Bold Strokes Books publishes only LGBTQ books, which means that its books feature characters that are lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, trans, and queer. They publish general and genre fiction. They offer advances to their authors.
Bold Strokes is interested in publishing books that fall under the LGBTQ umbrella including literary fiction, romance novels, young-adult novels, genre novels (including science fiction and mystery), and works of nonfiction. The only genre of books they do not appear to publish is poetry.
Bold Strokes has a good distributor because their books are available in most stores, including Barnes and Noble. They generally publish a digital edition first and then release the print edition later. However, occasionally they release both editions at the same time. Because their print distributor requires 15 months notice, these books have a longer turnaround time, between acceptance and publication.
I have heard mixed things about their contracts, so review them carefully before you sign anything (which is something you should do anyways).
Two editors review every submission. Because of this intensive process it can take them up to 16 weeks to respond to most submissions.
They are not interested in reprints without proof that the previous publishing contract was terminated.
They only accept online submissions of complete manuscripts. Manuscripts must be attached and formated as a .doc, .docx, or a .rtf file.
Make sure to submit a cover letter in the body of email. The cover letter should contain a 1 page synopsis of the plot, working title, category or genre, and a word count. It should also include a short author bio as well as contact information.
Because Bold Strokes publishes such a diversity of genres, it is good to thoroughly read their submission guidelines to get a better feel for what they are looking for. To get a better feel for the books they publish, visit their homepage.
