you to not to try to rope your community into an MLM (lol), so I’m hopeful. This video made me even more excited to see Bindery grow and do well!
Agreed! I don't begrudge anyone who is waiting and seeing! Totally fair. And it's also fair just not to like the model! But there is no need to spread false information lol. Thank you for that trust and for watching!
I would never in all of my life. Ask the Mary Kay rep at the part I was bamboozled into when I gave him a long list of things I’d rather do than join an MLM.
12:30 Absolutely! Books released in the last few years need way more editing. I find multiple basic typos in even mainstream books (that's basic work for a copy editor), and lots of books of various genres would benefit from a book editor's suggestions for structure and clarity.
This gave me a lot of the information I was curious about! I don’t really understand why people think it’s a mlm?? I think skepticism is fine. I feel like all start ups/new things should be scrutinized but mlm is so specific. I saw some people say it was mlm like but every time I see sourced info that’s just not the case? Something that I’m trying to understand but just may have missed (sorry if that’s the case!) outside of the influencer does each book get a small marketing budget or is the marketing 100%the influencer ?
I appreciate you being willing to hear the info out! And yes, each book also gets a marketing budget! Bindery handles all of the traditional marketing pieces of it like ARCs and pre-publication review outlets and media coverage etc.
I'm glad you took the time to address this! When I saw your name on the creator list I felt it had to be legit because you would not involve yourself with something shady haha
thank you for putting this out. i actually left a comment on the video i saw calling it an MLM but it disappeared??? lol. usually i agree with that creative but i felt like it was sooo irresponsible to call it an MLM when it's literally just a competitor to patreon that's bookish-centric and objectively doing a good thing.
As someone whose dad flushed his retirement savings and pension into a MLM trust me this business model seems very different. I've been up close and personal with that kind of manipulative sales tactics and friendship and family destroying business structure and this doesn't match up at all.
I think it’s awesome that people are now more aware of MLMs and their predatory practices, but it does no one any service to just call everything we don’t like an MLM.
I’ve only seen one video calling Bindery an MLM (so far), and that creator admitted to not knowing much about how Bindery operates (and demonstrated a lack of knowledge about how MLMs operate)… without this relevant information, it just seems like making accusations based on fear/vibes for content, which is irresponsible.
Agreed! It’s like my reputation on the line? I really don’t take it lightly to be accused of being in an MLM when I’ve never done anything that would indicate I’d fool my audience or myself that way. That’s been the only negative thing in an otherwise exciting opportunity.
I mean, there are multiple people in these comments arguing that Bindery is a pyramid scheme even after she explains what it actually is, so obviously it’s something that needs to be addressed. I don’t find it irresponsible at all. 🤷🏼♀️ Edited to add: For some reason my follow up comments aren’t showing up for me, so I just wanted to say that I absolutely DID misconstrue this comment and I apologize. 😊
@@mariesikk I’m so sorry! You’re right, I misread your comment. I thought you were saying Marines was being irresponsible. See, this is what happens when I am running on two hours of sleep and am not properly caffeinated. 🤣🫠
@@mariesikkI’m so sorry! You are right, I did misread your comment. I thought you were saying Marines was being irresponsible with this video. That’s what happens when I’m running on two hours of sleep and am not properly caffeinated. 😅🫠
Do you need to have a specific size audience/community to start a bindery? Once you have one, at what point are you able to set up an imprint? I love the idea of finding a manuscript you want to champion. Thank you for sharing all of this information.
Great questions! They don't have a set formula for how many followers or subscriptions are needed. The Bindery team uses a certain amount of best judgment because what they are looking for is engagement from communities! Thanks for watching!
So it may have been stated in the video and i missed it, but is there a place to buy the bindery books directly so as to give the authors and such the most revenue from the purchase? Would we just go to the indiividual bindery imprint pages?
Great questions! Yes, for instance, the manuscripts I receive are anonymized and portions of the pitch are shared with my audience as well as my reactions to them. I had my Bindery vote on the ones that were most interesting to them and that went into my decision making process. When it was time to have our first cover art meeting, we had three different directions we were considering and I shared that with my Bindery who all got to vote and I shared the feedback with the author and the cover artist. So it’s like one part watching me go on this journey through vlogs and updates and another part being able to weigh in at certain points. As I mentioned, there is a team of professionals ultimately doing the work and the author has final editorial say, but the Bindery really gets the behind the scenes.
