Contest: Stop Censorship, Win a Book

Update 6: I have a new post up about PayPal's response to the response to their actions and Visa's stand on the matter. The ACLU of California has an open letter to PayPal that you can sign, and I'm expanding the contest to include that letter and direct letters to PayPal (provided you haven't already won.) So if you haven't yet, speak up, and don't forget to leave a post here when you do. 

Update 5: Our third winner, Vicki, has already read all of my books (I love her), so she's graciously stepping aside and letting one of the others in her group of five win. I'll announce who in the comments in just a moment.

The PayPal Censorship story continues to get wider coverage. It's now been written about on the Independent and on MSNBC's tech blog. You can find links to these stories and more, as well as an open letter to Visa, on the Banned Writers site.

Update 4: We gained some important allies today. The American Bookseller's Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE) and the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) wrote a letter to PayPal protesting their policy. Go read it. It will make you cheer.

And if you haven't checked out Banned Writers yet, do so. Lots of good stuff going on in the comments thread there. For example, a call from Eden Connor for guest bloggers and for contributors to an edgy erotica anthology. 

And here's another reason to cheer: we have our fourth winner today! Thank you everyone who has signed the petition, helped spread the word and kept this ball rolling!

Update 3: Wow! I was offline all day today, catching up with work and when I got back I saw a bunch of new comments in the queue. A new winner has been announced and we are well on our way to the next giveaway! You guys are amazing. { }

In other news, I want to direct your attention to this interesting post by Erica Pike, which casts doubt on whether the credit card companies are involved in this at all. It may be all PayPal, in which case, I think we're in better shape, since they are easier to replace with an alternate service.

Got to go back to proofreading now. See you later, babes!

Update 2: Our second winner has been announced! Thank you everyone for speaking up. I <3 you! I have a couple more comments awaiting approval, and if you haven't signed yet, or if you already did and haven't commented here yet, there's still more chances to win. :)

 

Update: Our first winner has been announced! See comments for details. When another five sign the petition and leave a comment here, I'll give away another book. Big hugs to everyone who's participated so far. You are awesome!

Okay, so you know I'm up in arms over this PayPal censorship thing, and I think you should be too. This is a financial institution dictating allowable content in fiction, and it doesn't matter if you read, write, or approve of the content in question, as a reader and a free-thinking person, you don't want to let that happen.

You may have heard that there's a petition. Here it is.

I encourage you to sign it. In fact, I think it is so important for people to speak up on this matter, that I'm going to run a contest for the next week, and maybe longer depending on how things play out. If you sign the petition and leave a comment here stating that you've done so, you will be entered to win a free copy of one of my books, your choice. Every time I get five signatures, I'll do a random selection and one of those five will win. 

Please make your voice heard. This affects all of us. 

Comments

[Ms T.]

I signed the petition before your book offer but I think it's a great idea. I am going to do something similar and I thank you for efforts.

Have you been to http://bannedwriters.com yet?

[Beth]

Wow! They have gotten a lot of signatures since I signed it last week. They only had a little over 200 the day I signed. It's almost 1500 now. They reached their goal and then some. :)

[Jessica Freely]

Thank you for the link, Ms. T. Awesome resource.

Thank you both for signing the petition. Beth, even though it's met it's goal, I think 1,000 is way too low. We need a big show of support on this to get the message across to these companies that their Customers, not some easily-dismissed minority, object to their policies. :)

[Jason]

Signed. :) Thank you for posting this.

Jase

[Tara Lain]

I signed. Thank you, Jessica! : )

[Cori]

Signed :). Hopefully it'll keep collecting signatures. Thanks!!

[Jessica Freely]

And that's our first five comments! Back in a sec. with the winner. Hugs to all of you. You're beautiful!

[Jessica Freely]

And our first winner is Tara Lain! Congrats sweetie! Please email me at jessicafreely at gmail dot com with your choice of title and preferred format.

[scj]

I signed the petition earlier this morning. Hopefully the number of signatures will just keep growing :)

[Michelle Sandusky]

I just signed. I don't know what they think gives them the right to decide what I spend my money on. Sheesh!

[Maya]

Signed! I may not want to read certain themes but I'm damned well not pleased with PayPal choosing which themes I'm allowed!

[Juliana]

I had signed earlier after finding out about this petition on Goodreads. There may have been some works that have gone "too" far but those are works I don't buy. Papyal shouldn't be the one who choses what I buy. I was very disturbed to find out things such as shifters are being included in the same category as "bestiality". If the wolves shift into humans, speak, and fall in love they are not animals! Gah!

[Sarah S]

I signed up :-D

[sp]

Signed! Ugh, this is completely infuriating.

[Shawn]

I signed it too - thanks Jessica!

[melanie marshall]

I signed as well. Thanks for putting the petition up.

[Jessica Freely]

Wow! I was out for a few hours and got back to an inbox full of comments waiting to be approved. Awesome! Spread the word everyone. Let's send a crystal clear message to PayPal, Visa, and MC that we won't tolerate censorship.

Back in a sec with our next winner!

[Jessica Freely]

Julianna is our next winner! Julianna, please email me at jessicafreely at gmail dot com with your choice of title and file format.

Thank you SO much everyone for making your voices heard. I <3 you!

[Stephanie Wytovich]

Signed! And re-tweeted...

[Jessica Freely]

Thank you for signing, Melanie. To clarify, I did not create the petition. I'm just supporting it! :)

[James]

signed it...

[Judi P]

Signed it!
This infuriates me to no end! How DARE they think they can tell ANYONE what to do.

I just... I can't even begin to think how they thought getting into our business was any sort of good idea. Or any of THEIR fucking business!!!

I hope this petition actually makes a difference. I really do.....

[Dorome]

I signed it :)

[Vicki]

This is ridiculous. How about if all those businesses with Paypal accounts shut them down and go to another source that is less of a dictator and more a supporter of freedom of thought and will and the idea that people can make their own decisions as to what they want to buy and read? I'm sure some businesses could survive without using Paypal . . . and will. This is such bullsh*t. Plain and simple.

[Jessica Freely]

I was offline all day today, catching up with work and I just checked email and saw all these new comments! You guys rock!

We have enough for a new winner and are well on our way to another giveaway after that! Be back in a sec!

XOX