From: Sam_Damon Date: Sun, 7 Aug 1994 21:17:17 -0400 (edt) > yet so I'll try again... My name is DJ and I'm trying to establish myself as > a writer of gay fiction. I would like to talk to other gay fiction writers > and find out about the market for gay fiction, any books that may help me, any I'm not a writer but here are some resources you may find helpful. Much of it is from "The Big Gay Book," pp 190-195. OUT/LOOK, and The National Writers Union/Gay Writers listed below sound especially promising. You might also try contacting Publishing Triangle, a group for "gays and lesbians in publishing): PO Box 114, Prince St Station, New York, NY 10012, 212-572-6412. Lavendar Pen also sounds promising: Lavendar Pen, PO Box 1234, New York, NY 10276. Good Luck. ===================== 1) WRITERS GROUPS (p194) Anyone interested in seriously pursuing writing as a career or even as a serious avocation should consider makign contact with one of the major writers organization. PEN and The Authors Guild offer many publications that will be of great interest. The National Writers Union is more activist and some of its chapters have active gay caucuses. All three have many different resources that would be of serice to any writer in any field. Authors Guild - 234 W 44th St, New York, NY 10036 National Writers Union/Gay Writers - 13 Astor Place, NY, NY 10003, 212-580-2206 PEN/American Center - 568 Broadway, New York, NY 10012 OUT/LOOK sponsors Out/Write, an annual gay and lesbian writers conference. Send for information about future events and also the availability of audiotapes of past presentations whose topics might be of interest to you. OUT/LOOK, Box 460430, San Francisco, CA 94146 Word Project AIDS is a national oroganization that's involved in promoting writing about AIDS. The group makes various awards and sponsors readings in various regions. You should contact them if you're interested in AIDS literature or if you're interested in starting any kind of group that will be dealing with writing and AIDS, such as a group of people living with AIDS or a study group of any other sort. Word Project AIDS, Box 691133, Los Angeles, CA 90069 2) SELF-PUBLISHING (p 193) The existence of the network of gay bookstores offers a great possibility for the aspiring author. It's estimated that many as half of all the sales of gay-themed book take place in these stores. That means that, if you're willing to cover the expense of printing, you don't have to wait for acceptance from anyone else. You can publish your own work. You will have to learn about publicity and self-promotion, but the stores make it a viable risk, much more so than before. It's teh technology that allows the possibility. Besides paper itself, the other great cost of publishing is typesetting. With the advent of destop publishing and with the new technology that allows some printing firms to translate a cpomputer disk to typesetting, you can do a great part of th work of the production of the book by yourself. If you're interested in pursuing this option, or if you're interested in being a book writer in any fashion, the single best text is How to Get Happily Published by Judith Appelbaum (New York: New American Library, 1988). 3) THE PUBLISHERS (pp 191-193) Almost every major publisher produces at least one book every year that is of special interest to gay men. There are some small presses that focus on gay publishing and a few mainstream publishers which have significant numbers of gay books. If you're looking for companies with sizable numbers in gay titles, here are some of the majors. Those firms which to have a mail-order catalog are marked with an asterisk. Most larger publishers do not encourage direct mail order; their catalogs are available only to retailers or others who will buy in large quantities. If you;re looking for a single title of a book from one of the publishers, you're best off shopping through one of the gay bookstores that do encourage direct mail order from their customers. The American Library Association has a more complete listing of "Publisher of Gay and/or Lesbian Books," which you can get by sending a stamped, self-addressed envelope to: GLTF Clearinghouse, American Library Association, 50 E. Huron St, Chicago, IL 60611. Alyson Publications* 40 Plympton St, Boston, MA 02118 Amethyst Press, 6 W 23rd St, Penthouse, New York, NY 10001 Banned Books, Box 33280, Austin, TX 78764 Beacon Press, 25 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02108 Calamus Press*, Box 294, Village Station, New York, NY 10014 Canadian Gay Archives, Box 639, Station A, Toronto, ON M5S 1V5 Catalyst, 315 Blantyre Ave, Scarborough, ON M1N 2S6 Celestial Arts/Ten Speed, Box 7327, Berkeley, CA 94707 Crossing Press*, Box 1048, Freedom, CA 95010 Gay Presses of New York*, Box 294, Village Station, New York, NY 10014 Grey Fox Press, Box 31190, San Francisco, CA 94140 HarperCollins Publishers, 10 E. 53rd St, New York, NY 10022 Harrington Park Press* and The Haworth Press*, 10 Alice St, Binghamton, NY 13904 Knights Press*, Box 454, Pund Ridge, NY 10576 LIberation Books, Box 453, S. Norwalk, CT 06856 Manroot*, Box 762, BoyesHot Springs, CA 95416 Nal/Dutton, 375 Hudson St, New York, NY 10014 Pink Triangle Press*, Box 639, Station A, Toronto, ON M5W 1G2 St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Ave, New York, NY 10010 Stubblejumper Press, Box 1203, Station F, Toronto, ON M4Y 2V8 Summerhill Press, 52 Shaftesbury Ave, Toronto, ON M4T 1A2 Times Change Press, Box 1380, Ojai, CA 93023 4) DISTRIBUTOR (p 192) This is a list of companies who handle gay books and sell them to stores and libraries. WHile these are not gay companies, and while there are other large distributors who do handle gay titles, these companies have made gay books a priority: Alternative Distribution, BOx 29627, Philadelphia, PA 19144 Bookpeople, 2929 5th St, Berkeley, CA 94710 Inland Book Company, 22 Hemingway Avenue, East Haven, CT 06512 5) LISTENING TO GAY AUTHORS (p 190) Readings are a way to help writers meet and charm their constituencies. Many bookstores sponsor regular readings, as do many community organization. If you're interested in setting up a program of readings in your community, "How to Start a Reading Series," a general, not-gay specific booklet will b a great help. It;s one of many publications of Poets & Writers, a magazine and publishing house dedicated to the literary arts and publishing science. For more information on this booklet and others: Poets & Writers, 72 Spring St, New York, NY 10012 6) TALKING ABOUT GAY BOOKS Literacy means more than just knowing about how to read. It means understanding the power of words and the impact of books. Many gay men aren't brought up to read and they feel separated from the literature that's such an important component in the creation of our culture. One of the ways to get more people involved in our books is to create book groups, circles of people who regularly gather toether and discuss titles they've all read. "How to Start a Book Group and Keep It Interesting" is a short pamphlet that gives great tips on how to find people with common interests, arrange a place to meet, get group discounts on titles, and many other facets of creating an ongoing book circle. For a copy, send $3 for the initial copy and $2.50 for each additonal copy to: Arbor Seminars, 3409 Newark St NW, Washington, DC 20016.