Bindery Books
Publisher with a Tastemakers program targeting bookstores and influencers. Learned about them from Carrie (2026-04-01) after she spoke with a Bindery rep who is also a bookstore owner.
Tastemakers Program
- Membership platform for bookstores and influencers
- Direct Discord integration — bot auto-assigns member tier roles when someone joins
- Integrated with Bookshop.org
- Content tools: blog posts, curated book lists (shoppable), newsletter support
- Membership perks are customizable (items, event discounts, etc.) — similar to our tier system
- Upsells (including membership features) in the pipeline
Publishing / Imprint
- Traditional publisher — handles legal, artwork, production
- Bookstores that grow large enough can form an imprint under Bindery
- Potential path for Dungeon Books to publish RPGs — we’d find the book and promote to the right audience, Bindery handles the rest
Competitive Position vs WithFriends
- Bindery rep is familiar with WithFriends and views Tastemakers as a competitor
- Rep believes upcoming upsell features will outcompete WF’s membership offering
- Key advantage: Bindery is built by publishers and bookstore owners — people actually in the book industry
- Kunal is not a bookstore owner, which limits WF’s domain understanding
- Carrie’s assessment: WithFriends may not survive once Bindery’s membership upsells launch
Why This Matters
- Discord integration aligns perfectly with our community strategy (Panat runs Discord as “nachi”)
- Bookshop.org integration gives us an affiliate revenue channel
- Imprint path — publishing RPGs is a long-term dream for Dungeon Books
- Replaces WithFriends dependency — if we were considering WF for membership, Bindery is the stronger bet