About Rattling Good Yarns Press
Rattling Good Yarns: Authenticity is Not a Trend
Authentic Queer Voices, Telling Our Stories, Supporting Our Community
1. We are the Community, Not the Consumers
In the 1970s and 80s, queer presses were born of necessity because the mainstream industry refused to acknowledge our existence. Today, the mainstream has “discovered” us because they realized we are a profitable demographic. But a “market share” is not a community. We aren’t here for the cash cow; we are here for the culture.
2. Lived Experience Over Appropriation.
A straight author may have sympathy, but they do not have our soul. If you haven’t been bullied for your identity, hidden who you are to survive, or been rejected for who you love, you cannot tell our stories. We don’t publish “well-intentioned” outsiders; we publish the voices that have paid the price to live the truth they write.
3. We Refuse to be Jettisoned.
We have watched global corporations trip over themselves to abandon their DEI commitments the moment the political or financial wind shifted. This is the ultimate proof: They were never our allies; they were just renting our stories. At Rattling Good Yarns Press, we don’t need a “program” to remind us to include our own people. Being queer-owned means our commitment to the full spectrum of our community is built into our DNA. We continue to fervently try to include voices from the full spectrum of our community.
4. The "Buy Queer" Virtuous Circular Economy.
We are returning to the philosophy that built our movement: Buy Queer. When you buy a book from a mainstream house, your money leaves the community to fund a corporate boardroom. When you buy from us, that money stays here. It funds the next “overlooked” queer voice and ensures that our history isn’t erased when the next “big thing” comes along.
5. We are the Antidote to Erasure.
Mainstream interest in our stories may come and go with the seasons, but we are not driven by what is “hot” or “trending.” Erasure happens when voices are silenced because they are no longer deemed profitable or “new.” We are the antidote to that cycle. We publish for the long haul, ensuring that queer stories stay on the shelves and in the hands of readers long after the mainstream has moved on to the next trend.