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Body
Press
Body Press is an independent, small press providing artwork, prose,
stories, books and other publications by women for women. Body Press is
committed to publishing and promoting the most dynamic voices of women
from all regions of the globe. Inspired by the simple but radical
notion that a book can change a woman’s life, Body Press is devoted to
publishing titles that inform, reveal, engage, delight and support
women of all ages and backgrounds. With each book we try to make a
difference in women’s everyday lives, and to tell the truth about the
issues that matter to women the most. Body Press publishes work with-in
three venues - anthology, website
content, academic / professional work. We publish work in
all genres
and only accept work submitted directly from the author or artist. If
you
are a book group lover, see more information below.
- Work with a daring style and the courage to voice
truthfully the impact society, culture, and history has on women’s
bodies.
- Work contributing to supporting women in the arts.
- Work promoting the interests of women while
providing for the building of community, sharing of ideas, information
and experiences.
- Work with an emphasis on lively, empowering,
original, radical and culturally diverse fiction and non-fiction.
- Work by underrepresented authors (women, women of
color, women with disabilities, women from the lesbian community), and
experimental authors and artists.
- Innovative work effectively challenging cultural and
societal limits and stereotypes.
- Our editors value specificity, detail, "showing, not
telling", honesty, epiphanies, polished, yet real and un-polished
writing reflecting insight.
- Body Press is highly invested in publishing the
emerging voices of first time female authors and groundbreaking books.
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Our Current Projects
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Eye of the Beholder
Body Press welcomes submissions from women who self-identify as any of
the following:
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Anorexic
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Pro-Ana
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Thinspiring
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Mia
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Pro-Mia
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Bulimic
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Ana-Mia
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ED
Recovering
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Binge
Eating
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Overweight
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Overweight
Recovery
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Fat
Accepting
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Big
and
Beautiful
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Additionally, Body
Press welcomes submissions from treatment
providers, and family or friends who know a woman who self-identifies
as any of the above.
We welcome testimonials, poems, sketches, photographs, journal
and personal essays, or opinion pieces conveying the body experience of
accepting and/or rejecting the expectations family & friends, the
media and society have of your body. Do you constantly worry about the
way you look? Are you constantly comparing your body to the bodies of
other women? Do you receive negative feedback about your body? Do
friends and family make comments about your body? Are you looking for
the next diet? Are you striving to look like that model in the
magazine? Do you starve yourself? Binge on food? Purge? Have you
received treatment for an eating disorder? Are you in recovery for an
eating disorder? Have you watched your child struggle with an eating
disorder or watched a family member suffer silently? We want to hear
your experience.
Body Press strongly encourages individuals in treatment or early
recovery to discuss making a submission with your therapist and/or
treatment team before submitting your work.
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Growing
Girls
Body Press wants to hear about the woman or women who have truly
touched your life. What better way to acknowledge the contribution she
made than to give voice to her story. Body Republic Women are
courageous, encouraging, strong, determined, nurturing, inspiring,
dynamic leaders who make a difference in the world one moment at a
time. We are accepting testimonials, poems, sketches, photographs,
journal and personal essays about a woman or women in your life who
have led by example and helped you to find your own bright light. Is it
your mother, sister, daughter, friend, co-worker, boss, neighbor or
perhaps a group of women who if assembled together would change the
world? Celebrate her contribution and make a difference as her story
mentors examples of confidence, passion, and courage to girls working
through their transition to womanhood.
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Lesbian
Expressions
Body Press welcomes submissions from self-identified lesbian women. We
are accepting personal essays, poetry, sketches, photography, journal
entries and opinion pieces exploring the influences Western society and
lesbian subculture have had on your gender identity and body image.
Submissions should explore how the socio-cultural contexts in which you
belong influence the perceptions you have of your body and sexuality.
What impact have societal standards had on your development of intimate
relationships, body health, physical forms of expression, emotional
health, family relationships & vocation?
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Cultural
Standards of Beauty
Body Press wants to hear about the body experiences of women of all
races and cultures. We are accepting personal essays, poetry, sketches,
photography, journal entries and opinion pieces exploring the racial
and cultural standards of beauty. What do you think the universal
standards of beauty are? What are the beauty standards in your corner
of the world? How do you feel about them? Do you love them or
hate them? Do you meet them or fail to meet them? How does the body you
walk around in integrate or fail to integrate into the society in which
you live? Have you been lifted up or oppressed by standards of beauty?
