The Queer Writer: July 2025

Genre-Queer: Narrative Structures for the Other

• 6 Wednesdays starting July 9th, 2025 from 7:00pm to 9:00pm ET (6:00pm to 8:00pm CT)
• Virtual via Zoom
• $222, funds available for individuals in need
• 20 students maximum

Throughout our history of marginalization and oppression, queer voices have created our own ways of speaking and expressing ourselves. But with us so Othered in queer tongues, how do we tell our stories to the mainstream authentically?

In this queer-focused course, we’ll look at several literary tactics for expressing ourselves—such as Fracturing, Modulating, Fabulism, and Spiraling—as well as finding our voices as queer people and tackling such conundrums as slang and cultural references. We’ll look at examples of such writers as Carmen Maria Machado, Jordy Rosenberg, Akwaeke Emezi, and more to help us assert our stories in ways that demand us to be heard without compromising our queerness.

This course includes weekly opportunities to have short stories of given experimental narratives verbally workshopped. *Cisgender/heterosexual people are welcome to attend this course if they're eager to learn about storytelling methods beyond the traditional narrative arc.

Note: no class July 16.

Disclosure: I'm an affiliate of Bookshop.org. Any purchase through my storefront supports local bookstores and earns me a commission. Win-win!

Stirring Spurs by M.A. Wardell

In the heart of Oklahoma's sprawling Rainbow Ranch, Boone Adams thrives as the vibrant soul behind the kitchen, tirelessly whipping up meals that warm both body and spirit. As the younger twin to the brooding Beau, Boone embraces his role as the ultimate caretaker, pouring his heart into nourishing his family and friends. His sunny disposition and unwavering concern for his siblings mask a deeper longing for recognition and self-care. Everything changes when Wylie Anderson arrives-a rugged cowboy battling his own demons and desperate for a fresh start. Drawn to the ranch to earn some quick cash, Wylie has no intentions of sticking around after the monthly rodeo. As their paths intertwine, Boone's nurturing spirit clashes with Wylie's hardened exterior, igniting a tension neither expected. Will Boone's unwavering kindness break through Wylie's tough façade, revealing the warmth beneath? And can Wylie help Boone discover the importance of prioritizing his own happiness? In this tale of love, self-discovery, and the power of connection, two opposites just might find a way to complement each other and heal their own hearts.

Call Your Boyfriend by Olivia A. Cole and Ashley Woodfolk

Cynical but sensitive Beau Carl is on a mission. She needs to know if ultra-popular Maia Moon—the girl she’s been secretly hooking up with for months—really has feelings for her. But when she shows up at the last big party of the year before prom, she sees Maia about to kiss someone else. Sweet, inexperienced Charm Montgomery is the “someone else.” And she’s ecstatic that she’s been reading Maia’s flirty behavior in their tutoring sessions correctly. But when the kiss is interrupted and Maia accepts an elaborate promposal from her douchey, popular boyfriend just a few days later, both Charm and Beau end up heartbroken. There’s only one thing for them to do—get her back. And the only way to do that is for Beau to tutor Charm on how she can get their former crush to fall for her so hard that Maia will dump her ex…and then get dumped for once. As their plan starts working, Beau and Charm grow closer too, in a way neither expected. But are either of them ready to let go of their scheme to take a chance on something a little sweeter—and scarier—than revenge?

The Rebel Girls of Rome by Jordyn Taylor

Now: Grieving the loss of her mother, college student Lilah is hoping to reconnect with a grandfather who refuses to talk about his past. Then she receives a mysterious letter from a fellow student, Tommaso, claiming he’s found a lost family heirloom, and her world is upended. Soon Lilah finds herself in Rome, trying to unlock her grandfather’s history as a Holocaust survivor once and for all. But as she and Tommaso get closer to the truth—and their relationship begins to deepen into something sweeter—Lilah realizes that some secrets may be too painful to unbury… Then: It’s 1943, and nineteen-year-old Bruna and her family are doing their best to survive in Rome’s Jewish quarter under Nazi occupation. Until the dreaded knock comes early one morning, and Bruna is irrevocably separated from the rest of her family. Overcome with guilt at escaping her family’s fate in the camps, she joins the underground rebellion. When her missions bring her back to her childhood crush, Elsa, Bruna must decide how much she’s willing to risk—when fully embracing herself is her greatest act of resistance.

