John,

As books go digital, people are getting left behind and taxpayers are footing the bill. Fight for the Future’s new tool highlights how predatory digital book practices are increasing inequity while harming marginalized communities and core institutions like public libraries, public schools, and independent booksellers.

We’re stacking up books by Michael Pollan and Trevor Noah against The Diary of Anne Frank and more. Across the board, we’ve found barriers to accessibility and availability for important written works.

Check it out at WhoCanGetYourBook.com

The ecosystem of books is complicated. Most publishing companies have been bought out, so the major players are Amazon and 4-5 other companies. With the crush of Amazon’s monopolistic power, there are few options for authors to get published. So, authors agree to restrictive deals because they can’t see another way to make a living. These deals increasingly exclude our most-vulnerable readers. Those most harmed are disabled people, rural people, low income people, those who speak English as a second language, and young readers. This tool empowers authors, book lovers—all of us—to finally recognize what is going on, and demand better.

Normally, this is the part where we ask you to sign a petition, but today we’re trying something a little different. Popular authors need to know how marginalized readers are excluded from accessing their books. Can you spread our tool and demand your favorite prominent authors start speaking out against these practices?

Can you ask your favorite authors who can get their books?

Here’s a button to ask on Twitter. All you need to do is fill in the Twitter handle for your favorite author:

TWEET AUTHORS

You can also reach out to authors on Instagram or wherever else by sharing the graphic at the end of this email or asking them this simple question:

Who can get your book? Take the anonymous quiz from digital rights and accessibility activists now at WhoCanGetYourBook.com

In 2020, e-lending by public libraries was way up—and so were publishing profits in the digital marketplace. The current state of digital books shores up publishers’ short-term profits at the expense of taxpayers and equity. In contrast, career-minded authors stand to benefit from advocating for the next generation of readers. Just as always, there’s room for libraries and public schools in the ecosystem of books—but we have to fight for them.^1,2,3

For ALL the readers,

Lia & the team at ❤️Fight

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Footnotes:

1. Beyond the Bookcast: https://beyondthebookcast.com/up-for-2020-book-business-braces-for-2021/

2. The Future of Publishing: https://thefutureofpublishing.com/2021/01/covid-19-and-book-publishing-impacts-and-insights-for-2021/

3. Publishers Weekly: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/85593-bookstore-sales-fell-28-3-in-2020.html

 

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