gistfile1.txt

So we had modeling done this way:
You use mongodb "like" relational db while editing and forming thing to publish and when you publish you are producing one document with embedded document.

like this

[Car] -> has many via dbrefs -> [Part]

produces 

[CarSnapshot] -> has many via embedded doc -> [Part]

This way for serve published version you just do one call.
and ofc published document has this meta data like time of publish version etc.