Flaming Hydra launches Kickstarter for new digital book ownership and lending model

A crowdfunding campaign has been launched for The Phoenix Project, an initiative from the digital commentary and culture magazine Flaming Hydra, which aims to promote what it calls the “return of the human internet.” The project seeks to support three specific goals: the creation of a one-off print magazine celebrating the values of the early internet, a new e-book service for libraries, and a system for archiving and subscribing to newsletters that is specifically tailored for library use.

The lead editor of Flaming Hydra, Maria Bustillos, stated that these different projects are essentially the same effort, tied together by a commitment to “protecting freedom of information” and fulfilling the “promise of the early internet, where you’re making information available to as many people as possible, while still protecting the right of artists and authors to make a living.” Bustillos explained that these issues were brought to the forefront after writer Tal Levin noted the appearance of numerous AI-generated clones of his book on Amazon. By establishing an ecosystem where people work together and offer material in a controlled context, Bustillos said Flaming Hydra is “part of the human project.”

She added that “AI is not this unstoppable force,” and suggested that if people establish networks and publishing pipelines dedicated to a human internet, readers can access material that is “completely isolated from mechanistic interference.” The Phoenix Project intends to support this vision by increasing the accessibility of work by human writers for libraries. Bustillos previously highlighted in 2020 how e-book systems currently dominate schools and libraries, noting that one school was required to pay $27 per student each year to maintain access to “The Diary of Anne Frank.”

This situation reflects a system where true ownership of digital media is considered a thing of the past, as institutions instead “license” e-books that can be removed or altered at any time. Bustillos asserted that “E-books are books,” stating that people and libraries should be able to own them, as “All digital media should be able to be owned.” She argued that the concept of ownership is simple: “If you are at the mercy of somebody who can shut the book off, you do not own it.” While the distinction might seem minor for individual items, she warned that it becomes a significant problem if it affects all books or textbooks.

To address this, Flaming Hydra and The Phoenix Project aim to allow libraries to purchase and truly own e-books, which can then be lent to patrons through an open-source system known as Lenny for Libraries. The project is launching with five new e-books from Flaming Hydra contributors, including writing from The Awl and essays by Tom Scocca and Bustillos. While this is a small start, Bustillos said she is in discussions with author groups and library consortiums, with the ultimate goal to “change the conversation” regarding digital lending, archiving, and e-books.

Additionally, The Phoenix Foundry Archive is being developed to provide libraries with access to paywalled newsletter content. Bustillos noted that much of the best criticism, essays, and journalism is currently locked behind paywalls and is inaccessible to institutions like the Internet Archive. Through the Phoenix system, newsletter writers—initially those using Ghost, with plans to add more platforms—will be able to offer subscriptions to libraries. The system will automatically convert chosen newsletter posts into EPUB files for library digital lending.

Flaming Hydra has been developing these initiatives prior to the Kickstarter launch, and Bustillos expressed gratitude for support from backers such as Paul Ford, Brewster Kahle, and Anand Raganathan. She noted that moving to crowdfunding allows the organisation to ensure its work remains independent and sustainable. “We don’t have to be at the mercy of anybody, and it also protects editorial independence,” she said. “Those things go hand in hand.” Flaming Hydra is seeking to raise $30,000 for The Phoenix Project.