The Queer Writer: October 2024

**FREE!** Transcestors Series: Ancient Burial Sites

• Saturday, October 5th, 2024 from 12:00pm to 1:00pm ET
• Virtual via Zoom
• FREE!

For as long as archaeologists have existed, they've been determining sex and gender from remains found in old burial sites. They catalogue these findings to help paint a picture of people, identities, cultures, and societies of the past. But where do trans, nonbinary, and intersex people fall within these categorizations? How accurate are the scientific efforts to determine assigned sex? Is it possible to further determine one's gender identity based on such conclusions? And how have all of these cataloguing attempts affected modern people's views of trans history? This session will look at exhumed ancient burial sites, from Peru to Italy to Finland to Bohemia, and discuss just how far back trans history goes. This session includes images of ancient burial remains (i.e. bones and fragments) and mentions of ancient rituals (e.g. human sacrifices).

Transcestors is a series of free 1-hour sessions focused on trans and queer (but mostly trans) history based on Milo Todd's research for his historical fiction. Those interested must have any subscription tier of The Queer Writer, paid or free, and must use their subscriber email to register for sessions. For safety reasons, sessions will NOT be recorded. A Zoom link will be sent to registered attendees ~15 minutes before a session starts.

*Sessions are open to all identities, but please know Transcestors centers trans and/or nonbinary attendees.

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

Lightborne by Hesse Phillips

Christopher Marlowe: playwright, poet, lover. In the plague-stricken streets of Elizabethan England, Kit flirts with danger, leaving a trail of enemies and old flames in his wake. His plays are a roaring success; he seems destined for greatness. But in the spring of 1593, the queen's eyes are everywhere and the air is laced with paranoia. Marlowe receives an unwelcome visit from his one-time mentor, Richard Baines, a man who knows all of Marlowe's secrets and is hell-bent on his destruction. When Marlowe is arrested on charges of treason, heresy, and sodomy--all of which are punishable by death--he is released on bail with the help of Sir Thomas Walsingham. Kit presumes Walsingham to be his friend; in fact, the spymaster has hired an assassin to take care of Kit, fearing that his own sins may come to light. Now, with the queen's spies and the vengeful Baines closing in on the playwright, Marlowe's last friend in the world is Ingram Frizer, a total stranger who is obsessed with Kit's plays, and who will, within ten days' time, first become Marlowe's lover--and then his killer. 

Donnaville by Donna Minkowitz

Donnaville is set almost entirely in the author’s own mind, depicted as a city called Donnaville. The city is outwardly verdant, pleasant, and attractive to tourists, but at its center lies a dark and malevolent prison that most residents prefer not to think about. Some parts of Donna run the prison, some are incarcerated there, and others are trying to burn the place down. Meanwhile, why can’t the mother goddess do anything to stop this from happening? Can a sexy trickster dude inside Donna free the inmates, or will he need help from the feminine principle he despises and fears? 

All the Hearts You Eat by Hailey Piper

Ivory's life changes irrevocably when she discovers the body of Cabrina Brite on the sands of Cape Morning, along with a mysterious poem. How did she die, and why does it seem she was trying to swim to Ghost Cat Island, the center of so many local mysteries? Desperate to uncover the answers surrounding Cabrina's death, and haunted by her discovery, Ivory begins to see the pale ghost of Cabrina, only to shake it off as a mere hallucination. But Ivory is not alone. Cabrina's closest friends have also seen a similar apparition, and as they toy with occult possibilities, they begin to unravel the truth behind Cabrina's death. Because Cape Morning isn't a ghost town, but a town filled with ghosts, and Ivory is about to discover just what happens when you let one in.

