Civic project · 2026
in progress
Pubs over Subs
What if a writer sold books one chapter at a time?
The question
Newsletters ask readers for a payment every month, forever. Pubs over Subs asks for one payment per book.
How it works
A reader pays once for a book. Each chapter, once published, earns its share of that payment, and a public ledger shows what has been earned and what is still held. If a book is abandoned, the held share goes back to the reader. Each author runs a site of their own and is paid directly.
Coming first
May Day Is For Everyone, by Harry Brisson: 18 chapters, with more than 41,000 words drafted so far. Readers can watch the draft grow day by day at harry.pubsoversubs.org before the first chapter comes out.