The publishing industry has been widely criticized for its lack of diversity. At She Writes Press and SparkPress, we are well aware of the need for more and broader representation of writers of color on our lists. In an effort to address this issue head-on we launched the She Writes Press and SparkPress Toward Equality in Publishing (STEP) contest in 2018 to offer a full publishing package to two writers each year. Here’s how you can continue to help our efforts:

Each year, we award a full publishing package plus a 500-book print run for one woman of color writer per season. Whatever monies we raise exceeding the cost of publishing and printing, we will roll over to the next season’s contest. Our intention is to keep this fund ongoing, indefinitely. Please help us with this important effort to publish voices that need to be heard, and thank you so much for your contribution to this important effort. Please note at this time, we have made the decision not to become a non-profit and any donation will not be a tax write off.
—Brooke Warner, Publisher of She Writes Press