3) Search for recommended reading lists about queer/trans speculative literature. Then do the publisher check again.
4) Consider alternative publishing. In crowdfunding, for instance, your pool of potential editor/publisher folks there equals the population of the Internet. In self-publishing, your writing is not trapped in a bottleneck by gatekeepers who look at the theme, not the quality, but is immediately available to shoppers.
So think about your interactions. How many queer/trans friends do you have? How often do you see people griping that they can't find anything to read that represents their experiences or treats their lifestyle in a positive way? How much sniping is there against mainstream entertainment that gets things wrongity-wrong-WRONG? If you're getting a lot of that, you may find better results with alternative than conventional publishing.
On the crowdfunding side, I can tell you that queer/trans themes are pretty well received by at least some audiences. Wonder City Stories is a superhero soap opera webserial with high diversity. If you look on my serial poetry page, "The Adventures of Aldornia and Zenobia" is about a lesbian couple, "The Odd Trio" features love across sentient species, and "The Steamsmith" has a genderfluid protagonist. I've also had similar topics appear in many individual poems and occasionally in month themes.
Alternative publishing really depends on being able to connect with a pool of shoppers who are dissatisfied by the mainstream offerings. That cuts your competition way, way down. You just need a way to reach those people. That is much easier these days than it was even 5 years ago. If you want the best bet on money and distribution, start with the conventional publishers. But if they won't print what you want, you have other options. That's especially vital for writers working in controversial fields.
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dancing_serpent
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2011-12-13 07:26 pm (UTC)Yay! I think the world needs more of that.
>>You don't happen to know any off the top of your head, do you? Or have any advice on where to start?<<
1) If you write any erotica, check out Circlet Press.
2) Look up the lists of nominees and winners for the Lambda Award, the Gaylactic Spectrum Awards, and the James Tiptree, Jr. Award. Then identify who published those books. Chances are at least a few publishers will have more than one winner.
3) Search for recommended reading lists about queer/trans speculative literature. Then do the publisher check again.
4) Consider alternative publishing. In crowdfunding, for instance, your pool of potential editor/publisher folks there equals the population of the Internet. In self-publishing, your writing is not trapped in a bottleneck by gatekeepers who look at the theme, not the quality, but is immediately available to shoppers.
So think about your interactions. How many queer/trans friends do you have? How often do you see people griping that they can't find anything to read that represents their experiences or treats their lifestyle in a positive way? How much sniping is there against mainstream entertainment that gets things wrongity-wrong-WRONG? If you're getting a lot of that, you may find better results with alternative than conventional publishing.
On the crowdfunding side, I can tell you that queer/trans themes are pretty well received by at least some audiences. Wonder City Stories is a superhero soap opera webserial with high diversity. If you look on my serial poetry page, "The Adventures of Aldornia and Zenobia" is about a lesbian couple, "The Odd Trio" features love across sentient species, and "The Steamsmith" has a genderfluid protagonist. I've also had similar topics appear in many individual poems and occasionally in month themes.
Alternative publishing really depends on being able to connect with a pool of shoppers who are dissatisfied by the mainstream offerings. That cuts your competition way, way down. You just need a way to reach those people. That is much easier these days than it was even 5 years ago. If you want the best bet on money and distribution, start with the conventional publishers. But if they won't print what you want, you have other options. That's especially vital for writers working in controversial fields.