Editor’s Note: Today’s post is by John W. Warren. John is Professor and Director of the Graduate Program in Publishing, College of Professional Studies, George Washington University; founder and publisher of the GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing; organizer of the GW Ethics in Publishing Conference; and founder and co-organizer of the Student Journal Symposium for Literary and Research Publications.

Does your publishing organization need a manifesto? Considering current attacks on research funding, challenges to research integrity, concerns with AI, and assaults on the value of truth, this is a good time for action and an appropriate moment to write a publishing manifesto.

Writing a manifesto for your organization can be a great exercise for team building and planning, even if the result is not necessarily intended for a public audience. Your mission defines your organization’s core purpose, vision clarifies the future as seen by your organization, and values define your organization’s ethical framework and culture. A well-constructed manifesto is a statement of principles that unites all three and is employed to ignite action.

While not framed as a manifesto, per se, the principles to affirm and strengthen research integrity proposed by the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), International Association of Scientific, Technical & Medical Publishers (STM), Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP), and Association of University Presses (AUPresses), are intended to inspire action. As the authors state: “Future generations depend on our actions today. That’s why we must stand together to uphold trust and integrity in the research enterprise.”

The collaboration developed principles of belief and support in public investment in basic science and the humanities; the need for broad access to validated, trusted information; the importance of research integrity; and protecting and advancing freedom of speech, academic freedom and nondiscrimination in the marketplace of ideas, as well as ensuring research and scholarship remain free from political interference.

I’ve invited Melanie Dolechek and Caroline Sutton, two of the collaborators, to discuss and expand on these principles at the 15^th GW Ethics in Publishing Conference, to be held October 9-10, as a hybrid event. Christie Henry, Director of Princeton University Press, will also deliver our keynote talk on the Five Elements of Ethical Publishing, another manifesto-adjacent topic.

Publishing and Manifestos

Manifestos are as old as or older than publishing and inexorably intertwined with the history of the book.

Manifesto derives from the Latin terms manifestus and manifestum, meaning clear, evident, obvious. The concept translates into Spanish as manifiesto; the verb form, manifestar, means to declare, for example, one’s faith, and to protest or march.

Andrew Pettegree and others argue that Martin Luther’s “95 Theses” helped ensure the success of the invention of the printing press, as invectives from Northern to Southern Europe printed as pamphlets led to the Reformation and Counter-Reformation and kept the first printers in the black. Originally titled Manifesto of the Communist Party, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels’ ten-point program for communism, published in February 1848, inspired the Russian revolution and continues to impact the world.

Manifestos have been used to advance and excuse terrorism, murder, genocide, and other destructive actions; the very idea of a manifesto has to a degree been hijacked by extremists. (Who decides who is an extremist or terrorist is often contentious and political). Adolf Hitler wrote Mein Kampf (1925/1926), as a launchpad for his political career. Ted Kaczynski’s “Unabomber Manifesto” (1995), has inspired legions of self-mythologizing mass murderers.

In mid-January 1996, I headed to publishing meetings in NYC and stayed a few days with a friend who was launching a publication akin to the literary magazine Guernica. He had an actual fax (remember the fax?) sent directly from Subcomandante Marcos of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation in Chiapas; my friend had posted the entire 35-page or so manifesto on the walls of his Brooklyn loft. This is an example of a manifesto and “social netwar” that might be considered nefarious or destructive by some people, and positive change for others, or perhaps both, depending on whose side you’re on. I can still picture those fax pages plastered all over his walls.

Publishing loves manifestos and vice versa: you can take your ten or thirty or 95-point manifesto and turn it into a book. Examples abound of impactful manifestos published as books. Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, became a bestselling book and launched a publishing empire, with myriad spin-offs: books, speaking engagements, in-person and online courses, merchandise, and more.

It’s Time for Change: Get Writing

It’s time to inspire action. Consider creating a manifesto at your next strategic planning session or retreat.

Here are a few guidelines for creating a constructive manifesto. They are applicable to all good writing, and like all tenets of communication, the rules can be broken — are even meant to be broken — but it’s best to know how and why you are breaking the rules.

Be concise and engaging. Manifestos often have ten points; five to seven action points works well; some have thirty or more. Show the problem clearly and offer a solution, bending the arc toward justice. Use emotions to draw in the reader and paint pictures with words to captivate. Alliteration and metaphor, as well as a well-chosen, unusual word, can all help, but are easily overdone. Clarity is key. Consider, most of all, your audience: who are you trying to reach, and what do you want them to do?

You can work to turn your core values, beliefs, strategic priorities, and maxims into a manifesto. A manifesto, however, is more than just a collection of values, beliefs, and aphorisms. A manifesto is a call to action, to persuade your team, your community, the world toward positive, actionable change.

Look to history. What individuals, and what organizations, do you admire who have written a manifesto? Look around and find some that inspire (once you start looking, you’ll find manifestos are ubiquitous).

Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, delivered at the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963, establishing a clear and convincing purpose for American Civil Rights, is arguably the most inspiring manifesto of our time. Three years prior, in 1960, Rosyln Pope, then a senior at Spelman College, along with Julian Bond, future head of the NAACP, wrote “An Appeal for Human Rights,” arguing for justice in Atlanta and Georgia, and inspiring generations of activists.

I collect manifestos; like all collectors and collections (guitars!), there are always enthusiasts who surpass. Geoff McDonald’s 1000 Manifestos blog pursued a chiliad but stalled at 269. Creative director Lonnie Elliott has created a database of 175+ “brand manifestos” from Apple, Nike, and the like, plus a writing guide including in-depth analyses of various emotional arcs, such as the U-shape.

