ABOUT US
Author Solidarity is for independent self-published authors who want to help make sure the industry we're part of does right by workers, communities and the planet.
WHAT AUTHOR SOLIDARITY IS ABOUT
Author Solidarity is a resource centre for independent self-published authors who want to use their collective voice to help make their industry fairer.
When I say 'our industry', I'm mainly talking about Amazon. It's one of the main channels most small-scale authors use use to sell our work - except for those authors who have chosen not to because of what Amazon represents.
And what's that? Well, poor work conditions, bad pay, union-busting, tax-dodging, and a massive environmental impact. Amazon's not the only company with this type of reputation. But it's one of the biggest, and it's one we are intimately connected to as part of their supply chain. So it's a good place to start.
There are lots of organisations and individuals doing good work to help make Amazon do the right thing. Author Solidarity is an attempt to give authors a way they can contribute to and amplify that work to make it more successful.
We want Amazon - and other tech platforms we use like Google and Apple too - to do the right thing for workers, authors, society and the planet.
WE WANT AMAZON TO DO THE RIGHT THING FOR:
WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE
The idea behind Author Solidarity is about using our collective voices to be stronger to demand positive change.
Even big name authors are no match for Amazon and other tech giants. They do what they want, and we're at their mercy, right?
Well, all companies are influenced by public pressure. It's just a matter of whether that pressure is loud enough that even mega-corporations can't ignore it anymore.
No author is going to be loud enough to change anything on their own. A group of a thousand authors together isn't going to be loud enough on its own either.
But change can only ever happen when enough people demand it loudly enough. When it comes to worker rights, that's a snowball that's starting to get bigger, with several unions establishing themselves and pushing for better conditions. When it comes to the climate, the voices of ordinary people all over the world are getting louder and more urgent, and we can see all kinds of companies respond to that pressure by improving their environmental performance.
So the idea of Author Solidarity is to help small-scale, self-published authors to use their collective voices, joining with all the other voices gathering force and momentum around the world.
WHO WE ARE
Author Solidarity is a group for independent self-published authors. That means anyone who writes and publishes books on a small-to-medium scale.
Any indie authors are welcome to get involved. It doesn't matter whether you sell through Amazon or not.
That includes romance and erotica authors. You're welcome to use your pen name in any communications relating to Author Solidarity. And we don't judge - although we won't work with authors who are engaging in hate speech or inciting violence.
And although the purpose of the group is for small-scale indie authors, any large-scale authors or publishers are welcome to support the cause too.
WHAT'S INVOLVED
This isn't a highly organised operation. The idea is that you can pick up whatever ideas you think are right for you, and run with them. That could be as simple as following and sharing some social media info. Or it could involve being part of a particular campaign on a particular issue you care about.