I have a question... girl, how would you like to be your own boss-- Just kidding :P But I am very excited to see if the Bindery model is successful long term, I hope it is and The Unmapping sounds like such a phenomenal concept and with you championing it, I'm sure the execution is brilliant.
Do you think having a Bindery imprint has changed your membership base (vs your Patreon membership)? I'm wondering bc there are people that I watch and enjoy and consider supporting that don't necessarily have overlapping book tastes with me. For me, I would be more hesitant to join a Bindery imprint community if I am worried that I wouldn't vibe with the book. (And this is very much a neutral question coming from a place of curiosity. Just wondering what you've seen/felt so far!)
Great question! I don't think it has changed my membership base. I think the publishing part is a significant part of the Bindery thing, but it isn't all the benefit. For instance, I post bonus content that is not related to publishing. Even people who may not be interested in the book I chose have been having fun watching me go through the process. My members get access to my Discord and there is a lot of community and fun there as well. If anything, I am way more active on my Bindery than I was on my Patreon because I feel like there is better direction for me to follow, if that makes sense.
The influencer is not getting any of the author portion of royalties. They are getting a portion of the publisher royalty, which is what happens with every trad pub model.
You can’t just “it’s just an opinion” your way to the meanings of words. There are no multi levels, no commissions, no products for people to sell, no recruitment. So tell me, where could the pyramid possible be? Honestly. Where are you getting your information besides you just say so?
This is going to age like milk. Just because you get into a pyramid scheme early enough to be one of the people who benefits from it, it doesn't mean it's not a pyramid scheme.
I don't think this video ever made this claim. It's a pyramid scheme if it's a pyramid scheme. I don't see any resemblance here, but maybe I'm missing something. Would you care to elaborate?
I wonder if the two commenters saying it’s a pyramid scheme understand what a pyramid looks like. For it to be a pyramid scheme, Mari would have to be recruiting others, and profiting from those she recruited, and from those that THOSE recruited, etc.
This is basically a kickstarter publishing company. It’s not nearly as nefarious as the ignorant want it to be.
It’s actually wild how misinformation spreads and how someone can just say something on the internet and people believe it. And it’s also wild how badly some people want things to be morally reprehensible just because they don’t like it.
I am beyond confused how anyone can look at what Bindery is doing and logically and truthfully state on the internet "yep this is definitely a pyramid scheme" 🤯🤯
I think I got a negative impression of Bindery purely because I first heard about it when a prominent booktuber called it an MLM. Actually reading about it, it's about as MLM as Patreon. I'm glad it's working well for you and excited to see how it develops!
I know and it sucks because people just heard that and ran with it with absolutely no evidence, like it’s a small thing to be accused of being in an MLM when everyone and their mom has a Patreon 😭
which booktuber?
@@kat8559 Jess Owens I think was the main one, but this commenter might be referring to someone else
@@kat8559 jess owens (I’m not a subscriber anymore so took me a second to find)
Yep! Wasn’t sure of the name since I no longer follow
Just wanted to add that though the UA-camr was really irresponsible, so was I by not thinking critically. I think the fact that this unsubstantiated rumour caught hold so well is embarrassing for us as a community - and me personally! I don’t want to put all the blame on Jess and not learn from this because I think there will always be uninformed creators
Getting to pick books to publish and also heavily promote those books WHILE getting paid??? Sounds like a dream gig to me haha happy for you!
Thank you so much! It’s been a blast so far and hopefully it all keeps working well ❤️
Ah, the ol’ small publishing imprint scheme! It’s so great to see how excited you are for these books, I cannot wait to read them ❤
Classic small press!!! And I hope everyone enjoys The Unmapping 😭
oldest pyramid scheme around ofc
Thanks for this video, it was super interesting to hear you break down the business of bindery and how you see it fitting in with the publishing and the book community overall! It made a lot of sense, especially when you described The Unmapping, and my first thought was, "That sounds like a book Mari would love and convince us all to read."
words! mean! things! For a community that allegedly loves reading, seems like there's a little bit of a literacy problem in online bookish spaces...
Ooop not the book people not knowing how words work 👀
Great video, great breakdown of the entire process. I was so shook when I realized this "MLM" claim was something people were actually saying about Bindery. Thanks for this and for for reiterating that words.mean.things.