Till the Last Beat of My Heart by Louangie Bou-Montes

When you grow up in a funeral home, death is just another part of life. But for sixteen-year-old Jaxon Santiago-Noble, it's also part of his family's legacy. Most dead bodies in the town of Jacob's Barrow wind up at Jaxon's house; his mom is the local mortician, after all. He doesn't usually pay them much mind, but when Christian Reyes is brought in after a car accident, Jaxon's world is turned upside down. There are a lot of things Jaxon wishes he could have said to his once best friend and first crush. When he accidentally resurrects Christian, Jaxon might finally have that chance. But the more he learns about his newfound necromancy, the more he grasps that Christian's running on borrowed time--and it's almost out. As he navigates dark, mysterious magics and family secrets, Jaxon realizes that stepping into an inherited power may also mean opening up old family wounds if he wants to keep the boy he may be falling for alive for good.

Don't Let the Forest In by Cg Drews

High school senior Andrew Perrault finds refuge in the twisted fairytales that he writes for the only person who can ground him to reality--Thomas Rye, the boy with perpetually ink-stained hands and hair like autumn leaves. And with his twin sister, Dove, inexplicably keeping him at a cold distance upon their return to Wickwood Academy, Andrew finds himself leaning on his friend even more. But something strange is going on with Thomas. His abusive parents have mysteriously vanished, and he arrives at school with blood on his sleeve. Thomas won't say a word about it, and shuts down whenever Andrew tries to ask him questions. Stranger still, Thomas is haunted by something, and he seems to have lost interest in his artwork--whimsically macabre sketches of the monsters from Andrew's wicked stories. Desperate to figure out what's wrong with his friend, Andrew follows Thomas into the off-limits forest one night and catches him fighting a nightmarish monster--Thomas's drawings have come to life and are killing anyone close to him. To make sure no one else dies, the boys battle the monsters every night. But as their obsession with each other grows stronger, so do the monsters, and Andrew begins to fear that the only way to stop the creatures might be to destroy their creator...

The Hollow and the Haunted by Camilla Raines

Miles Warren hails from a long line of psychics. Resigned to a life in the family business, Miles is perfectly happy, thank you very much. Apart from the fact he hasn't told anyone he's gay, and that he's constantly exhausted from long nights spent wrangling angry ghosts in creepy cemeteries. Perfectly happy. But Miles's comfortable routine is interrupted when he starts having visions of an unfamiliar boy. He soon learns the stranger is Gabriel Hawthorne, whose family have a mysterious, decades-long feud with Miles's own--and that the visions are a premonition of his murder. Gabriel is everything Miles expects from a Hawthorne: rude, haughty, irritatingly good-looking. But that doesn't mean Miles is just going to stand by and let someone kill him. The two form an uneasy alliance, trying to solve Gabriel's murder before it happens. As they begin to unravel the web of secrets between their families, and with dark magic swirling around them, Miles is horrified to realize that he doesn't hate Gabriel quite as much as he's supposed to. He might even like him. Too bad Gabriel is probably going to die.

Lucy, Uncensored by Mel Hammond and Teghan Hammond

Lucy imagines college as more than a chance to party with other drama nerds and be roommates with her best friend Callie. College will be her fresh start. For the first time, she'll be able to introduce herself as Lucy to people she hasn't gone to school with since kindergarten. Plus, she happens to live an hour away from one of the most prestigious theater programs in the country. She's always dreamed of going to Central, but when she finally has a chance to visit, it's not what she imagined. While Lucy and Callie are on their campus tour, two kids from their high school make the typical transphobic comments Lucy's gotten used to in her small town. She starts to worry that her dream school might end up being High School 2.0. What if she belongs somewhere else? Somewhere that she can truly have a fresh start? When Lucy finds a beautiful school with a great theater program on a list of the most LGBTQ+ friendly colleges, it seems like fate--except that the school is hundreds of miles away. And there's something unexpected about it: it's a women's college. As far as she can tell, they've never admitted a trans woman. Will they let Lucy in? There's only one way to find out: road trip!

Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake

It's been five years since Charlotte Donovan was ditched at the altar by her ex-fiancée, and she's doing more than okay. Sure, her single mother never checks in, but she has her strings ensemble, the Rosalind Quartet, and her life in New York is a dream come true. As the holidays draw near, her ensemble mate Sloane persuades Charlotte and the rest of the quartet to spend Christmas with her family in Colorado--it is much cozier and quieter than Manhattan, and it would guarantee more practice time for the quartet's upcoming tour. But when Charlotte arrives, she discovers that Sloane's sister Adele also brought a friend home--and that friend is none other than her ex, Brighton. All Brighton Fairbrook wanted was to have the holliest, jolliest Christmas--and try to forget that her band kicked her out. But instead, she's stuck pretending like she and her ex are strangers--which proves to be difficult when Sloane and Adele's mom signs them all up for a series of Christmas dating events. Charlotte and Brighton are soon entrenched in horseback riding and cookie decorating, but Charlotte still won't talk to her. Brighton can hardly blame her after what she did. After a few days, however, things start to slip through. Memories. Music. The way they used to play together--Brighton on guitar, Charlotte on her violin--and it all feels painfully familiar. But it's all in the past and nothing can melt the ice in their hearts...right?

I Shall Never Fall in Love by Hari Conner

George has major problems: They've just inherited the failing family estate, and the feelings for their best friend, Eleanor, have become more complicated than ever. Not to mention, if anyone found out they were secretly dressing in men's clothes, George is sure it would be ruination for the family name. Eleanor has always wanted to do everything "right," including falling in love--but she's never met a boy she was interested in. She'd much rather spend time with her best friend, George, and beloved cousin Charlotte. However, when a new suitor comes to town, she finds her closest friendships threatened, forcing her to rethink what "right" means and confront feelings she never knew she had.

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!

Don't Call Me Daughter: A Trans Memoir by G. Collerone

A journey of transitioning from female to male and all the bumps along the way. A story of how after the age of forty, transition can occur. An honest account of life of a FTM.

How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures by Sabrina Imbler

A queer, mixed race writer working in a largely white, male field, science and conservation journalist Sabrina Imbler has always been drawn to the mystery of life in the sea, and particularly to creatures living in hostile or remote environments. Each essay in their debut collection profiles one such creature, including: the mother octopus who starves herself while watching over her eggs, the Chinese sturgeon whose migration route has been decimated by pollution and dams, the bizarre, predatory Bobbitt worm (named after Lorena), the common goldfish that flourishes in the wild, and more. Imbler discovers that some of the most radical models of family, community, and care can be found in the sea, from gelatinous chains that are both individual organisms and colonies of clones to deep-sea crabs that have no need for the sun, nourished instead by the chemicals and heat throbbing from the core of the Earth.

Girlfriends by Emily Zhou

In seven light-filled prisms of short stories, Emily Zhou chronicles modern queer life with uncompromising and hilarious lucidity. Attending to the intimacy of Gen Z women’s lives, these stories move from the provinces to the metropolis, from chaotic student accommodation to insecure jobs, from parties to dates to the nights after, from haplessness to some kind of power.

Do the Work: A Guide to Understanding Power and Creating Change by Roxane Gay, Megan Pillow, and Aurelia Durand

Power is complex. But Do The Work is a guide to navigating those complexities. From ancient theories of power to contemporary examples, from cultural patterns to personal insights, this guide provides a foundation for examining hierarchies and inequalities and establishes a framework for understanding power and how it shapes our lives and communities. Between these pages, theory, commentary, and analysis create an engaging, creative, and mindful reading experience. This guide features approachable overviews of complex topics, thought-provoking questions, evocative illustrations, pages for your reflections, and steps we can all take to reframe our relationship to power and reinvigorate our desire to empower the people around us.

