Abstract
Rather than taking a specific position vis-a-vis the implied author, this "manifesto" proposes a set of principles that, in turn, suggest a different approach to the question. The eight (sequential) propositions I offer are meant to speak to theorists on both sides of the IA divide. In the end, I call for an empirical inquiry into whether and how belief in an implied author might affect the poetic or hermeneutic enterprise. In short, I propose that we will learn more about implied authorship by understanding how readers process a sense of the author than by continued debate.