Well, that’s how that saga ended.

Is it true that there's no such thing as bad press? Well, the now-defunct Boundless / Unbound / Neem Tree Press publishing tree -- which has been burning its way to the ground for quite some time now -- might disagree. 

The problems with Unbound began at least a year (edit: since approximately 2018) before news of their unscrupulous practices broke ground, but when it did it broke hard and fast. Notable publications like The Guardian, The Bookseller, Publishers Weekly, and more jumped on the story with support from a number of authors who spoke out against their treatment by Unbound, as well as the UK writers' union The Society of Authors. How much Neem Tree Press, a recent acquisition and successful indie publisher known for their commitment to diversity, was complicit in or equally victimised by these choices has been left to interpretation. In any case, there are lessons to be learned here for writers and publishers alike.

All of this means that as of 7am BST on Friday August 1st, Frail Little Embers has gone out of print.

You can still order a copy online or through your local bookshop, but what's already been printed is all there is. For now. I shan't rule out the possibility of re-releasing a glamorous new edition in the not-too-distant future, but at the moment I'm hard at work on a couple of other projects that I hope to share with you soon.  

I stand in solidarity with all Unbound and Neem Tree authors who have been impacted by the legal pyrotechnics of a company on its final death rattle. We could all use a little comfort and hope right now, and that's what Frail Little Embers is all about.