Manuscripts

Somehow, we have arrived in the second half of the year. I didn’t approve of this — did you? My goodness! Wasn’t it January about five minutes ago? It really was just June! But here we are, and after a bang-up first half of the year featuring some of the best romance novels I have

By day, Leah Rachel von Essen is the editor-in-chief of Chicago Booth Magazine at the University of Chicago. By night, she reviews genre-bending fiction for Booklist, and writes regularly as a senior contributor at Book Riot. Her blog While Reading and Walking has over 10,000 dedicated followers over several social media outlets, including Instagram. She

Ann-Marie Cahill will read anything and everything. From novels to trading cards to the inside of CD covers (they’re still a thing, right?). A good day is when her kids bring notes home from school. A bad day is when she has to pry a book from her kids’ hands. And then realizes where they

Kelly is a former librarian and a long-time blogger at STACKED. She’s the editor/author of (DON’T) CALL ME CRAZY: 33 VOICES START THE CONVERSATION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH and the editor/author of HERE WE ARE: FEMINISM FOR THE REAL WORLD. Her next book, BODY TALK, will publish in Fall 2020. Follow her on Instagram @heykellyjensen. View

Kelly is a former librarian and a long-time blogger at STACKED. She’s the editor/author of (DON’T) CALL ME CRAZY: 33 VOICES START THE CONVERSATION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH and the editor/author of HERE WE ARE: FEMINISM FOR THE REAL WORLD. Her next book, BODY TALK, will publish in Fall 2020. Follow her on Instagram @heykellyjensen. View

Kelly is a former librarian and a long-time blogger at STACKED. She’s the editor/author of (DON’T) CALL ME CRAZY: 33 VOICES START THE CONVERSATION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH and the editor/author of HERE WE ARE: FEMINISM FOR THE REAL WORLD. Her next book, BODY TALK, will publish in Fall 2020. Follow her on Instagram @heykellyjensen. View

The 2023 Hugo Award finalists have been announced. The Hugo Awards— started in 1953 and awarded annually since 1955—are recognized as science fiction’s most prestigious award. The members of Worldcon, The World Science Convention, determine the winners of the award and present it each year. This year’s finalists were chosen from 25,000 works of science

Mara Franzen is a Chicago based lover of literature (duh), coffee (also duh), and sunset picnics at the beach (wink wink). Both a writer and an actor, Mara is pretty much always working on some creative endeavor. A Minnesota native, she moved to Chicago for school, and just never left. She and her dog, Fig,

AIGA, the design field’s oldest and biggest nonprofit membership organization, has announced the best book covers with its 50 Books | 50 Covers of 2022 competition. The 50 books chosen were selected from a group of 487 designs from 27 countries. The award, started in 1923, celebrates the most impactful book and book cover designs.

Wizards of the Coast currently has many Dungeons and Dragons rulebooks on sale, from the basics to the more advanced. Most of them are 40% off, bringing a $50 hardcover down to around $27. If you’ve been curious about trying D&D, now is the perfect time to grab the beginner’s handbooks. And if you’re already

Mikkaka Overstreet is from Louisville, Kentucky by way of Saginaw “Sagnasty”, Michigan. She has been an educator since 2006 and earned her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction in 2015. By day she is a mild-mannered literacy specialist. By night she sleeps. In between, she daydreams, writes fiction, and reads books. She currently lives in North

ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, is starting its own publishing company: 8th Note Press. It’s already reached out to some authors, mostly self-published romance authors, looking to buy the rights to distribute their books. The appeal for authors looks to be less about the advance and more the marketing services ByteDance offers. One romance

Susie (she/her) is a queer writer originally from Little Rock, now living in Washington, DC. She is the author of QUEERLY BELOVED and the forthcoming LOOKING FOR A SIGN from Dial Press/Random House. You can find her on Instagram @susiedoom. View All posts by Susie Dumond Susie (she/her) is a queer writer originally from Little

Addison Rizer is a writer and reader of anything that can be described as weird, sad, or scary. She loves 70s game shows, musicals, and bowling. Her snack bowl is always full of sour candy. Find her published work or contact her on her website at www.addisonrizer.com or at addisonrizer at gmaildotcom. View All posts

