On the heels of that rec post about lesbian sci-fi/fantasy, it occurs to me I should share some links.
I know a number of fanfic writers who are actively seeking or are interested in getting published. It’s a hard road in any case, but for those of you who’re committed to LGBT/LGBT young adult stories, you’ve got extra hurdles. For my part, I’m not looking to get published but 1: I like to help friends out and 2: I fucking love LGBT stories because dear god I’m so tired of reading the same freaking romantic script in EVERY SINGLE BOOK.
So I’ve been dinking around with research. First, a very brief summary of what I’m finding about the LGBTQ publishing industry. Make note that I am IN NO WAY an expert, but this is the mood I’ve picked up from reading a conglomeration of articles and blog posts.
A few years ago, there was a lot of talk about how it was on its last legs. That opinion is now shifting, as:
1: publishing models are moving with increasing speed toward cheaper forms of publication (e-books), and small publishing shops are figuring out how to operate without going out of business
2: Young Adult (YA) publishing is suddenly exploding (Stephanie Meyer did something good after all)
3: People have been hit with the clue-stick enough that we’re beginning to see a re-evaluation of what an ‘LGBTQ story’ consists of, who might be interested in it (gay novels might not just be for gay people?! Surely you jest!), and how it should thus be marketed.
It’s still a very niche field. Publishers still expect to turn less of a profit on an LGBTQ story than on a ‘mainstream’ one, and therefore an LGBTQ story is, by and large, a harder sell. On the other hand, the industry is painfully short on really good, creative stories, and publishers are on the lookout for good material! Which means all you all who’re writing and honing your craft and kicking ass with way creative, well-written fanfic, you’re just the sort of people they’re looking for.
Also notable is that, of course, you need to have a story before you can sell it. You DO NOT necessarily need to have an agent, but they’re obviously going to be useful if you can get one, since selling stories to publishers is what they do (also they’re generally paid a percentage of what you get for the book, so they’ll work hard for you and also you don’t need to be able to afford them up front). 50 Shades of Grey has been good for one thing: agents are now taking it more seriously when somebody tells them, “Well, I wrote a 60,000 word story, but it’s a fanfic.” So, I recommend writers to do more research on the point, but to keep in mind that your oeuvre of fanfic may indeed be to your credit in terms of getting published—and may in fact be worth considering for publication, with a rewrite.
Now, some of the more useful links I’ve found:
Malinda Lo assembled some statistics on LGBT YA publishing in 2011. Very useful to see the trends, and some of the publishers releasing in that genre.
Malindo Lo talks about publishing in LGBT YA.
Publishers Weekly article, On the Front Lines: LGBTQ publishing 2011. Their conclusions sound half-assed (in that, “You’re not actually concluding anything” way), but there’s useful information in the article. Again, note the names of publishers.
Some publisher recommendations from an author. Includes annotations on their recommendations, and their opinions on the experience of working with various publishers.
An extensive list of reputable publishers from LambdaLiterary.org. For that matter, spend some time perusing the LambdaLiterary.org website. The Lamdba Literary Foundation is not a publisher, but a non-profit organization supporting LGBTQ literature and stories. They are something of a central touchstone for the industry, so if you want to get published, then paying attention to their articles, events and other things is a good way to keep an eye on the industry.
Patricia Neil Warren’s bibliography of blog posts on writing and publishing. This is the mother lode. The woman knows whereof she speaks, and provides some excellent advice. In particular, check out How to Look for a Gay Fiction Publisher, which is a great starting place for your journey to becoming a published author. One note about these articles, however: while much of the how-to of publication doesn’t change, Warren’s commentary on the state of LGBTQ publishing is somewhat dated, as the industry is currently shifting quickly and reconfiguring.