Edited to add alternatives to contribute to the Dear Author/Jane Litte legal defense fund for those who are boycotting GoFundMe.

Yes!

Since the news that Ellora’s Cave has sued Dear Author and Jane Litte broke out, many of us in the romance reading community have asked for a way to help Jane financially–because lawsuits are used as a threat, to silence critics, precisely because they are expensive. And usually more expensive to the defendant, particularly in states where there is no provision to refund them even if the court rules in their favor.

Well, now we can.

Smart Bitch Sarah created the Dear Author / Jane Litte Defense Fund using crowdfunding site GoFundMe. Here’s the text on the donation page:

Many people have been asking if and how they can contribute to Dear Author and Jane Litte’s legal defense. Consequently, this campaign was created. The Dear Author Jane Litte Legal Defense Fund will be run through Go Fund Me. Any donations made to this fund will be used for Jane Litte’s defense against the defamation suit filed against her and Dear Author Media Network LLC by Ellora’s Cave.

Why a fund?

Because lawsuits are expensive (that’s why they’re so often used as a threat, if you’ve ever wondered). Because of that, and because the duration of the litigation is undetermined, Jane will need financial assistance. Jane’s attorney, Marc Randazza, is contributing by discounting his hourly rate. Even with a generous discount, it’s still expensive.

Jane Litte has set aside $20,000.00 of her own funds to fight this defamation suit and has paid the large retainer out of the fund but that money will be depleted quickly as the case progresses.

If you’d like to donate to the legal fund, you can follow this link to the GoFundMe site, and make your donation. Please note: these are NOT tax deductible donations, as this is NOT a 501(c)3 not-for-profit
entity.

All funds will be used for Jane’s legal defense, minus the fees charged by GoFundMe, and because we don’t know what the end result will be, we have no way of knowing what the total amount required will be. If there are any funds left over when the suit is finished, they will be donated to the Society of Professional Journalists Legal Defense Fund (http://www.spj.org/ldf.asp).

If the fees do not exceed $20,000, we will attempt to refund the donations per the GoFundMe policies ( http://support.gofundme.com/entries/22603558-How-do-I-issue-a-refund-to-a-donor-). Countries with the following currencies are supported: $ USD, £ GBP, $ CAD, $ AUD and € EUR.

Any amount that you can contribute is most appreciated.

Many of us cannot donate a lot, but in circumstances like this, every little bit helps–and by joining Jane Litte in defending her right to speak out, we are setting a precedent and defending our own right to speak out. So, let’s have a it.

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Oh, and just in: Angelia Sparrow serves Ellora’s Cave with a public notice.

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Author Lolita López/Roxie Rivera wrote an amazing post about her personal situation vis a vis Ellora’s Cave here.

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For those of you who don’t want to use GoFundMe, you can donate to the legal defense fund by using Dear Author’s PayPal account, which is jane AT dear author DOT com. Make sure to ear mark your contribution in the “buyer’s instructions” field.

For those who do not want to use a credit card, SBSarah is offering to step in. Email her at sarah AT smartbitchestrashybooks DOT com –however, Yom Kippur starts at sundown tonight, so please be patient while she’s offline. Rest assured that she’ll get back to you presently.

Lastly: as I type this, 436 people have raised an astounding $34,550.00 (of a $50,000.00 goal) in a day.

If you read the comments, you’ll be amazed at how many people who are, most assuredly, not fans of Jane or of Dear Author, have the common sense necessary to realize that this lawsuit is not about Jane or DA, but about everyone’s freedom of speech. I am proud to belong to this community of people.