Alice Nuttall is a children’s and webcomic writer who spends her free time reading, knitting, and playing D&D, occasionally all at the same time. Her superpower is the ability to find a cup of coffee no matter where she is. She blogs at https://alicenuttallbooks.wordpress.com/ View All posts by Alice Nuttall Alice Nuttall is a children’s

Kelly is a former librarian and a long-time blogger at STACKED. She’s the editor/author of (DON’T) CALL ME CRAZY: 33 VOICES START THE CONVERSATION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH and the editor/author of HERE WE ARE: FEMINISM FOR THE REAL WORLD. Her next book, BODY TALK, will publish in Fall 2020. Follow her on Instagram @heykellyjensen. View

Kelly is a former librarian and a long-time blogger at STACKED. She’s the editor/author of (DON’T) CALL ME CRAZY: 33 VOICES START THE CONVERSATION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH and the editor/author of HERE WE ARE: FEMINISM FOR THE REAL WORLD. Her next book, BODY TALK, will publish in Fall 2020. Follow her on Instagram @heykellyjensen. View

Jessica Plummer has lived her whole life in New York City and yet somehow still hasn’t been asked to join the Avengers. When not at her academic publishing day job, or trying to make every movie into a musical through sheer force of will, she bakes, cleans her apartment obsessively, and writes feverishly into the

Fans have been waiting a long time to hear news about the adaptation of a beloved queer YA novel and it’s finally here. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe will be released nationwide in theaters September 8, 2022. [embedded content][embedded content] Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin

Alice Nuttall is a children’s and webcomic writer who spends her free time reading, knitting, and playing D&D, occasionally all at the same time. Her superpower is the ability to find a cup of coffee no matter where she is. She blogs at https://alicenuttallbooks.wordpress.com/ View All posts by Alice Nuttall Alice Nuttall is a children’s

Erica Ezeifedi, Associate Editor, is a transplant from Nashville, TN that has settled in the North East. In addition to being a writer, she has worked as a victim advocate and in public libraries, where she has focused on creating safe spaces for queer teens, mentorship, and providing test prep instruction free to students. Outside

The Locus Awards, first started in 1971, are given out annually in several sci-fi, fantasy, and horror categories. The winners are determined by votes from the readers of Locus Magazine. This year, the awards ceremony was MCed by Maggie Tokuda-Hall, author of the YA SFF books The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea and Squad,

There are usually two types of people who take a workshop: people who want to improve their technique and people who want to learn a new thing altogether. As someone who enjoys being creative but isn’t exactly that good at creating art, I have discovered that workshops are a great way to find out that

Rainbow capitalism is a thing, and we know that this year more than any other, corporate Pride merchandise has experienced backlash thanks to right-wing provocateurs. While it’s disappointing that stores like Target and Kohls have pulled some of their Pride themed goods, they’re corporations. On the one hand, it’s powerful to see major retailers have

Last week’s legislation in Illinois which aims to end book bans in schools and libraries requires those institutions receiving state aid to have the Library Bill of Rights as part of their policies and procedures. But what is the Library Bill of Rights? It is a document celebrating its 70th year of existence in 2023,

We know that LGBTQ+ books are under fire across the country and they have been specifically targeted by right-wing conspiracy theorists in a very organized fashion now for several years. In addition, we have seen public education and teachers come under fire by these same conspiracists who believe that by having LGBTQ+ books in the

This first official week of summer is bringing the heat, book-wise. Pun intended. There are a couple of darkly imaginative horror books, a queer and feminist western, and an illuminating nonfiction about immigration. Award-winning horror darling Agustina Bazterrica graces us with more disturbing tales in a collection of stories, characters reconsider the relationship with their

We recently covered how bookstore employees often aren’t paid a living wage, but it might surprise you to know that a lot of authors face the same issue. One queer indie bookstore is working to change that, especially where LGBTQ authors are concerned. This marginalized community has been hit particularly hard by increasing anti-LGBTQ laws

It’s about the middle of the year — and the middle of Pride Month — and Esquire has blessed us with a roundup of 20 of the best queer books out this year so far. In this list, you’ll find trans memoirs, illuminating nonfiction, poetry, and a variety of genres written by well-known authors as

Summer is on the way, bringing with it longer days, warmer weather, and the chance to join in with a whole host of summer activities! Summer can be an especially fun time for very small children, who will love seeing how the change of seasons affects plants and animals, and who will look forward to