Book bans are all over the news. PEN America has been doing incredible work documenting the increasing number of book bans across the country, and the figures are staggering. The data shows that more books were banned from schools and public libraries in the 2023–2024 school year than in previous years, demonstrating that the problem is only growing. As an author, especially if you are queer, a person of color, or you write for kids, it can be a scary time to be putting your work out there. But writers know that if anyone is targeted, then no one is safe. 

But what are you supposed to do about it? You can’t vote every day. Depending on where you live, the worst problems may not be happening in your hometown. And, with a few very notable exceptions, if you’re an author, you’re probably not especially wealthy or influential on your own. 

Book authors can be a hard group to organize. Unlike TV and film writers, or people who work at a publishing company, individual authors are basically their own small business. But an industry that relies on years of work without any guarantee of reward attracts driven, hardworking people. And right now, authors all across the nation are banding together to fight against censorship and protect authors and books. 

What is Authors Against Book Bans?

Authors Against Book Bans describes itself in its mission statement as “a coalition of writers, illustrators, anthology editors and contributors, and other book creators, [standing united] against the deeply unconstitutional movement to limit the freedom to read. We unequivocally support the availability of diverse voices on our library shelves, in our schools, and in our culture.”

As a nonpartisan group, AABB helps people on the state and local level organize to fight censorship and provides resources to authors whose books are being banned. Members of AABB often receive emails directing them to join letter writing campaigns, make phone calls to elected officials, or show up at in-person events. AABB has regional chapters and is fighting to have a presence in all fifty states. 

AABB focuses on the single issue of protecting the freedom to read. This means that they will send you to a different, more appropriate organization if you’re looking to help establish drag queen story hours or protect library funding. If you find yourself frustrated that AABB won’t branch out into other issues, well, consider that focus on a singular mission creates a lot of energy toward actually accomplishing a goal. Also, there are already well-established groups that focus on those issues, and those missions are better served by people offering support to existing groups.

Who Can Join?

AABB welcomes both traditionally and independently published authors. But they also state that anyone whose “name has ever been printed in a book as a credit to its creators” is welcome to join.

If you don’t fall under those qualifications, you’re still on your journey to publication, or you’re a freelance copywriter, AABB can still be a great help to those who want to join in the fight against censorship. 

Follow AABB on social media to keep up on what they’re working on. Chances are there will be plenty of ways you can offer your support, and at the very least you’ll stay informed. 

But if you’re fully on board with AABB’s mission, and frustrated that you aren’t yet an author who can join, AABB works with other organizations that are also focused on the issue of book bans. Librarians, lawyers, booksellers, and concerned citizens are useful in organizations like the ACLU, PEN America, EveryLibrary, and countless more.

AABB also recommends the simple act of supporting the Right to Read Act, which protects teachers and school librarians.

Community Action

It’s incredibly exciting to see so many people join together to fight for such a great cause. From big-name authors like Gayle Forman and Sarah MacLean, to translators and illustrators, to independently published authors, we can come together to focus on this one issue that affects us all. 

The reason it feels so satisfying to join in on a group cause like Authors Against Book Bans is that humans are naturally social creatures. Even on the best of days, writing is an incredibly solitary calling, but even the most devoted independent freelancers are at least in an online networking group for fellow writers. 

So it makes sense that an organization that brings the people who make books together has already garnered lots of support from big-name authors and independent writers alike. But fighting to protect the right to read is really the ultimate expression of community. 

We share ourselves and learn about others through reading. Banning books is the act of severing community ties. Taking away books takes away our ability to find each other and to fully know ourselves. So fighting to preserve the freedom to read is fighting for our own humanity, our families, our neighbors, and ourselves. 

Chelsea Ennen is a writer living in Brooklyn with her husband and her dog. When not writing or reading, she is a fiber and textile artist who sews, knits, crochets, weaves, and spins.