#literary press

[content-cat]

On this thing that we're doing.

So, in 2022, to combat the mental illnesses of our time (capitalism) five of us agreed to start a digital queer romance literary press. And then we founded:

Space Fruit Press!*

And it has continued to be a wonderful experience. Somehow we all still enjoy working together. That is always a miracle and a blessing.

On to the queer sweet & spicy 🌶 stuff—we have a variety of spiced or sweet content for those itching for a good bedtime read.

All Our Books Our Authors

If you ever have any questions or want a more detailed tag or spoiler for any story please email us at spacefruipress@gmail.com and we will answer any question you may have.

*the name started as a joke, that we wanted something spacey and something fruity and so we came up with about a million fun combinations but then we just kept referring to it as 'space fruit press' and it stuck.

[deathsdormantdaughter]

Good news everybody—submissions for Death’s Dormant Daughter will be open between September 15th 2023 and October 15th 2023! We are hopeful that we can fully support ourselves as a creative project this time around and will devote ourselves to releasing meaningful publications and share our mission of supporting those grieving and lonely with art representing their struggles.

We are looking for works of poetry, creative non-fiction, short stories and art. Please know there will be a reading fee of five dollars—until further notice we cannot afford to pay contributors—but we still need the reading fees to keep us afloat. Thank you for your patience at this time. It takes a great deal of labor, time, and money to run something efficiently and well.

We will always have free PDFs of the work we publish—but we are expanding into print editions too.

More information coming about the guidelines and vibe of this call for submissions in the next couple of weeks.

Best, the Editor, a.k.a Brie or B.A. or hellishrebukesystem,

Hope to see your work soon!

[bigcats-birds-and-books]

Books of 2024: AT THE EDGE OF THE WOODS by Masatsugu Ono.

[quirkycatsfatstacks]

Review: Unbreakable by Mira Grant

Author: Mira Grant (Seanan McGuire)Publisher: Subterranean PressReleased: March 31, 2023Received: Own Book Summary: Unbreakable Starlight was one of many groups of girl warriors tasked with defending the planet. Unfortunately, their name was not quite accurate, as most of the group fell – alongside every other warrior. Only two survived the massacre. Piper and Yuina. Now the government has…

[deadpanwalking]

In your opinion is there still space for new authors (that don’t write YA) in the publishing industry?

I'm guessing you mean the traditional publishing industry. I’d be a hypocrite if I told you to burn down the Big Five publishing houses that take up space in your head, but you gotta understand that in addition to the shit that’s always been wrong, there’s a now a huge labor issue on account of the buyouts and layoffs last year, not to mention that the recent layoffs in the journalism industry = less book coverage = less publicity = fewer sales = more layoffs of editorial staff.  The chances of you getting a fair shake with that crowd any time soon are not great. Mind you, this is provided you’ve already locked down a literary agent who either likes your shit or thinks it will sell (birth of first child<the purple 😎 on QueryTracker when you get Offered Representation).  In any case, if you’re pitching literary fiction, get acquainted with reputable small presses, micro-presses, and indie publishers—some take unsolicited manuscripts if you aren't repped.

[oidheadh-con-culainn]

if you were wondering what was the trigger for my "no it's not folklore" post earlier I was editing a press release for work and lecturing some non Celticists about it lmfao

BUT ALSO I was getting mad at Ao3's tag wrangling all over again, having posted a new fic that is going to get wrangled without my consent into being classified as "ancient irish religion and lore" despite extremely not being that in any way, shape or form. sigh.

[toadlett]

this weekend I'll be at CYMERA Festival creator's hall, along with a bunch of freinds! Ready to fight any beasts we come across! I'll have the last of my current batches of t shirts, plus new notebook bundles and loads of books and zines!

