The July/August 2025 Issue of Poets & Writers was published today, and we’re thrilled to share that Sarah Yahm was included in their First Fiction 2025 Series!

Dzanc Books is pleased to announce a new imprint in PalmArtPress, an independent press in Berlin.

Ann Marie Vanderveen at The Adriot Journal met with Sarah Yahm to discuss her recently released novel, Unfinished Acts of Wild Creation. Vanderveen asked Yahm to dive deeper into the themes of her book; they covered complex mother/daughter relationships, chronic illness, postpartum depression, grief, and agency.

Very pleased to announce that Lindsey Drager’s latest novel, THE AVIAN HOURGLASS, was named to the longlist for the 2025 Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award! Congratulations to Lindsey and her fellow nominees!

"I longed to be friends with every character in these hilarious, charming, honest stories. Whenever I thought I had a story figured out, it suddenly opened into a moment of queer beauty. Crime has never been so sexy and gay." — Marie-Helene Bertino, author of BEAUTYLAND

Thrilled to share some very exciting news to start off pride month: Congratulations to Molly Llewellyn and Kristel Buckley on winning the IPPY Gold Medal in Anthologies for BE GAY, DO CRIME!

“Smith-Stevens' evocation of alienation is often profound and her prose is always beautiful."—Kirkus Review

"A mesmerizing debut... Readers are treated to a captivating and memorable journey." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

"THE AUSTRALIAN is an astute, often satirical look at self-actualization and what it means to be a man, partner, father and son. Smith-Stevens writes in a marvelously voyeuristic style.... The nameless man, both hero and no-hoper, is a poignant and pointed reflection of the imperfections that vex us all."—Shelf Awareness

“An extraordinary novel about the inescapability of family patterns—some of which can be reversed, but all of which leave indelible marks—the story holds Louise and Leon’s love for their daughter, and her love for them, at its incandescent center…Devastating and unforgettable, UNFINISHED ACTS OF WILD CREATION is a celebration of unabashed family love.”

–Foreword Reviews, starred review

The Millions most anticipated spring 2025 book preview is here, and we’re honored that Molly Llewellyn and Kristel Buckley’s anthology Be Gay, Do Crime earned a spot among the other tremendous books selected.

“Fragments” is an illustrated excerpt from Unfinished Acts of Wild Creation (Dzanc, May 2025), a tragicomic novel about an eccentric Jewish family with an inherited genetic illness. Author Sarah Yahm sought out illustrator Jenni Belotserkovsky because she thought comics were a particularly effective way of representing intense bodily experiences without being voyeuristic or grotesque.

Michelle Dotter, Dzanc’s Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, was featured in an article by Sophia Sewart for Publishers Weekly called “How Women Keep Reinventing Independent Publishing”. Sophia interviewed Michelle and other women heading independent presses, including Carey Salerno, publisher of Alice James Books; Diane Goettel, executive editor of Black Lawrence Press; and Barbara Epler, president and publisher of New Directions, about why they believe so many small presses are led by women and the advantages and difficulties of working at an independent press.

The 2025 Aspen Words Literary Prize shortlist is here, and we couldn’t be more thrilled for Afabwaje Kurian that her debut novel Before the Mango Ripens was selected as one of the five finalists!

Ann Arbor, MI—Today, Dzanc Books is pleased to announce Yoke & Feather has been recognized as a finalist in the 27th annual Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards.

We are pleased to announce that our annual contests are now open! This year, along with our Prize for Fiction and Short Story Collection Prize, we’re also offering a Nonfiction Prize. All prize-winners receive publication by Dzanc Books for the following year as well as an advance.

“Parker’s narrative crackles and swirls, spinning in surprising directions, landing with a totally unexpected impact.” —Lit Hub

Russell Persson’s These Threads Who Lead to Bramble defies the singularity of any one genre as it braids together memory and myth to challenge the limits of our collective imagination

“Jonathan Fink pours his stories onto the page. Personal pieces, with himself as the subject, and pieces that tell the stories of others come together to form a collection of intelligent poems, both revealing of the individual self and the larger social picture in which we live.” — World Literature Today

Ann Arbor—Dzanc Books is pleased to announce it has been approved by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for a Grants for Arts Projects award of $21,250.