Evil-ish by Kennedy Tarrell

Hawthorne Vandercast has big plans: join the infamous Brigade of Shade, move into a glamorous castle, and leave their mundane life as a potion barista behind. But when they finally get the chance to join the Brigade, Hawthorne finds themselves overshadowed by Maple, a bubbly, bright, flowery girl who could not look further from evil. After an accident ends in death, Hawthorne is suddenly tasked with leading the Brigade. They soon begin to realize that maybe villainy isn't actually all it's cracked up to be.

Hot Girls with Balls by Benedict Nguyễn

Six is 6′7″, scheming to rejoin the starting lineup, and barely checks her phone. Green is 6′1″, always building her brand, and secretly jealous of her more famous girlfriend. Together, they’re going where no Asian American trans woman has gone before: the men’s pro indoor volleyball league. Our hot girls with balls just thought playing with the boys would spare them some controversy . . . haha. In between their rival teams’ away games across the globe, Six and Green stay connected on SpaceTime and selflessly broadcast their romance to fans on their weekly Instagraph live show. After a long season, they’ll finally reunite for the championship tournament, the first to accommodate in-person fans since the COVIS pandemic struck the world a year ago. Just as they enter an airtight bro bubble of the world’s best, they’re faced with a crisis that demands an indisputably humiliating task: make a public statement online. Can Green stock up enough clout for her post-ball future? Can Six girlboss her team’s seniority politics? Can they both take a time-out to just grieve? Their rabid fans and horny haters await their next move. We’re all just desperate for a whiff of the sweaty feminine energy that makes that ball thwack with such spectacular force.

Seven Days in Tokyo by José Daniel Alvior

Two strangers meet in Manhattan and spend a perfect night together. In Tokyo, they have seven days to see if that one night might mean something more. Landon's living alone in Tokyo as a British 'expat', Louie's visiting while he anxiously waits for approval on his US visa. Against the backdrop of a misty Tokyo Spring, their precious time together is spent wandering into side streets and coffee shops, sharing unmade beds and plates of food. But as the days tick by, Louie's expectations start to overtake reality and he falls too deeply for a life that's not yet his.

The Original by Nell Stevens

Brought to her uncle's decaying Oxfordshire estate when she was a child, Grace has grown up on the periphery of a once-great household, an outsider in her own home. Now a self-possessed and secretive young woman, she has developed unusual predilections: for painting, particularly forgery; for deception; for other girls. As Grace cultivates her talent as a copyist, she realizes that her uncanny ability to recreate paintings might offer her a means of escape. Secretly, she puts this skill to use as an art forger, creating fake masterpieces in candlelit corners of the estate. Saving the money she makes from her sales, she plans a new life far from the family that has never seemed to want her. Then, a letter arrives from the South Atlantic. The writer claims to be her cousin Charles, long presumed dead at sea, who wishes to reconnect with his family. When Charles returns, Grace's aunt welcomes him with open arms; yet fractures appear in the household. Some believe he is who he says he is. Others are convinced he's an impostor. As a court date looms to determine his legitimacy--and his claim to the family fortune--Grace must decide what she believes, and what she's willing to risk. Is Charles really her cousin? An interloper? A mirror of her own ambitions? And in a house built on illusions, what does authenticity truly mean--in art, in love, and in family?

The Gryphon King by Sara Omer

Bataar was only a child when he killed a gryphon, making him a legend across the red steppe. Now he is the formidable Bataar Rhah, ruling over the continent that once scorned his people. After a string of improbable victories, he turns his sights on the wealthy, powerful kingdom of Dumakra and their vicious pegasus-mounted warriors. Nohra Zultama has no fear of the infamous warlord who marches on her country. She and her sisters are Harpy Knights, goddess-blessed and lethal. But as deceit and betrayal swirl through her father's court, she soon learns the price of complacency. With Dumakra under Bataar’s rule, Nohra vows to take revenge—yet her growing closeness to the rhah's wife, Qaira, threatens to undo her resolve. When rioting breaks out and strange beasts incite panic, Nohra must fight alongside Bataar to keep order, her mixed feelings toward the man she’s sworn to kill becoming ever more complicated. Old evils are rising. Only together will Nohra and Bataar stand a chance against the djinn, ghouls, and monsters that threaten to overrun their world.

