Historically, the landscape of publishing has not been accessible for marginalized writers.
After decades of inequity, there has been a reckoning in recent months—and really, in recent years—to acknowledge how publishing has tended to favor white, cisgender, heterosexual, able-bodied men with large advances and ample opportunities.
In an attempt to remedy this, some publishers have turned to publishing a small selection of incredible #ownvoices works and calling for representation, but without providing equal pay or opportunities for promotion. Readers, writers, and publishing professionals have demanded change, but change is slow in the scope of large-scale publishing, and accessibility—especially for writers with disabilities—has been hard fought and slow to come by. For many disabled writers, the chance to get their work in front of editors is obfuscated by complicated submission guidelines buried on webpages that in and of themselves may not be entirely accessible. Disability is a complex umbrella term, and what is accessible to some may not be accessible to all.
At Stillhouse, we have always chosen to use our capacity as a small press to publish incredible work that may not fit the boilerplate of traditional publishing. We like unexplored perspectives, giving space to authors who may not otherwise find a seat at the table. As a visually impaired editor, I have witnessed firsthand how difficult this landscape can be to navigate, and I have advocated for the expansion of accessibility and opportunity. One product of that advocacy is Stillhouse’s first anthology, a compilation of poetry and prose from writers living with and writing from disability.
Disabled voices matter. More importantly, disabled writers deserve a chance to be celebrated, not tokenized. In opening submissions specifically for writers with disabilities for this anthology, we want to give these authors the space to flourish while we continue to fight for change in the publishing landscape. We want fiction, nonfiction, and poetry about living with a disability, and we want to see this perspective explored from every facet writers are willing to share with us.
While submissions for this anthology are paid, we encourage writers who cannot afford the fee to contact us directly to request our fee free option for marginalized writers. If Submittable is inaccessible to a writer who wishes to submit, we encourage them to contact us directly as well so we can do everything in our power to ensure their work is able to be considered. And while we may not be able to accept every piece sent to us for consideration, we want submitters to know their work will be reviewed with the utmost care and respect they are owed.
We cannot wait to begin reviewing your work!
Yours truly,
Rebecca Burke
Stillhouse Press Submissions Editor
