Three Things Every Lit-y Lesbian Should be Thankful For
As Thanksgiving approaches, it is a good time to count our blessings. As literature loving lesbians, we have a lot to be thankful for every day.
Writing Opportunities
If you love putting pen to paper, there has never been a better time to be a lesbian author.
There are several LGBT publishers which are currently seeking out new talent. Bold Stroke Books is constantly looking for completed works in a variety of genres, including young adult. Riptide Publishing, a relatively new company on the scene, also has an open submission call for LGBT manuscripts and offers its authors some of the best terms in the industry.
It is not just small publishers which are scouting for brilliant writers. One of the best known lesbian publishing houses, Bella Books, is always accepting submissions. Being published by Bella Books would put you in good company. Award-winning authors Katherine V. Forrest, Karin Kallmaker, and Gerri Hill were all published by Bella Books.
Lesbian poetry, screenplays, and short-stories are also in demand. For a list of publishing opportunities, including contests and calls for magazine articles, visit the Lambda Literary Foundation website.
Opportunities abound for lesbian writers, now is the time to get your story heard.
Lesbian Erotica
Readers of risqué works should also rejoice. Thanks to the marvels of modern technology, there is an abundance of lesbian erotica available to suit every taste.
If you are a secret Rizzoli and Isles shipper or diehard Willow and Tara fan, then you may already know the joy of fan fiction. Fan fiction, as the name implies, are stories written by devotees of a certain show, book, movie, comic, etc.
Although the quality of the writing can vary widely, sexy encounters between your favorite characters is always available at your fingertips thanks to sites like Fanfiction.net and Archive of our Own.
If you are looking for something completely original, there are numerous ebooks at your disposal. Kindle users can even treat themselves to dozens of different books for free. Novels like When Women Were Warriors Book I: The Warrior’s Path can be downloaded in less than a minute at no cost.
Print anthologies such as Wet: True Lesbian Sex Stories and Wild Girls, Wild Nights cover a wide variety of acts and kinks. Other collections are far more specific, like Rode Hard, Put Away Wet, a compilation of steamy encounters with lesbian cowgirls. If women in uniform get you hot under the collar, spend some hard time with Lesbian Cops: Erotic Investigations.
(Yowza, I know my copy is already on reserve.)
Bookstores
The LGBT section of the local bookstore can feel like a haven from the rest of the world. For many young lesbians the local library or bookstore was the first time they saw themselves reflected in the stories around them.
Not long ago, the LGBT section of Big Box Bookstores was about two shelves if it existed at all. Thanks to social media awareness for LGBT youth and hot topic issues, more-and-more sources of information are being shared.
In 79 counties it still illegal to be homosexual. Being in possession of LGBT literature can get you thrown in to prison or worse. We are lucky to have the ability to browse copies of the latest in lesbian literature at our leisure.
As we near the holiday season and life gets even more crazy than usual, it is good to take a moment to recognize how lucky we are and to remember how far we have come. Lesbians in America have a lot to be grateful for and can look forward to an even brighter future