The Lavender Blade by E.L. Deards

Colton and Lucian make a living conning the desperate with fake exorcisms—Lucian is the charm, Colton the trick, and together, they’ve turned deception into survival. Their work is dangerous, their romance even riskier, but they’ve always found a way to stay ahead. Until Lucian is truly possessed. A powerful demon takes hold, twisting his body into something unnatural, horrific, wrong—and no priest, no con, no desperate lie can fix it. With time running out and Lucian slipping further away, Colton has no choice but to learn real magic, break every rule, and attempt the impossible. Because if he fails, Lucian won’t just be lost. He’ll be something else entirely.

The Other Wife by Jackie Thomas-Kennedy

Zuzu met her best friend Cash on the first day of college, and nothing was ever the same. Tall, witty, and popular, his friendship represented a kind of belonging for Zuzu, who had always felt like an outsider growing up biracial in her rural hometown. Though their friendship was charged with longing, it never progressed to romance. Now approaching her forties, Zuzu has built a stable life with her wife Agnes, a steadfast and career-driven lawyer. Yet Zuzu is haunted by the choices that have shaped her: living with her mother instead of her father in childhood, pursuing law over art, and marrying Agnes while harboring complex feelings for Cash. When a sudden loss pulls Zuzu back to her hometown, the “what ifs” in her mind become louder than ever, and she begins to unwind the turns that have led her here. Will she embrace the choices she’s made, or risk everything for a chance to chase the past?

Necessary Fiction by Eloghosa Osunde

What makes a family? How is it defined and by whom? Is freedom for everyone? In Necessary Fiction, Eloghosa Osunde poses these provocative questions and many more while exploring the paths and dreams, hopes and fears of more than two dozen characters who are staking out lives for themselves in contemporary Nigeria. Across Lagos, one of Africa's largest urban areas and one of the world's most dynamic cities, Osunde’s characters seek out love for self and their chosen partners, even as they risk ruining relationships with parents, spouses, family, and friends. As the novel unfolds, a rolling cast emerges: vibrantly active, stubbornly alive, brazenly flawed. These characters grapple with desire, fear, time, death, and God, forming and breaking unexpected connections; in the process unveiling how they know each other, have loved each other, and had their hearts broken in that pursuit. As they work to establish themselves in the city's lively worlds of art, music, entertainment, and creative commerce, we meet their collective and individual attempts to reckon with the necessary fiction they carry for survival.

The Memory Hunters by Mia Tsai

Kiana Strade can dive deeper into blood memories than anyone alive. But instead of devoting her talents to the temple she’s meant to lead, Key wants to do research for the Museum of Human Memory. . . and to avoid the public eye. Valerian IV's twin swords protect Key from murderous rivals and her own enthusiasm alike. Vale cares about Key as a friend—and maybe more—but most of all, she needs to keep her job so she can support her parents and siblings in the storm-torn south. But when Key collects a memory that diverges from official history, only Vale sees the fallout. Key’s mentor suspiciously dismisses the finding; her powerful mother demands she stop research altogether. And Key, unusually affected by the memory, begins to lose moments, then minutes, then days. As Vale becomes increasingly entangled in Key’s obsessive drive for answers, the women uncover a shattering discovery—and a devastating betrayal. Key and Vale can remain complicit, or they can jeopardize everything for the truth. Either way, Key is becoming consumed by the past in more ways than one, and time is running out.

The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World by J.R. Dawson

At the edge of Chicago, nestled on the shores of Lake Michigan, there is a waystation for the dead. Every night, the newly-departed travel through the city to the Station, guided by its lighthouse. There, they reckon with their lives, before stepping aboard a boat to go beyond. Nera has spent decades watching her father—the ferryman of the dead—sail across the lake, each night just like the last. But tonight, something is wrong. The Station's lighthouse has started to flicker out. The terrifying, ghostly Haunts have multiplied in the city. And now a person—a living person—has found her way onto the boat. Her name is Charlie. She followed a song. And she is searching for someone she lost.

