It is with mixed feelings that I write to inform our followers that Bald Cypress Books will no longer use Facebook. This is our last post, and the page will be removed in the near future. Recent moves by so-called Big Tech giants like Facebook, Twitter, Google, and Amazon make it clearer than ever before that these monopolistic companies are determined to control the flow of information and silence a particular political viewpoint. Whether I happen to share that viewpoint or not – and, for the record, I am neither a Republican nor a Democrat, not that that should matter – I cannot, in good conscience, continue to use a service that is openly hostile to roughly half of the U.S. population. These companies are far, far too powerful. I don’t support their political agenda, and I don’t wish to support their escalating accumulation of wealth and power.
In its heavy-handed attempt to force-feed its users a politically biased narrative in the aftermath of the recent election, Facebook repeatedly flagged promotional posts about my latest title, Military Interference With the Election in Delaware, 1862, a reprint of a historical text from 1863 with no connection to modern election controversies. This was only a minor inconvenience, but it was annoying, absurd, and kind of creepy. The countless other users who have been censored, suspended, or banned for daring to express their political (and/or religious) convictions have been subjected to a far greater inconvenience, especially those who are dependent on Facebook for their job or business.
Voluntarily removing a small business from Facebook is a serious decision with real consequences. Many businesses could not afford to do it. There is no doubt that this decision will affect Bald Cypress Books; most of my book sales have been driven by Facebook. However, as I thought about it, I realized that there will be no better time to abandon this platform; the longer I use it, the more dependent I’ll become. I can cut the cord right now while the business is relatively new and tiny, take the hit, adjust my marketing strategy as needed, and carry on, while hopefully supporting other platforms which are geared towards usefulness rather than social control.
I plan to publish 2-3 books in 2021. News about forthcoming releases will be shared at baldcypressbooks.com and via other social media platforms, such as LinkedIn and MeWe. I’ll also be setting up an email list of some sort on the website. Please stay in touch if you’re interested in what I’m doing.
Bald Cypress Books will always support a free, open, diverse, and uncensored Internet.
- Chris Slavens