3 Book Publishers Accepting Gay Themed Stories
Independent Publishers that Specialise in Handling Gay Fiction Books
Oct 20, 2009
For any writer, finding the right book publisher is a pressing concern. This is especially true for writers of gay fiction books who need to know that their work will be handled appropriately. To make the process of submitting novel manuscripts easier for the gay fiction writer, below are three gay book publishers who specialise in handling gay fiction.
Gay Book Publisher Alyson Books
Founded by Sasha Alyson in Boston, Massachusetts, during the 1980s, Alyson Books is perhaps one of the best known publishers of gay fiction books. This gay book publisher has produced a wide collection of titles, including the now renowned Heather Has Two Mommies which deals with the subject of two lesbian partners bringing up a child.
Today, Alyson Books is under the ownership of Here Media who also own Here! TV and gay interest magazine The Advocate. Alyson Books has continued to expand its collection, and now takes a wide variety of gay themed fiction and non-fiction alike. Alyson Books currently caters for the following genres:
- Biography and Autobiography
- Children's Books
- Fiction
- Film and TV Books
- Gay and Lesbian Literature
- Gay and Lesbian Studies
- Gay Erotica
- History
- Humour
- Lesbian Erotica
- Mystery
- Pets
- Relationships
- Romance
- Self-Help
- Sexuality
- Travel
A literary agent is not required to submit a gay fiction book manuscript to Alyson Books. However, there are three criteria that must be followed for a submission to be considered viable by this gay book publisher. They are:
- A cover letter with a brief biography and reason for writing.
- A story outline.
- Three sample chapters of the gay fiction book being submitted.
Material can be sent either through the postal service or through email. Waiting time for a response is listed as between six weeks to two months. If a writer would like to query this gay fiction publisher before sending a submissions package, response time may be quicker. For full details of the submissions procedure for Alyson Books, and for a better understanding of their gay fiction titles, please visit the Alyson Books website.
Gay Romance Book Publisher Dreamspinner Press
Dreamspinner Press exclusively publishes erotic gay romance books. That's not to say that the fiction must be sexually explicit. Dreamspinner Press encourages imaginative and cross-genre writing that pushes boundaries. However, all stories must contain an erotic romance between two male characters. This gay book publisher accepts gay romance fiction in a variety of formats including micro-fiction, short stories, novellas and full length gay fiction. They encourage writers to draw on the following genres:
- Contemporary Fiction
- Mystery/Suspense
- Fantasy/Paranormal
- Sci-fi
- Historical
- Timeless Dreams (Revisionist History)
- Western
- Humour
- Gay Romance Stories with Multiple Partners
- BDSM/Kink (for example, stories involving bondage)
Dreamspinner Press accepts submissions all year round for novels. They regularly run calls for submissions to their anthologies based on a theme, so subscribing to the Dreamspinner Press newsletter might be worthwhile. But writers wanting to submit their gay themed book to Dreamspinner Press should include the following in their submission package:
- A short but complete synopsis of the story.
- The first twenty-five per cent of the manuscript to the nearest scene break.
- Should the story be less than 30,000 words, the full manuscript.
All submissions should be made electronically. To find out how to format a submission for gay book publisher Dreamspinner Press and what personal details to include, please visit their website for full guidelines. For an example of the kind of fiction Dreamspinner Press publish, read this review of Dreamspinner Press title Alliance in Blood by author Ariel Tachna.
Gay Book Publisher Lethe Press
Founded by author Steve Berman in 2001, Lethe (pronounced Lee-Thee) Press is a gay fiction publisher and an independent book publisher that prides itself on accepting gay and lesbian fiction that falls outside of mainstream publishing. This gay book publisher takes on written material and manuscripts from the following categories and genres:
- Gay and Lesbian Interest
- Gay Spirituality
- Lesbian Specific
- Erotica
- Poetry
- Occult and Supernatural
- Speculative Fiction and Sci-fi
- Essays
Lethe Press periodically updates their submissions page to include information on whether they are currently accepting gay fiction book queries. They do not take unsolicited manuscripts (writers must go through a literary agent in order to contact them). Click here to see if submissions for manuscript queries are open. To read a review of Lethe Press title Vintage by writer Steve Berman, please click here.
Lastly, it is important to note that, when submitting a manuscript to any book publisher, whether it be a gay book publisher or not, it is important to have carried out stringent editing of a manuscript beforehand, and to then closely observe a publisher's individual rules regarding manuscript layout and submission procedure. Doing so will not guarantee success, but it will avoid a budding writer's manuscript being turned away at the first hurdle.
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