Lonely Crowds by Stephanie Wambugu

Ruth, an only child of recent immigrants to New England, lives in an emotionally cold home and attends the local Catholic girl's school on a scholarship. Maria, a beautiful orphan whose Panamanian mother dies by suicide and is taken care of by an ill, unloving aunt, is one of the only other students attending the school on a scholarship. Ruth is drawn forcefully into Maria's orbit, and they fall into an easy, yet intense, friendship. Her devotion to her charming and bright new friend opens up her previously sheltered world. While Maria, charismatic and aware of her ability to influence others, eases into her full self, embracing her sexuality and her desire to be an artist, Ruth is mostly content to follow her around: to college and then into the early-nineties art world of New York City. There, ambition and competition threaten to rupture their friendship, while strong and unspoken forces pull them together over the years. Whereas Maria finds early success in New York City as an artist, Ruth stumbles along the fringes of the art world, pulled toward a quieter life of work and marriage. As their lives converge and diverge, they meet in one final and fateful confrontation. Ruth and Maria's decades-long friendship interrogates the nature of intimacy, desire, class and time. What does it mean to be an artist and to be true to oneself? What does it mean to give up on an obsession? 

Switch by Ann McMan

What happens when you're looking for love and all your best friends are romance readers? Cue a clown car of ill-fated first dates that read more like failed first drafts of romantic fiction tropes than aspiring hunts for the love of her life. Assistant Conductor, Izzy Lebrun, spends her days riding the rails of The Green Mountain Zephyr between her home in Philadelphia and the end of the line in St. Alban's, Vermont. Beleaguered Izzy walks a tightrope--desperately trying to achieve a work-life balance between a job that pays the bills, and her dogged determination to finish her graduate degree so she can finally get a job that keeps her rooted in one place. All she wants is to earn her Ph.D., get a damn cat, and find the love of her life. Is that too much to ask? We follow Izzy through her sometimes disastrous, sometimes implausible, but always hilarious journey through a maze of failed dates and epically bad one-night stands. Will Izzy ever reach the end of the line and have her ticket punched for a HEA or is this the end of the line for her?

Tenderly, I Am Devoured by Lyndall Clipstone

Expelled from her prestigious boarding school following a violent incident, eighteen-year-old Lacrimosa Arriscane returns home in disgrace to discover her family on the point of financial ruin. Desperate to save them, she accepts a marriage of convenience… to Therion, the chthonic god worshipped by Lark’s isolated coastal hometown. But when her betrothal goes horribly wrong, Lark begins to vanish from the mortal realm. Her only hope is to seek help from Alastair Felimath: the brilliant, arrogant boy who was her first heartbreak, and his alluring older sister, Camille. As the trio delve into the folklore of gods, Lark falls under the spell of both Felimath siblings. Ensnared by a fervent romance, they perform a bacchanalia with hopes the hedonistic ritual will repair the connection between Lark and her bridegroom. Instead, they draw the ire of something much darker, which seeks to destroy Therion—and Lark as well.

Want a previously published book showcased? Let me know! The given work must: 1) be written by a self-identified member of the LGBTQ+ community, 2) be published within the last five years, 3) has not yet appeared on the ICYMI list, and 4) wasn't included in the Anticipated Books section within the last three months. All genres and independently-published works welcome.

Disclosure: I'm an affiliate of Bookshop.org. Any purchase through my storefront supports local bookstores and earns me a commission. Win-win!

Brighter Than the Moon by David Valdes

Shy foster kid Jonas and self-assured vlogger Shani met online, and so far, that's where their relationship has stayed, sharing memes and baring their souls from behind their screens. Shani is eager to finally meet up, but Jonas isn't so sure--he's not confident Shani will like the real him . . . if he's even sure who that is. Jonas knows he's trapped himself in a lie with Shani--and wants to dig himself out. But Shani, who's been burned before, may not give him a chance: she talks her best friend Ash into playing spy and finding out the truth. When Ash falls for Jonas, too, he keeps that news from Shani, and soon they're all keeping secrets. Will it matter that their hearts are in the right place? Coming clean will require them to figure out who they really are, which is no easy task when all the pieces of your identity go beyond easy boxes and labels.