Come see me and my pals:

@sticksandsharks

@pppondi

@elljwalker

@quindriepress

[rgr-pop]

gonna do an annoying information professional behavior but i find this stuff shocking and imo academics should have to take a little two credit ip course

[simon-x-billy]

Robert Sheehan honored by University College Dublin’s Literary & Historical society, 2013

[thesandisfalling]

my official take on the moon/qibli/winter love triangle is that winterwatcher is a much grander, epic romance, and moonbli is a much more level, sweet-and-simple romance, but ultimately i think it was a better decision to have the latter be the canon romance in a series primarily marketed towards children and teens than fall into the "bad boy" romance trope, and instead romanticize the earnest, genuine, sweet relationship

obviously there's way more nuance to this involving internalized/unconscious bias, and winter doesn't even REALLY fit into the "bad boy" archetype, but purely based on genre conventions, the gruff, rude, brooding, tortured hero VERY often falls into that category, and at the ages of 7-14 most of us were very LIKELY to be romanticizing that archetype, which again is very often treated as interchangeable with the "abusive bad boy" trope, and while i might have a few gripes with the writing of moonbli and i ENJOY winterwatcher a whole lot, i DO appreciate the more gentle, "safe" romance being treated as the ideal, rather than the tense and angst-filled nature of the alternative

[pennstateuniversitypress]

Q&A with John Bidwell

The author of The Declaration in Script and Print discusses Independence Day, the Declaration of Independence as an iconic document, and more.

Why do we celebrate independence on July 4th even though Congress voted for independence on July 2nd?

The date we have chosen for Independence Day depends on a document. By all rights we should be celebrating the day when the United States became an independent nation—July 2, 1776—when the Continental Congress adopted Richard Henry Lee’s resolution “that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States.” John Adams predicted that July 2nd would be the national anniversary, a day marked with parades, bonfires, bell ringing, gun salutes, and “illuminations” of houses with candles in the windows. Adams was wrong, however, because he did not foresee the emotional impact of the official announcement, a broadside printed two days later with the title In Congress, July 4, 1776. A Declaration by the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress Assembled. The date in the title is one reason why July 4th prevailed over July 2nd. But above all Americans cherished the text, an eloquent expression of fundamental rights based on principles of liberty, justice, and equality. Historians have traced its origins, its changing reputation, and its influence at home and abroad. I too have noted how it has been variously interpreted, but mainly I wish to show how it has been visualized, how it appeared in engravings, lithographs, and letterpress broadsides during the nineteenth century. I identify about two hundred prints and broadsides in The Declaration in Script and Print, expensive engravings suitable for framing as well as cheap stereotype keepsakes aimed at the bottom of the market. Starting with an innovative advertising campaign in 1816, I describe the merchandising tactics of artists, printers, and publishers who played on a surge of patriotic sentiment to promote their wares. In the same spirit, Penn State University Press has selected July 4th to be the release date for my book.

What was it that made the manuscript Declaration more inspiring to Americans than the printed version issued on July 4th?

Some delegates were not able to vote for independence on July 4th. A week later they received the necessary authorization, which made it possible for everyone to sign a manuscript version of the Declaration, “fairly engrossed on parchment.” They signed it on August 2, 1776, and reaffirmed the unity of the United States by changing the title to: “In Congress, July 4, 1776. The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America.” The text is more or less the same as the broadside edition, but written out by hand it seems more tangible, personal, and distinctive. Beneath it are fifty-six autographs of Founding Fathers, each an act of patriotism representing courage, conviction, and a shared commitment to a righteous cause. Awestruck Americans could pick out the names of Adams, Jefferson, Franklin, and other heroes of the Revolution. While giving the first edition its due, they have looked at the August 2nd manuscript as a more meaningful and evocative expression of their history and ideals. Printmakers catered to public demand by publishing reproductions of the manuscript although often only the signatures were reproduced in facsimile. Some believed that the manuscript had been signed on July 4th, wishful thinking all the better to convey the drama of the moment.

How and when did the Declaration become an iconic document?

