I typically use this space to discuss the ins & outs of writing — from drafting a manuscript to editing it to querying agents. My goal is to keep it light and informative. Today, however, we need to get serious for a moment. It’s important to discuss why writers and authors should be engaged in the political process. And I am particularly addressing writers and authors who live in America.

I know there is a lot of cynicism about politics (read this great piece in The Democracy Journal that addresses cynicism). Too much heated political rhetoric, or people don’t think politics impacts their everyday lives. But nothing can be further from the truth, especially for writers.

Let’s examine the recent controversy surrounding the Scholastic Book Fairs. For those who didn’t follow, here’s a brief recap: In late 2023, Scholastic announced it would separate “diverse stories” from its middle school book fairs, basically creating a two-tiered system. Unsurprisingly, the policy targeted Black, Brown, and LGBQIA+ authors who addressed topics about race, gender, and sexuality. After massive blowback from educators and authors, Scholastic reversed course.

There was no mention of politics in that recap. However, why did Scholastic remove diverse authors and stories from its offerings? It’s political. Conservative politicians have been on a book-banning rampage for several years now, doing their best to censor what books students (and even adults) can read. While some of this pressure came from national politicians, much of it originated from elected officials at the state and local levels.

In America, the freedom to read certain books should be decided by individuals and parents, not the government. And to maintain this freedom (and others), we must get political.

“But Dan,” you might say, “you are a straight cis white guy. Why do you care?” If you are asking that question, you don’t know me very well. Let me explain as simply as I can:

I know that an attack on one of us is an attack on all of us. It’s why I marched in the streets protesting Trump’s Muslim Ban. It’s why I speak out on the need for safe and accessible abortion care. It’s why I support my friends and family in the LGBTQIA+ community. It’s why I speak out against book bans.

Not only is it the right and decent thing to do, it is the smart thing to do. I am under no illusion that Republican elected officials will stop at banning books by Black, Brown, and LGBTQAI+ authors. The goal is to control our lives and restrict our freedoms. And if we give Republicans a pass on banning some books, what is to stop them from banning my books in the future? If Republicans attack the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community to love who they love and marry who they want to marry, what is stopping them from saying my interracial marriage is now illegal? This isn’t about attacking one community — it is an attack on all of our freedoms.

Recently, I attended the SAGA writing conference in Winstem-Salem, NC. While there, I asked John Hartness, publisher at Falstaff Books, what he looks for in writers he brings on (aside from writing a good book). He gave a great answer. In addition to being a decent person, he said he wants an author who supports the LGBTQIA+ community. He wants an author who is comfortable with and supportive of diversity. He wants an author who knows these values are inherently important, and who lives these values.

I agree with John. And when it comes to looking for agents/publishers, I want the same thing. Will this limit my ability to become published? I hope not. But I would rather remain unpublished than work with an agent or publisher who is too cowardly to stand up for all writers when we are under attack.

And that brings me back to my point: I cannot stress enough how important it is for writers and authors to be engaged in politics. To be political. This doesn’t mean you must spend your weekends canvassing and knocking on doors (although that would be great). But it does, at a minimum, mean writers should register to vote, and take the time to vote in each and every election. (Yes, that means more than just the presidential election every four years. Remember, it is often local officials who make political decisions at the local level, like book-banning in local schools and libraries.)

The first thing you should do is check your voter registration status at a site like www.IWillVote.com. Make sure you are registered at your current address. Then, encourage your friends and family to register. Talk to them about issues that are important to you. It might be issues like book banning. Or abortion care. Or a compassionate stance on immigration. Or voting rights. Whatever it is, you hold more sway than you think you do. Your voice matters — not only as a writer and author, but as a daughter/son/child/spouse/friend.

Finally, make a plan to vote. In many states, you can sign up to have a ballot mailed to your house. Then, you can fill it out at your leisure and mail it back in (or drop it off at a secure drop box location). Most states have early voting, so you can go vote on a day that is most convenient for you.

I know there are lots of things going on in an author’s life. If you are like me, you are juggling a “real” job to pay the bills, household responsibilities, and trying to squeeze in time to write. Not to mention trying to attend writing conventions, be a reliable beta reader for others, and making sure you have good feedback to provide for others in your writing group. And for published authors, we can add book promotion, website maintenance, and who knows what else.

Being politically engaged can seem like just one more thing, and something that can be pushed to the back burner. But believe me — politics is not a back-burner issue. We are seeing a real threat to authors in our community. We can — and must — stand up for one another. I cherish the freedoms we have, including the freedom to read and write the material I want without government interference. In order to keep that freedom, we have to vote for elected officials who respect our freedom.

And in 2024, that means voting for Democrats up and down the ticket. I hope you join me in making a commitment to do so.