Sentient by Jay VanLandingham

USA 2040: Animal agriculture has drastically changed the climate and the way people live. Drinkable water is scarce, the population is suspicious and isolated, and animal rights activists are all but extinct due to threats by the agribusiness industry. Bray Hoffman isn't an activist, but she has a secret. Her best friend Alice is a pig confined to a tortuous life on a factory farm and Bray can feel everything Alice feels. All the pain. All the fear. All the torture. As an animal empath, Bray learns first-hand the truth of the hidden horrors of animal agriculture and with Alice's days coming to an end, Bray fears what might happen to the pig, and to herself. Bertan Duarte is an undocumented immigrant working for this agribusiness industry. The secret world in which he works is mired in the dried blood of countless lives lost, where workers must fight both themselves and each other to survive an unfair system that has them trapped in enslavement. Kage Zair has spent years in hiding with other animal activists. The landscape is far too dangerous for people like them. But Kage cannot just stand by and allow a manipulative agribusiness to destroy animal and human lives and the planet.

Florenzer by Phil Melanson

Leonardo da Vinci, twelve years old and a bastard, leaves the Tuscan countryside to join his father in Florence with dreams of becoming a painter. Francesco Salviati, also a bastard and scorned for his too-dark skin, dedicates himself to the Catholic Church with grand hopes of salvation. Towering above them both is Lorenzo de' Medici, barely a man, yet soon to be the patriarch of the world's wealthiest and most influential bank. Each of these young men harbors profound ambition, anxious to prove their potential to their superiors--and to themselves. Each is, in his own way, a son of Florence. Each will, when their paths cross, shed blood on Florence's streets. Fifteenth-century Florence flourishes as a haven of breathtaking artistic, cultural, and technological innovation, but discord churns below the surface: the Medici's bank exacerbates the city's staggering wealth inequality, and rumors swirl of a rift between Lorenzo and the new pope. Meanwhile, the city has become Europe's preeminent destination for gay men--or "florenzers," as they come to be crudely called. For Leonardo, an astonishingly gifted painter's apprentice, being a florenzer might feel like personal liberation--but risk lingers around every corner.

NeuroQueer Books: Spoon Knife 10: Polarities

• What: "Our NeuroQueer Books imprint is for fiction, memoir, and other literary work, with a focus on themes of queerness and neurodivergence. The theme for Spoon Knife 10 will be Polarities. Polarities: pairs of opposite forces or qualities or tendencies. Good and evil. Love and hate. Life and death. Heroism and villainy. Feminine and masculine. Night and day. Vice and virtue. Old and new. Order and chaos. The public persona and the hidden shadow self. The mundane everyday world and that which lies beyond. What polarity lies at the heart of your story? In what ways does it manifest? What happens when the two sides of the polarity come into contact or conflict, or when one transforms into the other?"
• Fee: $0
• Pay: "$30 plus 1 cent per word"
• Deadline: July 31st, 2025

Rebel Satori Press: Queer Novella

• What: "Rebel Satori seeks short-form fiction/novellas and novelettes for its new Bijou Book Series. Manuscripts should be 25-30K words in length. Submitters are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with Rebel Satori's other titles before submitting. Themes must include LGBTQIA+-themed fiction or speculative fiction/fantasy."
• Fee: $0
• Pay: N/A
• Deadline: July 31st, 2025

2025 Bennett Nieberg Transpoetic Broadside Prize

• What: "The Bennett Nieberg Transpoetic Broadside Prize awards a single poem written by a trans poet who has yet to publish their first full-length book. The prize consists of $500, 5 limited edition letterpress broadsides of the winning poem. We are pleased to announce this year's final judge is Michal "MJ" Jones!"
• Fee: $5 (waivers available)
• Pay: $500
• Deadline: July 31st, 2025

