It's safe to say that when you're passionate about something, you have a strong opinion about it. What indie authors are passionate about is self-publishing, writing, and book publishing as a whole. So the Alliance of Independent Authors AskALLi team is bringing you a brand new self-publishing opinion column: We Need to Talk About…
The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) is inviting thoughtful, well-reasoned submissions for our new self-publishing opinion column, “We Need to Talk About…” We're looking for bold and original thinking that challenges conventional wisdom and inspires our indie author community see things from new points of view.
Why Do We Need to Talk?
The Alliance of Independent Authors has an array of policies, codes of standards and best practices that we adhere to and promote. We also know that many questions fall outside of these policies. The self-publishing community is a broad church, and not every author agrees about every subject. (All praise the writing and publishing gods!)
In our guidebooks, podcast and advice columns, we're careful to distinguish between opinion and fact. In this column, it's going to be all about opinion.
We understand that passionate opinions can spark powerful discussions and drive our community forward.
So: What Do You Need to Talk About?
If you're an ALLi member with a unique standpoint, we want to hear from you. Maybe you think reader magnets are a waste of time or you deliberately court piracy? Perhaps you think social media should be banned or KU is the worst thing that ever happened to authors? You get the picture. An opinion that goes against the grain of received wisdom in the self-publishing community and (crucially) a well-reasoned argument as to why you hold that opinion.
We're not looking for unwarranted argument or controversy for its own sake, though, but a well-reasoned, evidenced-based position that makes independent authors (a thoughtful bunch) think again. Strong, compelling and well-argued viewpoints that stimulate conversation, foster understanding, and expand perspectives.
Don't be afraid to challenge the status quo, or present alternative ways of thinking, as long as your arguments are backed by reflective analysis. By expressing your genuine convictions, you can help to ignite meaningful debates that broaden perspectives, inspire change, and ultimately strengthen the indie author community as a whole.
Alliance of Independent Authors Opinion Column: How Will it Work?
The monthly opinion column, called “We Need to Talk About…[insert your subject of choice], will run on the first Tuesday of each month here on the self-publishing advice blog, beginning next month (June 2023) with We Need to Talk About the Dangers of Exclusivity.
Posts can be either be single-person polemics or what we're calling Head to Heads, two people from different sides of the spectrum presenting their contrasting viewpoints.
The post can be in audio, video, or text, whatever your preference, as we want to make it as easy as possible for you to contribute.
Alliance of Independent Authors Opinion Column: Submission Guidelines
- Contributors must be current, paid-up members of the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi).
- Please email [email protected] with your post idea along with a few bullets of the main points you'll be making in the post before you write the article. Please do not send completed articles to us before receiving confirmation that we will run the article.
- Articles should be around 800 words.
- Include a brief author bio, along with any relevant links to your work / social media profiles.
- Submissions should be sent to [email protected] with the subject line “We Need to Talk About: [Topic + Month] Submission.”
- Deadline for submissions is the first Tuesday of the previous month.
We look forward to hearing your insights and fostering valuable conversations within our indie author community.
