2022 marks Ethos Books' 25th year of publishing fresh and enduring voices in Singapore. Over the years, Ethos has weathered the seasons and persevered through changes and tough times without losing sight of our vision: giving voice to emerging and exciting writers from diverse backgrounds, and fostering an environment in which literature and the arts can thrive. Now, as we look towards the future of Ethos and independent publishing, we are seeking ways to improve on the work we have done, and bring important books and conversations into more spaces. 

Quick Links: 

1. Introducing the Ethos Books Membership programme
2. The Three Tiers 
3. How it works
4. What will the membership fees be used for
5. The Future of Ethos Books
6. FAQ

Introducing: the Ethos Books Membership Programme

The resilience of community has been vital to our continuing work during the pandemic.

Like many others, the publishing industry took a big hit during this difficult period, and the aftershocks will continue to be felt for years. In the face of rising production and logistical costs, as well as diminishing independent spaces, we will continue publishing books that need to be read and amplifying voices that need to be heard, without being limited by the parameters of available grants and market conditions.

This membership is our aim to grow our community. It will help us to fund books and conversations that we feel will bring crucial new perspectives to our society and the literary community, while keeping our events and content accessible to all.

Join in to help us keep making books that are fresh, different and enduring!

The three tiers

Our membership comes in 3 tiers: 1 month, 6 months and 12 months. These are not recurring payments; you will only be billed once. Towards the end of your membership, we will extend an invitation for you to renew your membership.   

Tier 1 ($5 for 1 month*)

• **Access to archive of previous pre-order-exclusive digital materials (extra essays, stories etc). Pre-order materials will be uploaded for members only 6 months after the book is released. Including:
• "Decolonising Translation" and "Tales with Tails" by Nazry Bahrawi
• "Family Dinner" and "5-6-7-8, to the many i appreciate" by Johnny Jon Jon
• "Out of the Well" by Jolene Tan
• "Some Islands Will Rise" by Matthew Schneider-Mayerson 
• **Access to archive of audio files of previous Ethos events, to download and listen on the go. Audio files will be uploaded within 1 month of the event, and older events will gradually be added. Including:
• [Book Launch] Constance Singam's Where I Was 
• [Singapore Heritage Fest 2022] Decolonising our Natural Heritage 
• [Meeting in the Middle] Doing and Being: Intersections of Community Organising 
• [Book Launch] Malays Speculating Futures: Launch of Singa-Pura-Pura
• The Ground Speaks: Civil Society After GE2020

 Tier 2 ($30 for 6 months*)

• All Tier 1 perks
• Monthly membership newsletter from us, containing membership perks / news updates on the 1^st of every month.
• Early notice of upcoming sales, events or pre-order for the month.
• Chance to enter Lucky Draw to receive an advance reading copy of new releases. Watch this space for our 2023 publishing calendar.
• 10% discount when pre-ordering new titles during your membership period. Discount code will be shared with the monthly newsletter.

Tier 3 ($80 for 12 months*)

• All Tier 1 & Tier 2 perks
• 3 x 10% Ethos Books webstore vouchers 
• Thank-you package from us, containing 1 free book of your choice from the Ethos Books catalogue and a limited edition Ethos Books enamel pin (while stocks last!) 
  

* Prices shown are before GST
** You will need a google account to access this.

How it works

1. Choose a tier that works best for you and purchase it on our webstore here. 

2. You will be billed only once, and your membership will be activated on the 1st of the following month (i.e. if you purchase anytime from 1 - 31 December, your membership will begin on 1 January).

3. You will be given access to the archive of materials for the duration of your membership. For Tiers 2 & 3, you will receive a monthly newsletter with your membership perks.

4. Tier 3 members will be contacted separately about your Thank-you package and webstore vouchers!

What will the membership fees be used for?

In a market survey we conducted earlier this year, we asked our readers what they would most like their membership fees to be put towards. Based on their responses, the fees will be channelled towards the following 3 areas:

1. Editorial Incubation: supporting the time and labour that goes into developing a work for publication. This could include, but is not limited to: fees for specialised editorial support, sensitivity readers, expert factchecking and translation.
2. Accessibility Costs: providing sign-language interpreters, captioning and transcribing work for Ethos events, renting wheelchair-accessible venues, etc.
3. General publishing costs: book production costs, logistical costs, venue support for book launches and panel conversations.

We will post a round-up on Facebook and Instagram at the end of each year to highlight what our membership funds have enabled us to achieve that year.  

The Future of Ethos Books

In our market survey, we also asked readers if they wanted to be able to support Ethos Books in ways beyond buying books, and we received very encouraging responses. We hope for this membership to be an avenue for that support.

Ultimately, this does not change the work that we do. We hope for our membership programme to enhance the kind of work that Ethos is proud to do. Pre-order perks (bonus materials, free e-books, etc.) will still be offered for most of our new releases, available to everyone. Book launches, panel conversations and events will still be kept free and accessible to all, with the exception of some ticketed events to support our authors and speakers for their time and labour. Most importantly, we are still committed to publishing great books by diverse voices in Singapore. This membership will help us to continue doing so, and make all our events as accessible as possible for all to enjoy and be a part of.

Lastly, we want to thank you, our dedicated readers, for championing our work, be it through buying our books, reading them at the library, or coming to our events. Whether you’re able to be a member or not, we greatly appreciate your support over the last 25 years of Ethos Books, and hope that you will continue to support us as we take on the next 25 years and more.

💙🧡

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Will my membership be automatically renewed?
A: Nope, the membership is a one-off purchase. Your membership will automatically expire after 1 month, 6 months or 1 year depending on the Tier you purchased, and you will be unsubscribed from our membership programme. You will need to purchase a new membership when your current subscription expires if you would like to renew your membership.

Q: Do I need to sign up for an account?
A: Nope! All you need is a working email to receive our newsletters and a google account to access the materials archive, as they are hosted on a private google drive folder.

Q: Are there options for recurring memberships? 
A: Based on our market survey, most of our readers are more comfortable with one-off payments, so we currently do not offer options for recurring memberships.  

Q: Can I gift someone a membership?
A: Sure, simply put the recipient's email address as the contact email address, and all membership newsletters will be sent to their email. However, do give them a heads up so that they know to expect an email/newsletter from us on the 1st of the following month(s)!  

Q: Can I pay a custom amount?
A: Please reach out to us at letters@ethosbooks.com.sg if you’d like to support us with other amounts. 

If you have any questions about the membership that are not answered above, please email them to us at letters@ethosbooks.com.sg, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.