The news of Gay’s imprint is especially important for new and upcoming writers who’ve had no luck breaking into the largely white, male-dominated world of publishing. “She’s really interested in queer voices, she’s really interested in feminist voices, she’s really interested in voices on body size,” said Hudley, “all kinds of different conversations that are really exciting right now, and I think are the future.” The acclaimed author has also announced a one-year fellowship opportunity for a lucky candidate who will work closely with Gay and the team at Grove for a more hands-on learning experience about the publishing industry. Gay will oversee the selection process, while working alongside Grove’s executive editor Amy Hundley. I am excited to share that I am starting a publishing imprint, Roxane Gay Books in partnership with and my amazing editor /t8vzM1FPil The first call for submissions will go out this summer. Submissions both agented and unagented will be temporarily accepted, depending on the volume of manuscript pitches. The selected material will center underrepresented voices, and must classify as fiction, non-fiction, or memoir.
According to The New York Times, Roxane Gay Books will operate in partnership with Grove Atlantic-a company Gay has maintained a working relationship with since 2014-to publish three titles a year.