Interview with Harmony Ink – Publisher of Positive LGBT YA Fiction

What impact do you think Harmony Ink will achieve/do you want to achieve?

Our goal is to get this positive LGBT fiction to the teenagers who need to read it. We want to get these books in school libraries and in the YA section of public libraries. Being a teenager is a very difficult time, and we want to show these kids that they can get through it and that it is okay to be who they are.

We publish positive books, but that doesn’t mean we shy away from the issues
that affect LGBT teens. It means we have characters who face these issues and grow from them and move past them. Whether that’s the point of the story or background in a story that features a more fantastic plot, it shows the reader that things can be okay, even if they seem horrible at the moment. We want to be sure LGBT teens have access to books that show them that.

What do you think are some of the obstacles you guys will encounter, seeing as the debate about LGBT-related issues is somewhat passionate?

I think we will meet some resistance trying to get our books into the YA sections of libraries or into school libraries. Not everywhere, as a lot of educators and librarians are very aware of the need for this kind of book, but some places. I’m personally aware of a school in the UK where the librarian refuses to stock LGBT books, so one of the teachers buys them herself and lends them out to students who are interested.

One of the issues we encountered before creating the Harmony Ink imprint was that librarians couldn’t put the YA titles Dreamspinner published in the schools and YA sections because of the other titles Dreamspinner publishes. That’s why Harmony Ink was created. I’m sure there will be other issues, and we’ll do what we can to mitigate them, but we’re focusing on the positive stuff we can do, not the negative that might happen.

Lastly, what can you tell us about the plans you have?

Aside from several upcoming titles, we are also launching our newsletter this month. The first issue goes out this week and we’ll put one out every month, talking about upcoming books and what was just released, sharing reviews, submission information, and any other news we might have. Anyone who wants to subscribe can go to https://harmonyinkpress.com/category/fiction and sign up in the sidebar.

We’re currently looking for people with review blogs or web sites who are interested in reviewing Harmony Ink books. People can apply to be a reviewer by emailing reviews[at]harmonyinkpress.com and including a link to the blog/website in the email. We have exciting plans for the future, but right now we’re focusing on getting the word out to both authors and readers so we can get these books into the hands of the kids who need them.

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We have reviewed some of Harmony Ink’s publications, you can find them here:

Seidman by James Erich – there’s a giveaway for the book!

The Thunder In His Head by Gene Gant