Get YA Words Out and Fremantle Press seek original works for an anthology by new and emerging LGBTIQA+ storytellers


Co-curated with Get YA Words Out and edited by Seth Malacari, Fremantle Press is seeking stories from the LGBTIQA+ community for an anthology of YA literature to be published in 2023.

This is a chance for around 20 new and emerging LGBTIQA+ writers, who have not yet had a full-length novel traditionally published, to share their work in an anthology to be titled ‘An Unexpected Party’.

Editor and founder of Get YA Words Out, Seth Malacari, says he is looking for stories with a touch of magic or supernatural elements all the way through to works of science fiction, fantasy and speculative fiction.

Seth says, ‘This anthology represents a shift away from coming out stories and contemporary meet-cutes to uncover stories that explore the uncanny and the fantastical elements of the queer experience’. Seth says, ‘We are particularly interested in encouraging submissions from writers who identify with the “TIQA+” end of the acronym (trans, intersex, queer, asexual, aromantic and other identities not represented), plus intersectional stories from the BIPOC and CALD communities.’

Fremantle Press publisher Cate Sutherland said she was delighted to be working with Seth and Get YA Words Out. Cate says the partnership came about after bookseller and editor Michael Earp called for Australian publishers to do a better job of including storytellers from the ‘TIQA+’ community in their programs. Cate says, ‘We hope this anthology is one small step in the right direction with many more works and storytellers to follow.’

Fremantle Press is looking for fiction of 3,000 to 5,000 words as a word or PDF document or an oral submission as an MP3 audio file or MP4 video file (Submittable only accepts up to 400 mb per upload). Submissions are now open and will close on Wednesday 30 November, 11.59 pm AWST.

Guidelines are available from the Submissions section of the Fremantle Press website: fremantlepress.submittable.com/submit/dc9a35db-0e2c-4fa6-8692-578080a39d40/get-ya-words-out-anthology-an-unexpected-party

If you require assistance with your electronic submission or for any other queries, please contact admin@fremantlepress.com.au.

About Seth Malacari

Get YA Words Out founder, Seth Malacari (he/they) is an award-winning writer whose work has appeared in Underdog: LoveOzYA Short Stories (2019). He has a Masters in Writing from Deakin University specialising in Queer YA and was the former chair of LoveOzYA.



Share via: