Call for Submissions to Anthology: Lez Talk II: A Collection of Black Lesbian Short Fiction

Resolute Publishing and BLF Press are excited to receive submissions for Lez Talk II: A Collection of Black Lesbian Short Fiction, a collection 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 about lesbian experiences. We welcome submissions from emerging and experienced writers. (All submissions must be uploaded via Resolute’s Submittable account.)

We seek 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/lives

• push the boundaries of storytelling in a wonderfully written way.

The Editors

Lez Talk II is a partnership between Lauren Cherelle, manager of Resolute Publishing, and BLF Press publisher S. (Stephanie) Andrea Allen. Stephanie and Lauren co-edited Lez Talk: A Collection of Black Lesbian Fiction (2016) and Solace: Writing, Refuge, and LGBTQ Women of Color (2017). They also co-host Lez Talk Books Radio, a podcast featuring Black lesbian writers (@LezWriters). Lez Talk II is their third literary collaboration.

Lauren’s most recent f/f novel, The Dawn of Nia, was released in 2016. Her short stories have been featured in two collections. Twitter handle @LaurenCre8s
S. Andrea Allen is the author of A Failure to Communicate (BLF Press 2017), a collection of short fiction, and is currently working on a second short story collection and her first novel. Twitter handle @S_Andrea_Allen

GUIDELINES

We will only accept previously unpublished work (print or digital). Your short stories should range from 2,000 to 5,000 words. Two entries per person are welcome, although only one may be selected for publication. Submit Microsoft Word or rich text files (.rtf) with one-inch margins and 12-point Times New Roman font. Each submission should be a single document. Name the document as your first and last name and title of your story (e.g., “Janesha Doe Title” or “Janesha_Doe_Title”). Your bio is required (200 word maximum). A high-res, professional photo is optional. Submit online here. 

COMPENSATION & RIGHTS

Authors will receive one payment of $25.00 USD upon publication and one printed copy of the anthology. Authors may purchase print copies of the anthology at cost.

The publisher (Resolute Publishing) requests exclusive rights to the print and electronic/digital editions of submissions until 5/31/19. After this date, 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.

DEADLINES & ACCEPTANCE

Submissions are due by July 31, 2017. The editors will acknowledge the receipt of all submissions. Contributors whose work is selected for publication will be notified on 9/30/17. The anthology will be published and available on 4/10/18. Contributors will receive updates about the progress of the publication. Payments will be disbursed by 5/6/18.