The big 5 seem to be increasingly pivoting to focus on authors who lean more heavily on marketing skills than writing skills. ("How many followers do you have?") Then they can use their marketing money to placate their shareholders and pay the C-suite. If Bindery sees the issue and decides to let authors be authors and marketers/influencers/reviewers be the marketing force, I'm all for it!
Is the pyramid in the room with us right now?
In seriousness, I’m going to withhold judgement until I see what the books that come out of bindery are like. Publishing as an industry moves so so slowly (in terms of making systemic changes to the processes involved in making and promoting and distributing books, for the purposes of this soapbox), perhaps too slowly to proceed healthily in the existing market. Digging our heels in against things breaking up the status quo won’t make things stop changing, but they might kill good changes before they get a chance to develop, and leave us with only the shitty changes pushed by those already in power (AI, when I catch you…).
I really hope these books work out, and your enthusiasm about em speaks to good things imo ♥️
Exactly this! I think people are right to take a “wait and see” approach with a new business, but it’s wild to be so against anything new in an industry that is like notoriously all about gatekeeping lol.
This sounds very exciting, I'm eagerly waiting for your 1st imprints bec. I have followed you for years and I trust your tastes/standards!
Thank you! I hope you love the books that end up coming out of Mareas 😘
I hate the word “tastemaker” but it sounds nice to completely skip over trad pub’s current standards of practice which are generally loathed by the bookish community. Hope this works out. I think I’d like to see a break down of what the 50% of subscription fees that goes to Bindery is allocated. Just transparency in general is appreciated.
This is a great question! I will ask Bindery, primarily because I don’t want to give you false information and I want to capture how things may have changed from their launch model!
My hesitation from Bindery comes from them using net royalties for authors where they decide what “businesses expenses” are to deduct before paying authors. There are smaller publishers and contracts that have used that before and the one who gets got is the author (the person who wrote the book Mean Girls is based on had a contract with net royalties and has never seen a dime from adaptations because Paramount gets to say the business expenses means the property has never made a profit). There’s a reason traditional publication doesn’t use net royalties.
Also, with the amount of rights Bindery seems to want from authors in addition to publishing like tv/film and merchandising, authors usually get paid again for selling those rights (and why would a publishing house not leave the former with an author’s film/tv agent when it’s a medium they know nothing about?). I haven’t seen anything about them also wanting foreign rights, but if so that’s even more disadvantageous to the author because that’s missing out on even more money they’d get for selling (usually paid each time for each region too).
Also, with them approaching tastemakers themselves, they are bound to come across an influencer that is shady or will be (rightfully) cancelled eventually if they continue as a business. Having an author’s book connected to one singular influencer could eventually jeopardize them through no fault of their own because their book gets directly associated with one person that’s not them. With traditional publication, if a house gets rid of a bad actor editor/marketer/etc, there’s someone else in-house to go to.
And for the tastemakers, you all are doing the jobs of multiple people in traditional publishing. A few of those jobs are usually salaried with health benefits (and combined would probably bring you all up to or past the average salary of a household) and since that’s likely not happening, it also feels unfair to you all.
I don’t know. It’s definitely not an MLM, but it doesn’t seem that much of a treasure trove for anyone else involved except the heads. It would be cool if all of this is just paranoia on my part and it works out for all the people involved.
Hi! None of this is posed like a question, but I'm going to answer anyway.
The terms of the "net royalties" are specified in the contract between the content creator and the authors, and they are specific. It's not nebulous "business expense" language that could later be claimed to be just about anything. I reviewed my contract thoroughly, as I'm sure agents do on behalf of their authors.
All additional rights are negotiated separately, just like any other publishing deal. For instance, with The Unmapping, we negotiated audio rights but not media rights, as those were sold elsewhere. Again, this is all approached with the author and agent and negotiated. Bindery has partnerships with IAG and Atlas Literary and a first-look deal with Bad Robot for those who sell media rights to them.