Bi Women Quarterly: Allies & Accomplices

• What: "What does it mean to you to be an ally or an accomplice? What are meaningful ways that people have shown allyship and accompliceship to you or to the bi+ community on a large scale or individual level? How do you wish people could show up? How have you practiced allyship and accompliceship for others, and does your experience as a bi+ person impact the way you do so? In a time where solidarity feels more essential than ever, we’re looking to hear about ways to show up in support for others, whether they be loved ones, strangers, organizations, or in any other form."
• Fee: $0
• Pay: N/A
• Deadline: August 1st, 2025

Wayfarer Books Radical Authenticity Prize for Trans & Non-binary Writers

• What: "This prize is open to those who identify within the Transgender, Non-binary, and Gender non-conforming spectrum. This prize is open to works of poetry, creative nonfiction, memoirs, and essay collections. (No fiction, please.) While we welcome all themes—especially those that highlight the experiences of marginalized communities—the material/themes of your entry do not need to be about the transgender/non-binary experience to be eligible."
• Fee: $20
• Pay: "We pay authors anywhere from 8-12% of the list price on print; 25% on eBook; 25% on Audiobook."
• Deadline: October 1st, 2025

Snowflake Magazine: The Disability Issue

• What: "Snowflake Magazine is a LGBTQIA+ collaboration and networking initiative spearheaded by a quarterly arts and literature magazine. Our goal is to showcase the incredible talent of the LGBTQIA+ community, provide a platform to boost the often overlooked work of smaller queer creators, and help connect artists and writers in the community we cultivate."
• Fee: $0
• Pay: £15
• Deadline: Unknown

The Linden Review: Special LGBTQIA & BIPOC Issue

• What: "Send us your very best creative nonfiction on ANY topic and with a maximum word count of 2500. We are interested in hearing from LGBTQIA and BIPOC writers. "
• Fee: $0
• Pay: N/A
• Deadline: Unknown

Sinister Wisdom: Barbie: the Movie

• What: "In this special issue, Sinister Wisdom will explore lesbians' reactions to Barbie: The Movie. How do we voice the joy and gratitude of this cultural moment where lesbian lives and lesbian culture is expressed in the movie with a major musical plotline from the Indigo Girls and two out dykes with major roles in this movie, now the highest grossing movie in Warner Brothers' history? What else do we think and feel about this cultural moment? Were you expecting to feel deeply personally touched by Barbie? What was a special scene that reflects your dyke life? Were you surprised or shocked by your reaction to the film? How do we understand Barbie's continuing life and its relationship to lesbians and lesbian culture?"
• Fee: $0
• Pay: N/A
• Deadline: TBD

Bookish Brews

• What: "Bookish Brews accepts multiple types of submissions including essays, themed reading lists, and book reviews. I’m not limited. Below you can find a description of what I’m looking for. Bookish Brews’ mission is to highlight the voices of the global majority in literature and therefore I am specifically looking for submissions from diverse voices. I want to do what I can to help get your words published in the online space and help you gain a published piece under your belt."
• Fee: $0
• Pay: N/A
• Deadline: rolling

CVNT Magazine

• What: "Here at CVNT, as in life, we resist easy answers. We resist simple definitions. We reject false divisions of sex & gender deemed 'immutable biological reality' by servants of patriarchy, wealth, & white supremacy. We invite the multitudinous: the girls not picked, the razor-burned adventurers, the panicked first-time doubter, the well-tucked veteran, the post-op princess. In short, CVNT exists for the solicitation, exhibition, advancement, & support of transfeminine writers. With so many voices, laws, & weapons raised in ignorance, hatred, or mistruth against transfeminine people, binary trans women, & genderqueer folks, it’s time we had our own 'protected space.'"
• Fee: $0
• Pay: $0
• Deadline: rolling

Afternoon Visitor

• What: "Afternoon Visitor was founded in the spring of 2020 in Iowa City. We are an online biannual publication of poetry, hybrid text, visual poetry, and visual art. We’re looking for accidental visitors, harbingers, and spectres. We’re particularly interested in giving space to trans + queer writers in every issue and presenting work from established and emerging writers. We welcome experimental work, long form poetry, and sequences."
• Fee: $0
• Pay: $0
• Deadline: rolling

