Yellow Arrow Publishing supports and inspires writers identifying as women through publication and access to the literary arts. This project is based in Baltimore with a focus on literary events and publishing local writers.

There are many ingrained beliefs about what writing should be. Style guides, universities, and publishers enforce norms created long ago under circumstances that lacked diversity and representation of different modes of storytelling. This has shaped the writing world today by making it difficult for writers who find themselves outside of these norms to get published. Because of this, women’s voices are underrepresented in literature.

Yellow Arrow Publishing anticipates making an impact by providing opportunities and inspiration to more wonderful, vibrant voices in our community. In our classes, workshops, and writers groups, we allow women to express themselves however they come to us by creating a safe space to be proud of their work, lives, and stories.

Since its inception in 2016, Yellow Arrow Publishing began its work in several arenas. Our biannual literary journal of creative nonfiction, poetry, book reviews, and cover art represents voices worldwide. We host a wide variety of free and fee based events at Yellow Arrow House. Literary Night, part of the First Friday Art Walk in Highlandtown, hosts a wide range of authors and genres as folks tour the arts district. In addition, we offer a daytime writing residency opportunity.

Creating diversity in the literary world is deeply important work. It is our belief that when we share our stories with each other, it creates a ripple effect of empathy, compassion, and understanding. We see creativity as an act of service, making this project not just about great literature, but about contributing to the collective voice in our community. It’s about saying, yes, we belong here, too.

It is our hope that providing more opportunities for women to participate in the literary arts will stimulate social change by expanding literary norms. For every writer who gets published, there are a hundred more with equally valuable stories to tell. We must share our voices so that our daughters, nieces, and little neighbor girls can read our stories and know that her individual lens is important. Expressing who we are and sharing our experience, strength, and hope, deepens the understanding of the human condition, allowing us all to better empathize with one another.

We are keen to encourage quality, so suggest writers to check their stories before submitting using Prowritingaid. They have free and paid versions and are the best writing software we know to help improve grammar, readability and check for repetition, ‘sticky’ sentences and suggest alternatives.