There has been a mix of Bindery approaching Tastemakers, but also of Tastemakers reaching out to Bindery. As I mentioned in this video for instance, I reached out to Bindery. Bindery does address with the authors and influencers what happens in the case that either doesn't fulfill their obligations or does something egregious that woud injure the brand or the book. Additionally, the influencer is only one portion of the marketing plan for a book. They also get a traditional marketing plan, including ARCs, PR, wide distribution in bookstores, etc. While it would certainly not be great if an influencer or an author goes off a deep end, there are fail-safes in place, and it feels like a similar risk of anyone creating stuff at risk of being "canceled."
I don't feel like I'm doing the job of multiple people. The content creation and book promotion are what I do anyway for fun, except now I'm getting paid for it. I am doing the work of an acquiring editor, but certainly not at the pace or volume of a full-time acquiring editor who would qualify for benefits. Tastemakers are acquiring 1-2 books a year.
If that cost/benefit wouldn't appeal to you for you to participate, that's certainly fair, but I'm not sure why that has to work out to something being shady or wrong vs. it not being something you personally would do.
As I mentioned in the video, the business still certainly has to prove itself, as all new businesses do. And the company has a chance to fail, as all companies do. But even so, I'm having a great time, I'm being well compensated, Bindery has treated us super well and given us unending support, our authors are well-treated, and it has a good chance of working. Thanks for your hope that it continues well! I hope so too!
so far the only argument I've seen in favour of it being an mlm is that "it sounds like one and it operates like one" which has me convinced people have no idea what a mlm is and how they operate lmao
anyways excited for the new books we will get from this! will they be widely available? would love to get them but I live in europe :)
That’s what I’m saaaaaying!! Like I grew up around people selling Amway and Mary Kay and those knives and I know exactly what an MLM is and how it operates. I swear that people this days are resorting to just calling whatever they don’t like either AI or an MLM. No further thoughts about it.
It will receive wide distribution in the US. International and translation rights are negotiated separately so 🤞🏽🤞🏽
Yes! Also, it's not guaranteed to succeed but that means it's a normal BUSINESS not that it MUST be an MLM.
I was very skeptical of Bindery when it was announced, but as more and more information has become available I've become excited instead. I've still got reservations but most of those are just because I haven't been able to read any of the books announced yet, and I'm hopeful they will be as good as they seem so far. Especially The Unmapping, haha
Okay you naming your imprint Mareas is super cute. Thanks for giving us more information!
Thank you! My Discord helped me pick out the name. I wanted a word in Spanish and something tied to Florida or my family or something along those lines. I also loved that it starts with the same letters of my name as my “brand” and username has always just been Ms and my name lol
I'm so glad you came here to discuss this.
I don’t think Bindery is an MLM, but I still feel hesitant! I think the business model strikes me as part of the larger economic trend toward gigification. I’m worried about what happens if we start to see publishing expand into competing subscription services a la the TV/movie streaming market. Trad publishing SUCKS but this also doesn’t feel like the answer…
Fair enough! I don't think it's quite fair to compare it to subscriptions like TV/movie streaming because the books being published aren't exclusive to subscribers. They receive wide release and will be available wherever books are sold. It's also not quite gigification because there is a whole Bindery team doing all the jobs that they would do at a regular publishing house. The main thing they are doing differently is adding additional PR/marketing support by bringing in an influencer and their community at a different stage of the publishing game. Very valid to still be hesitant because, as I said, it still needs to prove the concept, but I don't personally think these are fair comparisons!
Thanks for going into detail on this process! I am excited to check out The Unmapping
I feel like the people saying it’s a pyramid scheme are taking the “if it sounds like one/feels like one it is one” and running with it when from my vague understanding,that phrase comes from anti-mlm groups talking about how if you find yourself in a job model and you personally start to feel you’re being scammed you probably are. Like if you’re realizing you’ve spent a lot of money or you’re making more on recruitment or if people are trying to push you to not be negative when you have questions etc. the phrase is supposed to help ppl already in a bad spot and is still referencing real concerns…not just vibes from a new companies you aren’t connected with at all lol
Exactly this!! Like I think it’s amazing that people are now more aware of MLMs, especially because they prey on people who are vulnerable or in need of money and community. But everything you don’t like isn’t automatically an MLM. I’m begging people to let words mean things and to do their due diligence instead of just accusing people based on 0 understanding. 😭
I think it makes sense to hold a lil skepticism BUT I feel like so much information is readily available, Bindery team seems happy and willing to answer questions, and I trust you to not to try to rope your community into an MLM (lol), so I’m hopeful. This video made me even more excited to see Bindery grow and do well!
