New LGBTQ+ publisher to ‘put queer writers first’ after success of Heated Rivalry novels

“After decades of neglect, Pansy is here to put queer writers and readers first,” says Harry Glasstone, co-founder of LGBTQ+ publisher Pansy, following the popularity of the Heated Rivalry novels. 

Pansy, founded by novelist Matt Cain and his husband Harry Glasstone, will launch on 4 June with the publication of Cain’s latest novel, The Castle of Stories.  

Glasstone described the venture as a “boutique independent publisher” catering to “readers who want to relax on holiday or just be moved, entertained or amused by a queer-themed book”. 

Queer publishers are needed now more than ever. Last year, reporting by The Guardian highlighted that UK librarians are increasingly being asked to remove books, as the influence of pressure groups behind book bans in the US spreads.

“Our mission is to bring queer books by queer authors to all readers, both from within the queer community and our allies,” he said. “And we’ll achieve this without compromising the authenticity or integrity of our queer books and authors.” 

‘Political and disruptive, but also playful and fun’

Cain said the name was chosen in part to reclaim the homophobic slur as “an act of empowerment”. 

“We think this sums up the ethos behind Pansy – political and disruptive, but also playful and fun,” he said. However the “rich queer history” also helped secure its place as the publisher’s name.  

Cain, a patron of LGBTQ+ History Month, explained: “Yes, it’s been used as a homophobic slur since the late 1800s, but in early modern England pansies were worn by men and women to indicate that they didn’t intend to marry. In Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, Puck gives the Queen of the Fairies a magic potion made from the juice of the pansy that will make her wake up and fall in love with the first person she sees – so the pansy has the power to inspire a love that overrides social rules and disrupts the social order.”

The “seed for Pansy had been growing for a long time”, Cain said. He began writing fiction in the 00s, but “received over 30 rejections from agents”. After finally securing representation, he received a further 50 rejections from publishers. 

Many, he said, cited the queer content as problematic. “One called it ‘a bit too explicit for comfort’. Another had a problem with the story being told from a gay character’s point of view as this ‘pushes the novel into that niche market for me’.” 

In 2017, Cain crowdfunded for his novel The Madonna of Bolton, raising “funds in record time”. 

As part of the campaign, he shared rejection letters to highlight the industry’s attitudes. Despite the book’s success, he said there was “still resistance to publishing queer authors”. 

“Even my biggest-selling novel The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle was rejected by several editors, one of whom suggested I only reveal my central character’s sexuality ‘towards the end’ – quite something considering the story is about a closeted gay man searching for the long-lost love of his life. The same editor also commented that she didn’t want me to be ‘so explicit on the wider LGTB+ issues’.” 

Although the book eventually secured a publishing deal and sold well, Cain said he often felt he was “fighting for resources”, with his books created as “low-priority status”. 

Pansy will make sure ‘the next Heated Rivalry comes from a queer author’

He argued that the success of the Heated Rivalry novels, which surged only after the television adaptation became a hit, shows why Pansy is needed. 

“The belief still prevailed in the industry that queer books would only appeal to niche audiences and that straight female readers – who make up the majority of the market – would be turned off by gay sex,” he said. 

“The Heated Rivalry novels have blown both of those beliefs apart. But outrageously, those books weren’t published in print in the UK until the launch of the hit TV series. I think that’s indicative of the industry’s disinterest and disengagement in mainstream queer fiction. Pansy is here to make sure that doesn’t happen again – and to make sure that the next Heated Rivalry comes from a queer author.”

Glasstone said the publisher plans to release one book per quarter so that “every body can be a lead title”. 

“Many big publishers take on too many titles, meaning lots of them don’t get the push they deserve,” he said. “When queer books targeted at the mainstream are occasionally published in the UK, they can be overlooked or under-resourced by publishing houses that underestimate their potential readership and, in the process, clip the wings of LGBTQ+ authors.”

Pansy will also enable authors a greater role in the publishing process. 

“We have what we call an ‘authors-first’ business model,” Glasstone said, “offering authors a share of the profits and involving them in key decisions at every stage of the publishing process.”