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U.S. Author Safety Program

U.S. Author Safety Program

Coming soon!

A person writes in a notebook beside a laptop and stacked books. Icons for Facebook, Instagram, X, Reddit, and email surround them, with arrows, alerts, and cybersecurity symbols over a blue dotted background.

What You Need to Know

In a 2025 survey of its membership, PEN America found that: 

66% of respondents reported feeling less safe or more at risk in connection with their writing than they had five years earlier

77% reported being concerned with digital safety and online harassment in connection to their work 

Nearly one third said that they will be more cautious in the coming years about what they write about

Building on our work opposing book bans and supporting U.S. journalists under attack online, PEN America is establishing a U.S. Author Safety Program to meet a growing need for safety support in the literary community.

Read more about the new initiative

Safety Resources for Authors and Their Allies

If you are interested in  working with us to provide safety training for a group of authors, check out our Safety and Online Abuse Defense Workshops and get in touch at digitalsafety[at]pen.org. Free public trainings for authors and their allies will be available starting Summer 2026.

Safety Consultations and Peer Support coming Summer 2026

Comprehensive Guidance

Illustration of a laptop with a chain and padlock across the screen, symbolizing security. Below, bold text reads Online Harassment Field Manual. The background has a light diagonal shadow effect on the left, reflecting themes from Pen America workshops focused on digital safety.

PEN America’s Online Harassment Field Manual offers concrete strategies for defending yourself and others from online abuse.

Check it out

PEN America’s Digital Safety Snacks are step-by-step videos to help you defend yourself against online abuse, hacking, and doxxing.

Check it out
Digital Safety Snacks is written in bold letters with speech bubbles, alongside the logos for International Women's Media Foundation, ONA, and PEN America, set against a vibrant backdrop of red and yellow shapes.
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