In 1816 the Philadelphia newspaper publisher John Binns issued subscription proposals for an engraving of the Declaration. He was the first to tell Americans about the iconic value of that document, for which he designed a pictorial scheme that would define a new genre of patriotic prints—the signatures in facsimile, the text adorned with portraits, allegorical vignettes, and a massive cordon of state seals. Other printmakers adapted his designs, some imitated them in pirated editions, and two opportunists reprinted the original edition on the occasion of the Centennial. While Binns’s print was in press, an itinerant writing master, Benjamin Owen Tyler, produced a calligraphic version with the signatures in facsimile but without illustrations. That too inspired a series of imitations and adaptations. Binns accused Tyler of plagiarizing his prospectus, and Tyler fought back by impugning his opponent’s patriotism in a newspaper war that publicized both of these trend-setting prints. More than seventy per cent of the Declaration prints and broadsides published during the nineteenth century were derived in whole or part, directly or indirectly, from these archetypal images.

Why would Americans prefer facsimiles of the Declaration to the original manuscript?

Perhaps it wasn’t so much a matter of preference as practicality. Americans have been able to view the original in Washington where it has been displayed at various times in the Patent Office, the State Department, the Library of Congress, and the National Archives. Huge crowds came to see it in Independence Hall during the Centennial. Many were disappointed to discover that it was in poor condition, the text illegible in places and the signatures almost entirely effaced. Printmakers helped to popularize the Declaration, but their invasive replicating techniques are partly to blame for ruining it. Secretary of State John Quincy Adams realized that the manuscript was in danger and commissioned a scrupulously accurate reproduction of the text and signatures, printed in a limited edition dated “July 4th. 1823.” Adams and his successors strictly controlled the distribution of the official facsimile until the end of the century. Meanwhile the condition of the manuscript went from bad to worse. In 1894 complaints about its continuing deterioration prompted government officials to take it down and lock it in a safe, where they kept it out of sight for thirty years. During that time the State Department facsimile was the only option for those who wanted to visualize the founding document. To this day we rely on it to show what the manuscript must have looked like when it was signed by the Founding Fathers: that is what we see in souvenirs, textbook illustrations, and the New York Times every year on July 4th, an iconic image of an essential text.

The Declaration in Script and Print: A Visual History of America’s Founding Document is now available from Penn State University Press. Learn more and order the book here: https://www.psupress.org/books/titles/978-0-271-09730-5.html. Take 30% off with discount code NR24.

[tamaharu]

Lolita counters the commonality and lightness of the world - the neighbor, the school, the united states, the family, the humor, the learned - with barely disguised hatred. elements are described vivaciously, but H.H., being the type of man he is, follows everything up with callous remarks and a general air that seems to be him putting his nose up and going, don't get so offended, i'm only telling you how the world really works. and sometimes, sure, thats how the world works. but other times - and you need to make it a point to distinguish what from what - he's lying right to your face so you don't question why he's trying to pretend that's how the world works.

[quirkycatsfatstacks]

Review: The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradly

Author: Kaliane BradlyPublisher: Avid Reader Press/Simon & SchusterReleased: May 7, 2024Received: Own (BOTM)Find it on Goodreads | BOTM | More Sci-Fi Book Summary: Would you take a top-secret job without knowing the details first? Frequently, that’s how life goes – you only learn the details of a top-secret job once you’ve signed all the paperwork. Thus, before she knew it, our leading lady…

[uwmspeccoll]

Staff Pick of the Week: Twain’s “Revenge Translation”

Mark Twain wrote, “I am quite sure I that (bar one) I have no race prejudices.” It is generally interpreted that the prejudice to which Twain referred is toward the French. As is often the case with Twain, it can be difficult to determine the sincerity of his ribbing; in Mark Twain and France: The Making of a New American Identity, the authors argue that Twain used France “as a kind of foil ... to help build a modern American sense of cultural self.” Sincere or not, Twain’s antipathy toward the French is on full display in The Jumping Frog: in English, then in French, then Clawed Back into a Civilized Language Once More by Patient, Unremunerated Toil. Perhaps it would amuse Mr. Clemons that I came across this title because I am a bit of a francophile! Our first edition copy was published in New York in 1903 by Harper & Brothers, with illustrations by Frederick Strothmann.

