CODE OF CONDUCT

In order to foster and maintain a safe and welcoming environment, attendees, staff, associates, and online members are expected to adhere to the following code of conduct.

Flagrant violations of the code of conduct will result in immediate removal from the ASC, as well as in-person conferences when applicable. Multiple minor violations will be treated as a flagrant violation. When applicable, should an individual behave in a way that is threatening, unsafe, or considered criminal activity, legal recourse will be pursued. ASC associates reserve the right to remove a member for reasons not explicitly stated in the code of conduct.

1. Be kind and courteous. It is the responsibility of every member of ASC to foster a welcoming environment. Let’s treat everyone with respect.

2. No hate speech or bullying. Make sure everyone feels safe. Bullying of any kind isn’t allowed, and degrading comments about race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, gender or identity will not be tolerated.

3. Respect everyone’s privacy. Being part of this community requires mutual trust. Authentic, expressive discussions make our environment unique, but may also be sensitive and private. What’s shared in the group should stay in the group, and requesting contact information or sending unsolicited private messages to community members is prohibited.

4. No self-promotion or spam. Give more than you take in this community. Self-promotion, spam and irrelevant links aren’t allowed. While we want to celebrate new releases and milestones, this is not the place to promote your books or services. If someone asks for a recommendation, and you meet the criteria, that is not considered self-promotion.

In addition to our online and community codes of conduct, the following safeguards will be put into place for in-person events:

1. Safety and comfort expectations will be clear and unambiguous. 

2. Policies and procedures will be clearly defined, communicated and prominently displayed

3. Safe Space Advocates will be made available at conferences. These will be trained, vetted individuals who are clearly identified. Their role is to guide people to reporting mechanisms, to listen, and to refer people to the places that can help them. 

4. Conference sign-ups will include an attendee agreement to policy and behavior standards.

5. Reporting mechanisms will be put in place and easily accessed.

FAQs

Why Create A New Group?

As the independent publishing industry matures, the key question is no longer “how do I break in” but “how can I build a career without burning out.” Sustainability is an important aspect of career development, but it has not been a focus of the discussions in indie publishing groups thus far.

Most new businesses take 3-5 years to become profitable and self-sustaining. Yet in the author space “success” is often seen as a breakout hit in year 1. When you are not seeing an immediate financial return, how do you determine whether you are “wasting your time” or strategically laying the necessary foundations for future growth and success?

The Author Sustainability Community is a place where we celebrate and share the steps to building a long-term career, one where success is scalable and sustainable. If you want to ensure your passion is also a viable business, this is the place for you.

What Does The Logo Mean?

The lotus flower is a symbol of longevity in China. It can grow in swampy stagnant water, showing the resilience to thrive even when conditions are not ideal. In India, the lotus represents wisdom.

We hope this conference and community provide you with wisdom and tools that will help your author career continue to flourish like the lotus flower, regardless of your circumstances.

Who Is This Conference/ Community For?

• Anyone who has self-published and wants to ensure their business strategy is sustainable

• Trad pubbed authors with rights reversion who want to learn the business side of being an author

• Self published authors who have seen success but for whom maintaining their current pace will lead to burnout – how to pivot without sacrificing all progress to date

• Unpublished writers who are committed to self publishing and want to establish a sustainable business model from the outset.

Who This Group Is Not For

• Aspiring writers still focusing on writing their book

• Writers who have not decided if they want to go trad or self pubbed route

• Hobby writers – not everyone wants to turn their passion into their job, and that’s okay! But this group is focused on the business side, so if that’s not in your plans then this group isn’t right for you.

• Some familiarity with the business side of self publishing is assumed for our conference attendees. If this is not you yet, we recommend David Gaughran free course Starting from Zero to learn the basics first.