Y’all.  I haven’t been nearly as active on this blog as I was last year, but that’s because I’ve been a little busy. Between the new job, trying to finish the dissertation, and starting a small press, a girl has been a little tied up. But good news! Today I am releasing the first call for submissions for my press, (see below), and I hope that some of you will contribute. I am partnering with my Lez Talk Books Radio co-host (and manager of Resolute Publishing) to publish an anthology of short fiction by Black lesbian writers. We are very excited about this project, and we hope you are too! If you want to know more about the press, visit BLF Press.  You can also find out more about our collaboration by visiting Black Lesbian Fiction.

Inspired by the work of our Black lesbian literary foremothers, Jewelle Gomez, Audre Lorde, Becky Birtha, Ann Allen Shockley, and others, BLF Press and Resolute Publishing will produce a collection of Black lesbian short fiction that amplifies the diversity of Black lesbian experiences. We operate under the assumption that “lesbian” is not a dirty word, and seek submissions from Black women who identify as lesbian and write in the genre of fiction about lesbian experiences. We welcome submissions from writers in varying stages of their writing careers, from seasoned to novice.

Inspired by the work of our Black lesbian literary foremothers, Jewelle Gomez, Audre Lorde, Becky Birtha, Ann Allen Shockley, and others, BLF Press and Resolute Publishing will produce a collection of Black lesbian short fiction that amplifies the diversity of Black lesbian experiences. We operate under the assumption that “lesbian” is not a dirty word, and seek submissions from Black women who identify as lesbian and write in the genre of fiction about lesbian experiences. We welcome submissions from writers in varying stages of their writing careers, from seasoned to novice.

Lez Talk: A Collection of Black Lesbian Short Fiction embraces the fullness of Black lesbian experiences— conveying how richly emotional, loving, passionate, adventurous, and talented we are. The editors seeks stories that:

• cross a range of fictional genres (e.g. romance, speculative, mystery, humor, horror, coming-of-age)
• merge the themes of Black and lesbian; affirm the interconnectedness of race+gender+sexual orientation; express how Black America/America experiences our race+gender+sexual orientation
• explore new subjects and aspects of our experiences
• showcase the uniqueness and beauty of Black lesbian love and lives
• affirm our gifts as writers and lesbian women.

SUBMISSIONS: All submissions should be previously unpublished work. Short stories should range from 1500–5000 words. Two entries per person are welcome, although only one may be selected for publication. Submit Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or rich text files (.rtf) with one-inch margins and 12-point Times New Roman font. Each submission should be a single document attached to your email. Name the document as your first and last name [e.g. “Janesha Doe” or “Janesha_Doe”]. Do not send submissions in the body of the email. We also request a bio of 200 words. Email submissions to leztalkbooksradio@gmail.com.

COMPENSATION & RIGHTS: Authors will receive one payment of $25.00 USD upon acceptance and one printed copy of the anthology. Authors may purchase print copies
of the anthology at cost.

The publisher (BLF Press) requests exclusive rights to the print and electronic/digital editions of submissions for two years from publication. After two years, contributors retain all rights to the publication of their work. Contributors are asked to sign a one-page publishing agreement. Visit the following site to view the agreement:
Lez Talk Publishing Agreement

DEADLINES & ACCEPTANCE: Submissions are due on May 31, 2015. The editors will acknowledge the receipt of all submissions. Contributors whose work is selected for publication will be notified on 6/30/15. The anthology will be published and available on 9/1/15. Contributors will receive updates about the progress of the publication. Payments will be disbursed on 7/15/15.

THE EDITORS: Lez Talk is partnership between BLF Press publisher S. Andrea Allen and Lauren Cherelle, manager of Resolute Publishing. Stephanie and Lauren co-host Lez Talk Books Radio, a podcast featuring Black lesbian writers.

• S. Andrea Allen’s works in progress include A Failure to Communicate (2015), a collection of short fiction, and a collection of creative non-fiction, Black Lesbian Feminist: Essays (2016).
• Lauren Cherelle is the author of the novels Accept the Unexpected (2011) and The Dawn of Nia (2015), and the short story A Secret Validation (2013).