In celebration of Women’s History Month, CLMP is proud to highlight twelve independent publishers and literary magazines that are run by and for women. These publishers are working to increase the visibility of women in literature by creating a platform for writers of all ages, races, abilities, and orientations, and are therefore helping to create a more equitable publishing industry.
Feminist Press
New York, NY
Feminist Press was founded in 1970, initially reprinting feminist classics by writers such as Zora Neale Hurston and Charlotte Perkins Gilman as well as feminist studies texts. Now, Feminist Press has become one of the most prominent publishers of books on feminism, gender studies, and equality.
The Second Shelf
London, UK
The Second Shelf is a quarterly magazine “focused on increasing the visibility of writing by women and their contributions throughout history.” Its counterpart, The Second Shelf bookstore, opened in London last year and showcases rare and antiquarian books by women writers.
Sinister Wisdom
Dover, FL
Publishing since 1976, Sinister Wisdom is a quarterly journal of multicultural, multi-class lesbian literature and art. As an advocate organization for the lesbian community, Sinister Wisdom provide free subscriptions to women in prison and mental institutions, as well as organizing events, readings, and educational opportunities for lesbian writers.
Shade Mountain Press
Albany, NY
Shade Mountain is a feminist press focused on politically engaged work from women of color, disabled women, women from working-class backgrounds, and LGBTQ women. They have released one to two books a year since 2014.
Minerva Rising
Roswell, GA
Publishers of a triannual literary journal, chapbooks, and novellas, Minerva Rising advocates for both emerging and established women writers. In addition to publishing, Minerva Rising also administers the Owl Award, a $500 scholarship awarded during Women’s History Month to provide financial support to one woman writer or artist.
Alaska Women Speak
Anchorage, AK
A quarterly publication, Alaska Women Speak is a journal dedicated to uplifting women writers from Alaska. The journal features seasonal themed issues that feature short stories, memoir, poetry, essays, and visual art.
Belladonna*
Brooklyn, NY
Founded in 1999, Belladonna* was originally a reading and salon series at Bluestockings Women’s Bookstore on New York City’s Lower East Side. In 2000, Belladonna* began to publish commemorative “chaplets” work from the reading series, and has since expanded to include multi-authored collections and bound editions. Belladonna* takes a collaborative approach to publishing, often involving authors in the process of creating their books.
The Mom Egg Review
Bardonia, NY
The Mom Egg Review is a journal focused on the theme of motherhood, but also “being a daughter, worker, partner, artist, a member of cultures and communities, and…how these identities can collide and coexist.” The Mom Egg Review also hosts readings and workshops.
Our Space
Mumbai, India
Our Space is a publication from Women Empowered India, a literary and equal-rights forum that curates readings, events, and discussions surrounding feminism in India. In addition to publishing poetry, essays, and interviews, Our Space/Women Empowered awarded the first Kamala Das Poetry Award in 2018 to Indian poet Sujatha Mathai.
WomenArts Quarterly Journal
St. Louis, MO
Founded in 2005, WomenArts Quarterly is a space for women-identified artists and creators. The journal is focused on increasing “awareness and understanding of the achievements of women creators, by providing audiences with historical and contemporary examples of the work of women writers, composers, and artists.”
Perugia Press
Florence, MA
Perugia Press publishes a single book each year through the Perugia Press Prize for a first or second book of poetry by a woman writer. Perugia hopes to “help right gender inequity in publishing by launching women’s voices into the world, one excellent book at a time.”
Jamii Publishing
San Bernadino, CA
Jamii Publishing is a two-person micro-press located in California. Founder Nikia Chaney and East Coast Editor Cynthia Manick met as suitemates at the Cave Canem retreat in 2012, and they publish chapbooks, artbooks, spoken word CD’s, broadsides, anthologies, and handmade books for minorities and women as a means of breaking down barriers and creating community.