Flamboyants: The Queer Harlem Renaissance I Wish I'd Known by George M. Johnson and Charly Palmer

In Flamboyants, George M. Johnson celebrates writers, performers, and activists from 1920s Black America whose sexualities have been obscured throughout history. Through 14 essays, Johnson reveals how American culture has been shaped by icons who are both Black and Queer - and whose stories deserve to be celebrated in their entirety. Interspersed with personal narrative, powerful poetry, and illustrations by award-winning illustrator Charly Palmer, Flamboyants looks to the past for understanding as to how Black and Queer culture has defined the present and will continue to impact the future. With candid prose and an unflinching lens towards truth and hope, George M. Johnson brings young adult readers an inspiring collection of biographies that will encourage teens today to be unabashed in their layered identities.

Saints and Sinner Short Fiction Contest 2024-2025

• What: "The winner will be selected from this year’s submissions of original, unpublished short stories between 3,000 and 7,000 words with LGBT content on the broad theme of 'Saints and Sinners.' This contest would not be possible without a generous grant from The John Burton Harter Foundation. The annual fiction contest is open to LGBTQ+ authors at all stages of their careers, from all over the globe, with stories in all genres."
• Fee: $20
• Pay: $500 (grand prize); $100 (second place); publication
• Deadline: October 1st, 2024

Saints and Sinner Poetry Contest 2024-2025

• What: "This contest would not be possible without a generous grant from The John Burton Harter Foundation. The contest is open to all LGBTQ+ writers."
• Fee: $20
• Pay: $500 (grand prize); $100 (second place); publication
• Deadline: October 15th, 2024

Rebel Satori Esoteric Call 2024

• What: "Rebel Satori Press's Arabi Manor imprint is actively seeking book-length nonfiction works in the following areas of esoterica: Witchcraft, Modern grimoires, Heathenism, Paganism, Divination (Tarot, Runes, etc), books not decks, Esoterica/Occult topics in general."
• Fee: N/A
• Pay: N/A
• Deadline: October 31st, 2024

The Pinch: Request for Equity Submission

• What: "As part of our efforts toward equity and inclusivity, the Pinch offers no-cost submissions to reduce barriers of participation to marginalized populations. Over the last decade, the majority of what we've publish online and in print is from authors and artists who have been excluded from traditional publishing venues."
• Fee: $0
• Pay: N/A
• Deadline: October 31st, 2024

Queer Adventures: Border Crossings

• What: "Tell us about an international journey that changed your life. Interpret the theme metaphorically and tell us how your gender expression or sexuality transgresses borders. Write about how sexuality and gender identity impact your ability to cross borders freely."
• Fee: $0
• Pay: $150 (first place); $50 (second place); publication
• Deadline: October 31st, 2024

Sappho's Prize in Poetry

• What: "Headmistress Press publishes books of poetry by lesbians, Lesbian Poet Trading Cards, and Lavender Review. Headmistress specializes in poetry and art by lesbians, and our mission is to increase lesbian visibility in the arts."
• Fee: $0
• Pay: N/A
• Deadline: October 31st, 2024

Lavender Review: Lesbian Poetry & Art

• What: "Lavender Review is an international, biannual (June & December) e-zine dedicated to poetry and art by, about, and for lesbians, including whatever LGBTQ might appeal to a lesbian readership. This e-zine is free, and open to everyone. Submissions are open year-round, and there is no fee to submit."
• Fee: $0
• Pay: N/A
• Deadline: October 31st, 2024

Quill (Queer) Prose Award

• What: "The Quill Prose Award is for a work of previously unpublished (including self-published works) prose with a minimum of 150 pages by a queer (LGBTQIA+) writer. The awarded manuscript is selected through an annual submission process which is open to all authors."
• Fee: $10
• Pay: $1,000 and publication
• Deadline: December 1st, 2024

manywor(l)ds

• What: "We welcome submissions by those who identify with and as any of the following descriptors: trans, two-spirit, disabled, neurodivergent, Mad, queer, crip, nonbinary, genderqueer, intersex. This is a space for the words, works, and worlds of and by those whose bodyminds defy social expectations and invite new ways of thinking and knowing."
• Fee: $0
• Pay: $10
• Deadline: December 31st, 2024

