I try to be the kind of person who doesn't feel the need to prove myself to anyone. My successes speak for themselves. And my failures are always followed by more educated effort. I am proud of the work I am doing and I genuinely believe I deserve every bit of success I have achieved.

With that said... I do feel the pressure with our next project and I want to talk about it. Because, truthfully, we do have something to prove here.

We have something to prove...

In January of 2024, I decided that I was going to dedicate my entire platform to pushing Black and brown indie authors forward in their careers. And that is exactly what I spent the year doing. I brought books that I felt deserved more love to my audience and encouraged them to make those books famous. Over and over, I would highlight a story and, together, we would sell authors and bookstores out--sometimes within a matter of hours.

Thanks to all of you, we were able to help a number of authors sell a record number books. Some of them even went on to get noticed by book boxes, big influencers, and larger publishers. It was a very successful campaign.

But what does any of that have to do with our next project?

Well... Falencia was the very first author that we began working with.

Her book made it to me because one of my mutuals (@amandadevours) read it and knew that if I read it, I would love it and want to help promote it. And she was absolutely right. In fact, reading Devil of the Deep was the reason I started that series to begin with. I read her book and I knew right then and there, I wanted to be a part of making sure that her career took off. I recognized her as a rare talent and could not live with the possibility of her slipping through the cracks.

When I partnered with Bindery to start this publishing imprint, Falencia was the very first author I reached out to. I DM'd her and practically begged her to write me a book so I could keep my promise to make her into the next big name in Fantasy. And lucky for me, she was actually working on a manuscript at the time. One that I have read, and loved. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite ready to be picked up. But I couldn't live with waiting any longer so I did something crazy... I asked her to let me take the book that made me fall in love with her writing and to make sure it ended up on every bookshelf in America.

And she said yes.

Devil of the Deep is not just our next book for me. It is the book. It is the book that helped me to realize just how passionate I am about fighting for authors. It is the book that convinced me that publishing was a dream I couldn't put off any longer. This book is perhaps the reason Left Unread is here. And for that reason, I am DETERMINED for it to succeed in ways I don't even have the creativity to dream up yet.

Falencia is one of the best fantasy writers I know. And I don't just say that because she has now become my friend. I say it because when I read her book, it fundamentally shifted my ambitions in life. That is how incredible this book is. It deserves to be read. It NEEDS to be read. And I need your help to make sure it is the massive success I already know it will become.

As a re-release, Devil of the Deep is a first for Bindery. When I came to our team and asked them to invest in a book that had already been out for a year, they were hesitant. I won't lie about that. They were nervous about the idea of investing this level of time and resources into a book that readers had already experienced. They wondered whether we will be able to get them to buy it again. And whether we would be able to juggle the delicate work of bringing audiences something new and exciting while also respecting the integrity of a story those readers have already fallen in love with. Re-releasing a book--especially a book as ambitious as Devil of the Deep--is a huge task. And one that we didn't have the experience or numbers to look back at and feel security.

But I pushed. Because I know how valuable this book is. I know exactly how revolutionary this story is and just how much it could be capable of with the kind of resources and connections a company like Bindery bring to the table. And because I believe in Falencia. In a few years, she is going to be a name that every reader knows. I am certain of that. And I am confident she would have gotten there just fine on her own. But I knew that together we could get her there so much quicker. And I was desperate to be a part of that.

Now here we are... four months away from re-releasing one of the best fantasies in recent history, and I am asking you to help us make sure that this incredible--and important--book gets the visibility and hype that it deserves.

For those of you who have not yet heard about Devil of the Deep, let me tell you a little bit about it:

The story follows Nnenna, Pearl and Lu. Nenna is the hardest-working woman on the sea. She is not just a notorious pirate, but the most dangerous pirate alive. A reputation that has led to her being hunted by the navy. Including Lu, a new and ambitious captain who is working through his new position as a leader and the first trans man to be appointed this title. The two of them used to be lovers. Now, they are sitting on opposite ends of a field that is becoming so much more complicated as Pearl, a young mermaid, surfaces in an attempt to escape the underwater cult that has captured her Uncles and is in hot pursuit of the ancient artifact she has agreed to protect with her life. Now the three of them must work together to stop a cult of mermaids and the navy Lu has sworn allegiance to in order to save the world from an ancient curse and even more ancient god.

This is a Haitian fantasy about mermaids, pirates and ancient gods that has a lot to say about culture, the marriage between colonialism and religion and the need for marginalized people to shake off the shackles of their oppressors in order to embrace their ancestral heritage. Which is another reason that I am in love with this book. It is not just a brilliantly told story, it is also a challenge to readers to pay attention to the world we live in and to actively oppose the work of Christian nationalism to erase the identity and culture of marginalized communities and to manipulate us into compliance.

I believe this is the type of book that no one will leave the same. It is beautiful, creative, and challenging in ways that very few books are. And I firmly believe it needs to be read by everyone.

So what can you do to help?

This community SHOWED UP for Cry, Voidbringer, so I have zero doubt that you will do it again for Devil of the Deep, but I do want to emphasize the importance of early results for this one. Like I said, as a re-release, it is new and uncharted territory for us. And I want to make sure that we are bringing in the necessary results to convince bookstores, book boxes, and other partners to really believe in this project. We want to make sure they have no reason to overlook us. So here is what I need from you:

1. Pre-order your copy right now. Don't wait. I know that pre-ordering is no ones favorite thing. It means months in between your purchase and you holding your prize in your hands. But I promise, it DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE. So if you can, please buy a copy right now. Here is a direct link: https://bookshop.org/a/87137/9781967967049

2. Add it to your Goodreads TBR. I know how many of us feel about Goodreads but it is important. Bookstores and book boxes are looking THERE to see what kind of interest books have. If we do not have the numbers to prove this book is not a risk, we cant guarantee their investment. So please go add it to your TBR. Here is a link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/238653825-devil-of-the-deep

3. Request a copy on Netgalley. If you are not familiar, Netgalley is a platform where publishers and authors can list e-arcs of upcoming books to allow early readers access. Reading the book early helps because it enables you to leave reviews early, which helps bookstores to know how readers are feeling about the book. So if you read electronically, go request to read Devil of the Deep. Here is a link: https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/705173

4. If you do read it early... REVIEW IT. Reviews MATTER. So please make sure you are leaving reviews for all of our books on Goodreads.

5. TALK ABOUT IT. This one is obvious, but I'm gonna say it anyway. The more buzz this book gets on social media, the more pre-orders it will get and the better release it will have. If we want this book to be a massive success, it matters that A LOT of people are talking about it before it comes out. Help us push the book further by singing its praises everywhere.

I want to be clear about something: I appreciate you all so much. Not just for the work that you do, but for how much you care. I know that the reason Left Unread has such a large and engaged community is because you genuinely care about the work we are doing. I could not ask for better co-conspirators and I am grateful for you more than words can express! Thank you for being here!

As always, I am so incredibly grateful that you are here. And if you are not already subscribed, please take thirty seconds to do that right now. Every single person who joins this community is actively helping us to fight for change more successfully. And if you have the means to do so comfortably, please consider subscribing at the $5, $12 or even the $25 tier to help us fund our publishing projects directly. Our current goal is to reach 1,000 paid subscribers so we have the resources to fund a third book in 2027. Thank you so much!

Love you all! - Michael