Indivisibles,

Today is Constitution Day, and rather than talk up a document that is hugely flawed and racist, we want to use the 232nd anniversary of its signing to talk about the future of American democracy as we see it. 

As you probably already know if you follow me on Twitter, Leah and I have written a book! 

A book? What’s it about? 

It’s called We Are Indivisible: A Blueprint for Democracy After Trump. Essentially, it’s the next chapter to the original Indivisible Guide Google Doc. It includes our first-hand experience in the movement, explains our story, lessons we and Indivisibles have learned over the last two years about how to build and apply power, and it talks about what comes next. 

Trump is a problem (we don’t have to tell you that) -- but he’s not the only problem. He’s a symptom of a much bigger problem with the way our democracy (doesn’t) function. This means that the solution -- the antidote -- requires a movement like Indivisible that’s ready to demand big, bold structural change before it’s too late. 

This is a moment to talk about advancing an inclusive democracy that doesn’t just take on Trump but also takes on the forces that allowed him to rise. This book is about how we defeat Trump, and what we build once he’s gone.

It comes out on November 5, but it’s available for preorder today. And, 100% of our proceeds go to Indivisible’s Save Democracy Fund. Seriously, one hundred percent 💯.

We want this to be a book in which Indivisibles see yourselves and your journeys reflected and honored in, and we want the book to help grow the movement. 

If we’ve learned anything in the past two years (other than that it’s really hard to write a book), it’s that you can’t overstate the value of civic engagement. At town halls and congressional district offices for the last two and a half years, Indivisibles like you built more power than we could ever have dreamed. This book outlines how we keep growing the movement and get ready for the next chapter -- the hard work after the Trump presidency ends to build a more perfect Union of, by, and for the people.

Okay, okay. But why a book? And why now?

We wrote We Are Indivisible for three reasons:

1️⃣ First, we want to help strengthen Indivisibles' sense of shared identity. Indivisible groups have flourished because of the local, do-it-yourself nature of the movement, but we also know that we’re strongest as a national movement if we also continue to build that shared identity as Indivisibles. Writing a book is an act of self-definition and legitimization for the movement. By describing where the movement came from, what we’ve done, how we’ve done it, and what we aspire to do, we can show what makes this movement special, and help people who are already leaders and members feel like part of something even bigger. You can watch a video about how the movement grew by clicking here! 

2️⃣ Second, we want to grow the Indivisible movement. A book is simply an additional medium for getting the word out about Indivisible and recruiting more people into the movement and your local groups. If we do it right, the book can be used by existing Indivisibles to recruit new Indivisibles, and it will reach new audiences who aren’t yet part of Indivisible groups.

3️⃣ Third, we want to add Indivisible’s voice to the call for inclusive reforms to democracy. We’ve polled Indivisible group leaders and members, and what you’ve told us is saving American democracy is a top priority for the movement (it is for us too). We see the period we’re in now as a critical moment to make clear that over and above fighting Trump, we’re fighting for a real American democracy. We think this is strategically smart -- we’ve got to take on the ways that conservative reactionaries that have rigged the rules to stay in power through racist voting restrictions, dark money, and corruption of our democratic institutions.

Why should I preorder? 

Well, for one thing, it’ll mean you get an exciting package in the mail in early November, right when the weather gets gloomy! 

More seriously, preorders are important for tactical reasons (and you know you weren’t going to get through an email from me without hearing about tactics.)

So here’s the deal: the New York Times uses preorders as an important metric for how they determine the bestseller list. And the Times Bestseller List is hugely important to getting the word out to people outside of current Indivisibles and thus growing our movement. It also tells the publisher that our movement is big and thriving -- meaning they’ll order more copies, promote it more widely, and maybe even expand the number of stops on our book tour. Our publisher estimates we need about 5,000 preorders to make it on the list, so that’s what we’re aiming for. 

So, today, on Constitution Day, head on over to our website or to your local independent bookstore and place your order. In the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing more ways for you to get involved in the conversation about the book (A tour! Virtual Book Club events!) -- so stay tuned. We cannot wait to share this next chapter with you.

One more important thing: This book is for the movement -- 100% of our proceeds from the book go into Indivisible’s Save Democracy Fund -- back to the grassroots! Help us build on the important work you’re doing now and grow our movement by clicking here to pre-order your book today. And if you’ve already pre-ordered, THANK YOU, and please order a copy for a friend!

In solidarity,
Ezra