Mona Eltahawy Instagram – Bloody Hell! the book I illustrated and designed the cover for is out in the states June 3.
However, since neither the editor, Mona Eltahawy, nor I have been paid by the publisher, neither of us is doing any publicity for it.
Since its March publication in the UK, Ireland and Europe, Bloody Hell! has received glowing reviews, including a starred mention in Publisher’s Weekly, and already created revenue for the publisher.
Last night, Mona and I received a long-winded gibberish email full of irrelevant and insulting details, but the TL:DR: is that they’re using whatever money they make off our unpaid work to pay their current employees, to honor their current debts and to invest in their current projects.
Mona and I – both contracted before their bankruptcy and subsequent takeover – will not be paid.
Unbound’s (now Boundless’s) delinquency over the past 15 months has really put my family in a tough spot financially, as we expected that commission – my largest last year – to be paid in April 2024, in one or two deposits.
15 months later, we are still working on figuring out our way forward. This was especially hard as the company led me to believe that my fees were set aside from the beginning.
This is beyond frustrating and maddening. And trying to chase down payment for more than a year has soured a project I was incredibly proud to have contributed to. The book is gorgeous and I hope it finds its way to the readers who need it most.
And all solidarity and love to @monaeltahawy who invited me onto the project and whom I hope gets paid her due asap. Without you, this amazing tome would not exist.
TL:DR: publisher hasn’t paid for 15 months, just announced they won’t pay the editor or designer for a book they’ve already published and are profiting from. | Posted on 31/May/2025 01:40:33