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

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

Rebel Satori Press: LGBTQIA+ Speculative Fiction, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy Manuscripts

• What: "Rebel Satori Press is pleased to announce the start of our new imprint for LGBTQ+ speculative fiction, Queer Space. The new imprint is now open to submissions of queer positive science fiction right on the bleeding edge of what is possible. We’re looking for all subgenres of speculative fiction involving LGBTQ+ characters written by LGBTQ+ authors, including but not limited to: sci-fi, interstitial, slipstream, horror, and supernatural fictional manuscripts."
• Fee: $0
• Pay: N/A
• Deadline: rolling

Prismatica: Summer 2024

• What: "Prismatica Magazine is a quarterly LGBTQ fantasy & science fiction magazine. Prismatica features short fiction and poetry from emerging and established LGBTQ authors. In the magazine’s stories and poems, readers can find fantasy and science-fiction of all sub-genres and cross-genres. We happily include magical realism, contemporary science-fiction, urban fantasy, and more."
• Fee: $0
• Pay: $0
• 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

When Is It Okay to Not Finish a Book?

by Sophie Vershbow

Book lovers have all inevitably found themselves slogging through arid prose that stretches on endlessly. Sometimes the culprit is a popular novel whose obnoxious characters you’re desperate to run away from; at other moments, it’s a plot so ludicrous, you can’t suspend disbelief for another page. At some point, even the most dedicated readers may look up and realize that there’s no comprehension quiz holding them hostage and no grade being given for completion. For adults who have finished school, reading is no longer an obligation. But that means the decision of whether to finish a book you’re not enjoying is entirely yours—and, for some people, extremely fraught.

So how does a conscientious person decide when to give up and when to stick it out to the end? The debate is much older than the internet, but in online reading communities such as Goodreads, or on the literary sides of Instagram or TikTok, the acronym “DNF,” for “Did Not Finish,” abounds—as do arguments about when doing so is appropriate. There are those who strongly believe that no matter how badly you want to abandon a book, you should always finish it, and plenty of others adamant that life is too short to ever read something you’re not thoroughly thrilled with.

For those of us who don’t subscribe to a one-size-fits-all approach, articulating a personal, intentional philosophy about when to walk away might be the best we can do. I worked in publishing for a decade and strive to be purposeful in my reading practice while routinely finishing several dozen new books a year and putting down countless others. I spoke with similarly committed writers, teachers, editors, and bookworms about their philosophies in the hopes of creating a guide for others to decide where their limits are—and when they should quit a book.

The Hidden Racism of Book Cover Design

by Tajja Isen

This climate creates a volatile set of conditions for cover design. A cover is likely a reader’s front door to a book. The art needs to entice, convey the subject—books on nature will probably have an image from the natural world; a science fiction novel might depict the cosmos. Friction comes when that reach for recognizability gets tangled up in trying to represent minoritized identity. The problem of stereotypical covers may emerge, in part, from the idea of whom they are meant to be legible to. The industry, So and Sinykin attest, has a narrow concept of its target market. Most decisions cater largely to white women between the ages of thirty-five and sixty, with little effort made to develop readerships beyond that bracket. It follows that this group is also the imagined consumer whose putative tastes shape the product. “Cis white women between thirty-five and sixty” is also an accurate description of the majority of industry workers, including editors. If a book adorned by racially reductive imagery was gobbled up by the target audience in the past, publishers will be motivated to do it again. The goal is commercial viability: “By (quite literally) blurring a whole group of authors together with bright, often meaningless shapes,” Miles Klee writes in the Observer of the “blobby book cover,” “the major book publishers hope to maintain a financial consistency through an aesthetic one.”

…Cover design is a careful navigation between creativity and brute-force market logic. Often the writer doesn’t even see the art, explains Brooklyn-based art director and book designer Tree Abraham, until it’s been approved by many parties at the press. That step alone can take a lot of time. (It can also add subtle pressure if an offensive cover comes with a note saying, Everybody loves it!)