The call for a fair model
The traditional publishing model is unbalanced: when you buy a book, less than 10% of the price goes to the author.
The rest is absorbed by a chain of intermediaries – distributors, booksellers, publishers – leaving creators with a paltry share.
At Happy Misfits, we decided to change that.
Cutting out the middlemen
By choosing to cut out distributors and booksellers from our main model, we free up between
50% and 60% in additional margin.
The result: we allocate at least
40% of the book's price to the authors — because without them, there is no story.
We also absorb a larger-than-average share of printing costs to
lower the final price for the reader.
Meet our readers, everywhere
To reach our audience, we adopted a direct strategy:
- Meeting readers – We participate in festivals and events to interact directly with our community.
- Focus on online sales – All our works are produced from the start in French and English to reach as many people as possible.
A success that confirms the model
Our first work, Liminalis (written and illustrated by Neal Pouyer), was launched through a Kickstarter campaign that raised nearly €27,500 with 650 pre-orders from around 30 countries.
Before becoming the focus of this campaign, Liminalis had been rejected by about 15 publishers. Their reason? “There’s no audience for this kind of story.”
Not only did Liminalis find its audience — it also earned the support of Japanese mangaka Gou Tanabe, guest of honor at the 2025 Angoulême Festival, who illustrated the exclusive Kickstarter cover.
This success confirms that a model centered on artists and readers is not only viable — it’s exactly what the industry has been waiting for.
An exception to the model
Although we have chosen to cut out bookstores in our main model, we make an exception for our collector's editions.
Each of our publications will initially be launched through a crowdfunding campaign. To thank our early supporters, each reader who participates in the campaign will receive a collector's edition. These editions will have only one limited print run, each time with a cover designed by a renowned artist — as was the case for Liminalis with the stunning cover by Gou Tanabe.
While online sales are at the heart of our model, we are committed to connecting with our readers and giving a second chance to those who missed the initial campaign.
This is why we host a signing tour for each release at a selection of partner bookstores. These events will be the only opportunity outside of campaigns to obtain these special editions.
The Liminalis tour is currently being planned and dates will be announced soon — but you can already check out the partner bookstores who have joined us on the map below!
Partner bookstores
For now, the Liminalis tour is planned exclusively in France — but we’re always open to crossing borders.
If you'd like to see us stop by your local bookstore, don’t hesitate to let them know and tell them to reach out to us! We'd love to expand the tour with your help.