We at Black Lawrence Press are devastated by the results of the 2024 presidential election and we are gravely concerned about what a second Trump administration means for our country as a whole and the arts community in particular.
Our first act of resistance is to continue our work. We’d like to share news and updates regarding that work:
All of our 2024 titles are now in print and we have 21 new titles on deck for 2025. Our 2025 list represents work that we wholeheartedly, unabashedly believe in. These books are imaginative, confessional, and vulnerable. They are brave, thought-provoking, and fresh. These books represent America’s vibrant, pluralistic community of authors and they give us hope.
In 2025 we will continue publishing Sapling, our weekly e-newsletter that highlights the best of the small press world. We also plan to launch two new literary magazines, one focused on revision and craft and the other focused on writing and translation. We look forward to making official announcements about both in the coming months.
We will expand Immigrant Writing at Black Lawrence Press to include a new series of titles as well as a fellowship for new immigrant writers.
We will continue our free monthly writing workshop series and offer new learning opportunities. Sign up for our newsletter to receive notices about upcoming classes and workshops.
Over the course of 2025, we will provide $12,000 in scholarships through our manuscript consultation program. Kashawn Taylor, one of our 2024 scholarship recipients wrote, “The manuscript scholarship provided my book, and me, with an invaluable experience and critical eye that it would have, otherwise, not received. Thanks to the scholarship and consultation, I feel my book is ready for my publisher.”
Now through the end of 2024, we will donate one dollar to the ACLU for every book that is sold on the Black Lawrence Press website. This is good for everything on our list including e-books, titles on sale, and titles available for pre-order. You can view our full catalogue here.
At present, as we continue to look toward the future with both trepidation and resolve, we are building our 2026-2027 lists. If you are interested in working with us, please submit your manuscript to our November Open Reading Period.
Diane Goettel
Executive Editor, Black Lawrence Press