What traditions or rites of passage does your race or culture practice?
What’s your experience of them? What would you change about the
standards of beauty you experience? What role does music and the media
play?
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Website
Content
Submissions
Body Press welcomes the following submissions in consideration for our
website:
Body
Art
Body Press welcomes innovative image, photography and artwork by women
artists. Work can be comics and graphics narratives, collage, photo +
text, drawings, or original photography and artwork. Submit work with
short, explanatory text describing the relevance of the piece to the
author, with an autobiographical sketch.
Body
Verse
Body Press welcomes poetry and lyrics. Submit work with
short, explanatory text describing the relevance of the piece to the
author, with an autobiographical sketch.
Body
Politic
Body Press welcomes anecdotes, ideas, advice, reports, memoirs,
sketches, comedies, and blurbs from women and members of
our Body Republic Community representing the joys and struggles of
current happenings, adventures, enterprise and accomplishments. We’re
seeking Feature Articles, Opinion pieces, Consumer Education, Humor,
Arts & Entertainment, Business, Health and Wellness and Politics.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
What’s On Your Mind?
Is there an issue you have a strong opinion about? This is the place to
spill it. We aren’t looking for mere ranting rather your work should be
constructive, thought provoking and have either an edgy, provocative
tone or a reflective one. Think about the issue you’re discussing and
how to give voice to it. Consider both your personal feelings and the
broader implications.
What’s Your Story?
What experience have you had that you’d like to share with other women?
Did you have an amazing women’s night out? Have a great retreat idea?
Met a woman who amazed you? Do you volunteer? What’s going on in your
community or child’s school? How about an amazing travel experience or
course you just took? Advice you gave or were given? Did you experience
a random act of kindness? Does something have you stumped? Are you a
survivor? Send us your local stories, ideas, comments, classifieds, or
whatever else is on your mind. Do you know of an upcoming training or
conference or did you just attend one? Are you a spokesperson for a
cause or know of an upcoming day of awareness or celebration? We know
women live life to the fullest - the sky is the limit.
Give your body a voice and write it down. Write this work as though
you’re telling your story to a most loved aunt or friend. Consider how
other women will gain from your experience. What were the deeper
implications of your personal experience and how will they resonate
with other women?
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Academic/Professional
Work
Submissions
Body Press is dedicated to promoting women’s research, education and
position in academic communities. We welcome university level students
and academic professionals to submit papers, dissertations, research
projects/conclusions, curriculum, and book projects. We are not a peer
reviewed press and accept submissions for the purpose of maintaining
and improving professional practice standards for women in all
disciplines. All works are credited to their respective authors. Our
press serves as a formidable place to post academic papers to be cited
on resumes and referenced as previous works completed for prospective
schools and employers. Submitted work is published only on our website.
All submissions must not be plagiarized, contain full references and be
at or above graduate level.
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Are
you
a
Book
Lover?
Are you an avid reader? Have you formed a Book Group or
are a member of
one? Body Republic Women love to read and are curious to know what
other women are reading. Have you (or your Book Group) recently read a
book or article you think other women should know about? Use the
questions below to share more about it with Body Republic Women. We are
especially interested in material that provokes thoughts and
conversation about the impact cultural and societal standards and
experiences, illness, violence, sexuality, and physical limitations
have on women’s bodies.
If it’s helpful answer as many of these questions as you’d like
and we’ll choose a few for publication.
- Give us the title and author of the book and if your
group has a name tell us about your group.
- Why was this book chosen?
- What were the body experiences of female characters?
- How were female bodies portrayed in the book?
- How did you (or members of your group) feel about
the body experiences and portrayals of female characters?
- Did you (or members of your group) have real-life
experiences similar to the characters?
- What sparked great discussion?
- Did group members agree about the book? If
not, how did they differ?
- Would you give this book a "body positive thumbs
up"? Why or why not?
Body Republic Women are always seeking new ideas for their own
Book Group, tell us about yours...
- Does your group have a name? How many are in your
group?
- How did your group come together? How long have you
been meeting?
- What makes your group work? Do you have rituals and
traditions?
- How do you decide what to read?
- What questions or activities have you discovered
generate the best discussion?
- What fun tips could you pass on to other Book
Groups?
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