🎙️ Welcome back to The Mythic Mic Podcast, where myths intertwine with reality, legends come to life, and fantasy is more than just a story!

In this episode, host Sara Santillan sits down with Matt Kaye, co-founder and CEO of Bindery Books, to explore one of the most innovative and disruptive ideas in modern publishing: a tastemaker-driven publishing model that flips the traditional system on its head.

Matt walks us through his 20-year journey across traditional publishing, Amazon, and Patreon, and how watching creators build massive, loyal, book-loving communities inspired him to ask one radical question: What if the people readers already trust — i.e., bookish tastemakers — became publishers themselves?

From Indie authors who never had a platform to books traditional publishers would “never take a chance on” to runaway successes like Recipes for an Unexpected Afterlife and House of Frank, Matt reveals how Bindery is creating a new ecosystem where authors, tastemakers, and readers thrive together.

This episode is a must-listen for authors, book influencers, industry professionals, and anyone who wants a behind-the-scenes look at the future of publishing.

🔥 IN THIS EPISODE, WE TALK ABOUT…

📚 The Collapse of Traditional Book Marketing
Why legacy methods no longer reach readers and how tastemakers organically filled that void.

✨ The Birth of Bindery Books
How a lunch conversation sparked a vision for a publishing model powered by reader trust and community engagement.

📣 What a Tastemaker Actually Is
Not “influencers” but readers with powerful taste, loyal communities, and the ability to champion books they truly love.

🚀 From PitchFest to Publication
How the Bindery acquisitions process works, why authors retain more creative control, and how tastemakers guide cover design and marketing.

📈 Success Stories That Changed Everything
Including Destin J. Munden’s Recipes for an Unexpected Afterlife and House of Frank,  and how both books took off without the backing of traditional publishing giants.

🎨 The Era of Iconic Covers
Why Bindery books look different — i.e., real artists, real creativity, no AI shortcuts, and no trend-chasing copycat designs.

🛠️ Building a Platform for Readers
How Bindery is creating a digital space that goes beyond content by building a true community home for book lovers.

📉 What Traditional Publishing Is Missing
The reality of “platform requirements,” the stress put on authors, and why so many incredible books fall through the cracks.

💡 The Future of Publishing
Hundreds of niche imprints run by passionate tastemakers, diverse stories, more risk-taking, and a model where authors finally get the support they deserve.

💫 CONNECT WITH US

🎙️ Follow The Mythic Mic Podcast – @MythicMicPod (temporarily @MythicMic
📚 Hosts: Bethany Amanda – @BethanyinFantasyland
🪄 Sara Santillan – @The_Magical_Quill
📖 Explore Bindery Books – www.binderybooks.com and @Bindery_Books

✨ If this episode opened your eyes to the future of publishing, don’t forget to rate & review — it helps more readers and authors discover The Mythic Mic!