Agreed! I don't begrudge anyone who is waiting and seeing! Totally fair. And it's also fair just not to like the model! But there is no need to spread false information lol. Thank you for that trust and for watching!
It sounds really cool and I'm sooo relieved it's NOT an MLM!!!😅
I would never in all of my life. Ask the Mary Kay rep at the part I was bamboozled into when I gave him a long list of things I’d rather do than join an MLM.
@@mynameismarines Oh no!!! They tried to get you too!!🤦🏻♀️ I just saw your thumbnail and panic watched😂 I'll have to go check out your page!!🫶
Thanks for sharing this! I wondered how it worked but I also trust you and am happy to be along for the ride.
29:38 sounds good!!!
I appreciate the in-depth coverage! This answered the questions I had.
Thanks for watching!
12:30 Absolutely! Books released in the last few years need way more editing. I find multiple basic typos in even mainstream books (that's basic work for a copy editor), and lots of books of various genres would benefit from a book editor's suggestions for structure and clarity.
Bindery is great! What a breath of fresh air for the publishing industry.
This gave me a lot of the information I was curious about! I don’t really understand why people think it’s a mlm?? I think skepticism is fine. I feel like all start ups/new things should be scrutinized but mlm is so specific. I saw some people say it was mlm like but every time I see sourced info that’s just not the case?
Something that I’m trying to understand but just may have missed (sorry if that’s the case!) outside of the influencer does each book get a small marketing budget or is the marketing 100%the influencer ?
I appreciate you being willing to hear the info out! And yes, each book also gets a marketing budget! Bindery handles all of the traditional marketing pieces of it like ARCs and pre-publication review outlets and media coverage etc.
@@mynameismarinesthank you for clarifying! I’m super excited to see where bindery and the book your imprint puts out goes😊
I'm glad you took the time to address this! When I saw your name on the creator list I felt it had to be legit because you would not involve yourself with something shady haha
thank you for putting this out. i actually left a comment on the video i saw calling it an MLM but it disappeared??? lol. usually i agree with that creative but i felt like it was sooo irresponsible to call it an MLM when it's literally just a competitor to patreon that's bookish-centric and objectively doing a good thing.
Appreciate that! It really sucked to be accused that way without any evidence or truth to the matter, but so it goes!
Man, that cover for And the Sky Bled is so cool.
It looks even better in person because you can see the dimensionality in the art!
I think this is going to be my most anticipated. But I also just want to pre-order them all 👀👀🤣🤣
@@alzaronwayne5255 I've actually been meaning to pre-order a few so this is a good reminder.
Love your imprint logo!
As someone whose dad flushed his retirement savings and pension into a MLM trust me this business model seems very different. I've been up close and personal with that kind of manipulative sales tactics and friendship and family destroying business structure and this doesn't match up at all.
I think it’s awesome that people are now more aware of MLMs and their predatory practices, but it does no one any service to just call everything we don’t like an MLM.
The Unmapping sound so interesting!!!!
I’ve only seen one video calling Bindery an MLM (so far), and that creator admitted to not knowing much about how Bindery operates (and demonstrated a lack of knowledge about how MLMs operate)… without this relevant information, it just seems like making accusations based on fear/vibes for content, which is irresponsible.
Agreed! It’s like my reputation on the line? I really don’t take it lightly to be accused of being in an MLM when I’ve never done anything that would indicate I’d fool my audience or myself that way. That’s been the only negative thing in an otherwise exciting opportunity.
I mean, there are multiple people in these comments arguing that Bindery is a pyramid scheme even after she explains what it actually is, so obviously it’s something that needs to be addressed. I don’t find it irresponsible at all. 🤷🏼♀️
Edited to add: For some reason my follow up comments aren’t showing up for me, so I just wanted to say that I absolutely DID misconstrue this comment and I apologize. 😊
@@desireemclaughlin1455 I think you might have misunderstood my comment. It was meant to be critical of the other video I observed, not of Marines.