Write and revise, rinse and repeat. Thomas Jefferson wrote his defense of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” in about two weeks, but the Declaration of Independence had at least 86 edits and revisionsbetween the Committee of Five and the Second Continental Congress.

Some Rules for Students and Teachers (~1967), often attributed to composer John Cage, was written by Sister Mary Corita Kent (1918-1986). It was popularized by Cage, and rule 10 quotes him directly: “We’re breaking all the rules. Even our own rules. And how do we do that? By leaving plenty of room for X quantities.”

Try writing your manifesto first as simple bullet points before revising to make them more eloquent and poetic. (Then, you can turn it into a book!)

Manifestos as Activism

At the dawn of electronic publishing and the Internet, the Cluetrain Manifesto was published by Rick Levine, Christopher Locke, Doc Searls, and David Weinberger. First posted to the web in 1999 as a set of ninety-five theses, like Martin Luther’s, it was published as a book in 2000 with the theses extended by seven essays. It pointed to the Internet’s potential for community-building and positive change. At the time, perhaps, we didn’t foresee that social media monopolies, organizations, and individuals would master the use of the Web to manipulate and spread misinformation.

Creativity and the creative act are interwoven with the manifesto. I came across the Craftivist Manifesto over the holidays, as a striking, ten-foot-tall lithograph in Copenhagen’s beautiful Designmuseum Danmak (Danish Design Museum). The Craftivist Collective was founded by Sarah P Corbett, an award-winning activist, Ashoka Fellow, and author, who developed a ‘Gentle Protest’ methodology, merging aspects of crafting, neuroscience, positive psychology, and social campaigning. The Craftivist methodology has been used for social and political change in a wide variety of contexts, including increasing minimum wages, and was used by the World Wildlife Foundation in a campaign that led to legislation protecting migrating birds in Spain.

Craftivism encompasses many different strategies, styles and belief systems, including The Pussyhat Project, “dedicated to advancing women’s rights and human rights through the arts, education and respectful dialogue.”

Not surprisingly, artists and creatives often embrace constructive and avantgarde manifestos. Michalis Pichler, in Publishing Manifestos: An International Anthology from Artists and Writers, (MIT Press, 2022), compiled a wide range of manifestos from creators of artist books and zines, including Erik van der Weijde’s 4478ZINE’s publishing manifesto, which ends with “All books that are not made, are, at least, just as important.”

I mentioned above creating a personal manifesto. For inspiration, WePresent, WeTransfer’s arts platform, has commissioned and compiled an ongoing series of manifestos by creatives who work in music, art, photography, film and literature (and sometimes all of the above). Each offers “10 rules to live by,” including musician Willy Nelson (“Stop Looking for Happiness”… “Don’t Be An Ass___”); artist Ai Weiwei (“Take a lot of interest in history and past experience, but also seek out new knowledge. Be imaginative, and desire things that have not happened yet.”); Malian musicians Amadou and Mariam (“Be passionate about something”… “Success does not come in a day, so get ready to work hard and be patient.”); psychedelic Timbuktu band Songhoy Blues (“Learn to tune out and tune in every day”… “Seek art outside your comfort zone.”), and dozens of others.

Be As Courageous As You Can

The best manifestos consider what’s at stake, and provide a solution, or at least some hope. On Tyranny, (2017), by former Yale professor Timothy Snyder, has been on the New York Times bestselling list for 129 weeks, drifting in and out of the top spot, and has been published as a graphic edition and expanded audio edition. We had the pleasure of collaborating with Snyder through his biographical essay for Georgetown University Press’ Story of a Secret State, by Jan Karski. Synder’s twenty-point manifesto, Don’t Be A Bystander: Lessons From The Twentieth Century, which you can download and share, are all relevant in today’s perilous times. Among those especially germane to scholarly publishing include “do not obey in advance” (1), “defend institutions” (2), “take responsibility for the face of the world” (3), “remember professional ethics (4), “Be kind to our language” (9), “believe in truth” (10), “learn from peers in other countries” (16), and “be as courageous as you can” (20).

These seem to be perilous times. We’re witnessing alterations to the historical record, research funding frozen or eliminated on ideological factors, federal and state legislatures exerting increased control over higher education, and inclusion branded as illegal activity. Political violence, never dormant in the United States, may be on the rise. It’s important not to give up hope that, as Martin Luther King, Jr., reminded us, “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” Many of us are mission-based organizations, seeking to improve and change the world, one book (or journal) at a time. Perhaps take the idea of a manifesto as inspiration for a teambuilding exercise or department retreat activity; if the word manifesto itself raises issues, focus on stating or reaffirming foundational principles. These principles can be a continual work in progress, and do not need to be made public, necessarily, although you may choose to do so. Reaffirming a commitment to elements of ethical publishing, as an organization, and as an individual, can be a step toward positive, nonviolent action and change. My principles center on building and engaging community, being relentlessly creative (and analytical), being a leader in a micro-niche (and developing a unique style), practicing ethical thinking and continuous improvement, and connecting in collaboration.

I asked Randy Townsend, MPS, professor of GW’s Ethics in Publishing capstone course, for his thoughts, and he suggested prompts for an organizational retreat or planning session, such as:

• What are the biggest threats to our (scientific) community?
• What does our community need to hear from us?
• How can our press/organization make an impact? How do we know if we are making an impact?
• What do our voices need to affirm?
• What are your personal values and how can you apply them to your daily work?

You can also refocus these questions to create a personal set of principles, defining your goals for personal growth, creativity, impact, and activism. Spend some time defining your personal mission, vision, and values, and come up with a personal manifesto, “rules to live by.” Or create one for your long-dreamed-about independent publishing imprint, lit mag startup, or indie bookstore.

It’s time to get writing!

Do you have a manifesto, or a favorite manifesto? Drop some of your favorites into the comments.