Rough Cut Press

• What: "We seek work of all genres by writers from the LGBTQIA community. We do not define or gatekeep what it means to be a queer writer: if you think your work belongs here, then it belongs here. To get a sense of what we publish please read some of our former issues. We don’t know what we like until we see it. Each month we announce a different theme, but don’t worry if the work you submit doesn’t quite fit: we often build issues and themes around work that takes us by surprise."
• Fee: $0
• Pay: $25
• Deadline: rolling

Screen Door Review

• What: "Screen Door Review is a triannual literary magazine that publishes poetry and flash fiction authored by individuals belonging to the southern queer (lgbtq) community of the United States. The purpose of the magazine is to provide a platform of expression to those whose identities—at least in part—derive from the complicated relationship between queer person and place. Specifically, queer person and the South. Through publication, we aim to not only express, but also validate and give value to these voices, which are oftentimes overlooked, undermined, condemned, or silenced."
• Fee: $0
• Pay: N/A
• Deadline: rolling

AC|DC: A Journal for the Bent

• What: "AC|DC currently publishes new short fiction or creative nonfiction by LGBTQIA+ authors on Tuesdays. AC|DC is always open for submissions. Take a look at what’s on the site to decide if your work might be a good fit. We have a preference for the dark and raw but are open to all."
• Fee: $0
• Pay: $0
• Deadline: rolling

The Bitchin' Kitsch

• What: "The B’K is a quarterly art and lit, online and printed magazine prioritizing traditionally marginalized creators, but open to all."
• Fee: $0
• Pay: $10
• Deadline: rolling

Bella Books Call for Submissions

• What: "At Bella Books, we believe stories about women-loving-women are essential to our lives—and so do our readers. We are interested in acquiring manuscripts that tell captivating and unique stories across all genres—including romance, mystery, thriller, paranormal, etc. We want our books to reflect and celebrate the diversity of our lesbian, sapphic, queer, bisexual, and gender non-conforming community—in all our glorious shapes, sizes and colors. Our desire to publish diverse voices is perennial. We don’t want to tell your stories for you—we want to amplify your voices....We publish romance, mystery, action/thriller, science-fiction, fantasy, erotica and general fiction. At this time, we are particularly interested in acquiring romance manuscripts."
• Fee: N/A
• Pay: N/A
• Deadline: rolling

Baest Journal

• What: Baest Journal, "a journal of queer forms and affects," seeks to publish work by queer writers and artists.
• Fee: $0
• Pay: $0
• Deadline: rolling

Canadian authors warn readers that AI dupes of their books are popping up on Amazon

by Emily Williams

Tsalikis was checking Amazon to see how the launch was going for Chrystia: From Peace River to Parliament Hill when she noticed something odd.

Right below her book, which was published by House of Anansi Press, another book was a shadow of the real thing.

The cover featured an image of a Freeland lookalike. The author shared Tsalikis's first name.

The title? Chrystia from Peace River: A Small-Town Girl's Journey to Parliament Hill.

After reading the book's preview, Tsalikis concluded it was written by artificial intelligence.

"It's a weird mirror image, like a refracted image of my words," Tsalikis said in an interview.

"The sentiment is the same, but the words are different."

It's one example of many, according to Canadian authors and advocates. The AI dupes can be easy to spot for those who know the signs, but they speak to the health of the online marketplace for publishing.

AI Scraping Bots Are Breaking Open Libraries, Archives, and Museums

by Emanuel Maiberg

AI bots that scrape the internet for training data are hammering the servers of libraries, archives, museums, and galleries, and are in some cases knocking their collections offline, according to a new survey published today. While the impact of AI bots on open collections has been reported anecdotally, the survey is the first attempt at measuring the problem, which in the worst cases can make valuable, public resources unavailable to humans because the servers they’re hosted on are being swamped by bots scraping the internet for AI training data. 

“I'm confident in saying that this problem is widespread, and there are a lot of people and institutions who are worried about it and trying to think about what it means for the sustainability of these resources,” the author of the report, Michael Weinberg, told me. “A lot of people have invested a lot of time not only in making these resources available online, but building the community around institutions that do it. And this is a moment where that community feels collectively under threat and isn't sure what the process is for solving the problem.”