@@mariesikk I’m so sorry! You’re right, I misread your comment. I thought you were saying Marines was being irresponsible. See, this is what happens when I am running on two hours of sleep and am not properly caffeinated. 🤣🫠
@@mariesikkI’m so sorry! You are right, I did misread your comment. I thought you were saying Marines was being irresponsible with this video. That’s what happens when I’m running on two hours of sleep and am not properly caffeinated. 😅🫠
Do you need to have a specific size audience/community to start a bindery? Once you have one, at what point are you able to set up an imprint? I love the idea of finding a manuscript you want to champion. Thank you for sharing all of this information.
Great questions! They don't have a set formula for how many followers or subscriptions are needed. The Bindery team uses a certain amount of best judgment because what they are looking for is engagement from communities! Thanks for watching!
So it may have been stated in the video and i missed it, but is there a place to buy the bindery books directly so as to give the authors and such the most revenue from the purchase? Would we just go to the indiividual bindery imprint pages?
Yes! Closer to the release date for these books, there will be a retail experience available on Bindery with exclusive editions available for sale.
@@mynameismarines thank you! Cannot wait!
Can I ask what it means to be there along the journey with the tastemaker? Is the audience giving any input to the publication of the book?
Great questions! Yes, for instance, the manuscripts I receive are anonymized and portions of the pitch are shared with my audience as well as my reactions to them. I had my Bindery vote on the ones that were most interesting to them and that went into my decision making process. When it was time to have our first cover art meeting, we had three different directions we were considering and I shared that with my Bindery who all got to vote and I shared the feedback with the author and the cover artist. So it’s like one part watching me go on this journey through vlogs and updates and another part being able to weigh in at certain points. As I mentioned, there is a team of professionals ultimately doing the work and the author has final editorial say, but the Bindery really gets the behind the scenes.
I have a question... girl, how would you like to be your own boss--
Just kidding :P But I am very excited to see if the Bindery model is successful long term, I hope it is and The Unmapping sounds like such a phenomenal concept and with you championing it, I'm sure the execution is brilliant.
Not the hey girlie message!!!
And yeah, I’m hoping it works out too! 😅 and I’m really, really excited about finding my second book.
I forgot about Bigolas Dickolas 😂 thank you for that reminder
I never forget about Bigolas Dickolas
I had the joy of explaining Bigolas Dickolas to one of my besties a couple weeks ago. What a wild week on Twitter.
Do you think having a Bindery imprint has changed your membership base (vs your Patreon membership)? I'm wondering bc there are people that I watch and enjoy and consider supporting that don't necessarily have overlapping book tastes with me. For me, I would be more hesitant to join a Bindery imprint community if I am worried that I wouldn't vibe with the book. (And this is very much a neutral question coming from a place of curiosity. Just wondering what you've seen/felt so far!)
Great question! I don't think it has changed my membership base. I think the publishing part is a significant part of the Bindery thing, but it isn't all the benefit. For instance, I post bonus content that is not related to publishing. Even people who may not be interested in the book I chose have been having fun watching me go through the process. My members get access to my Discord and there is a lot of community and fun there as well. If anything, I am way more active on my Bindery than I was on my Patreon because I feel like there is better direction for me to follow, if that makes sense.
@@mynameismarines Ooh, very interesting, thanks for sharing!
Please make a review video on fantasy book Voyagers of hell. It's amazing in its out of the box storyline.
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not a great deal for the author because the royalty pie is being split too many ways
The influencer is not getting any of the author portion of royalties. They are getting a portion of the publisher royalty, which is what happens with every trad pub model.
Please. It's literally a pyramid scheme. It operates like one, it is one. For legal purposes, it's just an opinion.
Ok but what are the multi levels that make it a pyramid scheme?
You can’t just “it’s just an opinion” your way to the meanings of words. There are no multi levels, no commissions, no products for people to sell, no recruitment. So tell me, where could the pyramid possible be? Honestly. Where are you getting your information besides you just say so?
@@mynameismarines ok
@@sava-smth❤
This is going to age like milk. Just because you get into a pyramid scheme early enough to be one of the people who benefits from it, it doesn't mean it's not a pyramid scheme.
It isn’t a pyramid scheme because there are literally none of the elements needed to make something a pyramid scheme. Hope that helps!
In what way is it a pyramid scheme? Specifically?
I don't think this video ever made this claim. It's a pyramid scheme if it's a pyramid scheme. I don't see any resemblance here, but maybe I'm missing something. Would you care to elaborate?
Where’s the pyramid? Where’s the scheme?