The frog tale, Mark Twain’s first published short story, first appeared under the title “Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog” in November of 1865 in the literary weekly The Saturday Press. It was widely reprinted; Twain continued to refine the story and a new version appeared in The Californian a month later with the title “The Celebrated Jumping From of Calaveras County.” Keeping this title, it appeared again as the titular story in Twain’s first book, a collection of short stories published in an edition of 1000 in 1867 by American News Company, edited by Twain’s good friend Charles Henry Webb. Issued in seven different colored bindings, the sales were lackluster, but it has since become a hot item among rare book collectors.

A French translation of the story was completed by Thérèse Bentzon and published in 1872 in the monthly magazine Revue des deux Mondes, embedded in an essay about American humorists that Twain interpreted as condescending. He complained that Bentzon’s translation stripped all the humor from the story, and cited that as the impetus for “clawing back” the story into English, but it might have been Bentzon’s characterization of Twain as an unrefined rube that really got his goat. His retaliatory “retranslation” is a word-for-word translation retaining the French syntax. Therefore, it reads like the early days of computer-assisted translators when it was a fun party game to see who could come up with the most convoluted phrase by translating it into another language and back (although maybe this is something only English-major nerds did?). Whether read as a meditation on the limits of translation or an example of pre-internet literary trolling, it is a fun little book. 

Find more Staff Picks here. 

Check out past posts on Mark Twain here. 

-Olivia, Special Collections Graduate Intern

[fourteenfifteen]

i love themes so much. i would die without themes

[gropingblindlyinthedarkness]

November 6, 2023

My kiddo asked me yesterday morning if I am still working on my novel, the one I poured something like ten years of my life into. “No, I gave up on that one,” I said. “I just don’t know what else it needs, and nobody wanted to publish it.” The kiddo seemed sad about it, but I actually didn’t feel that upset. Not anymore, anyway. It’s been a long, bumpy road querying agents, getting mostly crickets, revising, querying more agents, getting a few full requests but never really getting anywhere with them.

In fact, I got an agent rejection a few days ago from someone I had queried ages ago. The novel has been through several dramatic revisions since then. I had logged this query as an assumed rejection. The form response didn’t even sting. I was just like, “Well yeah. I kind of figured.”

But then, yesterday afternoon, I got an email from a small press—one of my favorite small presses, actually, a press that has published some really fantastic books—letting me know that my manuscript has made it to their final editorial round. I read the email multiple times to make sure I wasn’t misreading it, and even then, I kind of thought the email might have been sent in error. Did they mean to send this to someone else?

Now it will probably still get rejected. They said in the message that less than 10% of the submitted manuscripts made it to this final round, but I also know that likely less than 10% of those in this final round will end up getting published. It’s a small press. They don’t have the capacity to publish many books per year. This will probably end up as another rejection.

But I’m not focusing on that. What I’m focusing on is that this news came just hours after I had told my child that I’d written this book off as a failure. That I’d given up. It feels like the universe wanted to reach out and nudge me, whisper in my ear, “Hey, it might not happen with this one, but you’re a good writer. Keep going.”

And that’s precisely what I intend to do. I’m going to take this as a huge win, and not pin my hopes on anything more coming of it. The fact that it made it to the final round is huge. It probably won’t end up getting published, but making it this far means something.

I’m going to keep writing. Going to pour my heart and soul into the next novel, and the next. And maybe, one day, one of those novels will get published.

Maybe not.

But I AM a good writer. I wouldn’t have made it this far if I wasn’t.

And that’s enough.