Inclusivity Statement
Involvement For All
Values & Inclusivity Statement
Break Everything Beautiful
As we see it, the indie lit world doesn’t need another polite press. It needs pressure — something that cracks the surface, exposes the fault lines, and rebuilds on purpose. That’s why The Broken Spine exists. Not to play the game, but to challenge it. Not to compete for crumbs, but to carve out space for writers and work that would otherwise be ignored, sidelined, or misunderstood.
We’re here because too much of the current scene is stagnant. Comfortable. Safe. We’re not. We’re interested in work that risks something. We don’t care too much about how your poem lands with an individual reader. We care how it lands in the gut. How it echoes in the room after it’s read. How it changes the conversation.
We’re not just a press. We’re a provocation.
Of course we want people to enjoy the work we put out. We want poems to hit hard, essays to resonate, and stories to linger. But let’s be clear: we’re not here to please everyone. We’re not shaping our output for the broadest possible audience—we’re curating a loyal, tuned-in readership that gets what we do, and why we do it.
This is about depth, not scale.
We are not here to please the masses!
We want the work we publish to land. We want it to challenge, to stir, to move. And we want our readership to grow, yes—but not at the cost of our identity. Not by sanding off the edges or diluting the intent. You can grow and stay grounded. You can reach more people without losing the reason you started.
It doesn’t matter if every poetry fan likes us. What matters is that some do — and that they keep coming back. Because they know what they’re getting: clarity, conviction, and a commitment to the real stuff. Not trend-chasing. Not polite verse.
We want an indie lit scene that’s fearless, inclusive, and sustainable. One that celebrates the full spectrum of voices writing today — not just the ones who already have a seat at the table.
To get there, we’re focused on:
Workshops and conversations led by people with lived experience, not just academic credentials.
Platforming new and established writers who don’t fit the mainstream mould.
Creating resources that demystify the publishing process and put power back in the hands of writers.
Curating anthologies and events that don’t just reflect the world as it is, but push it toward what it could be.
Making noise for the presses, editors, and organisers doing this work with integrity.
Because if we don’t fight for this space, who will?
This isn’t about bitterness — it’s about care. About craft. About building something that lasts longer than any one of us. The Broken Spine is a commitment to saying what needs to be said, publishing what needs to be read, and holding the door open for others to do the same.
We’re not here to fix a broken system. We’re here to create something better.
Join us — or don’t. But either way, this is who we are.
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We back risk-takers.
We publish raw, honest work that doesn’t play it safe. If it hits hard and speaks truth, we’re listening. -
We’re building a broader platform.
We’ve long championed women, queer, working-class, and older writers—voices society overlooks. Now, we’re actively working to publish more disabled and POC writers. Not out of obligation, but because the best work is out there—and we want to find it. Always with craft, always with care. -
Prestige doesn’t impress us.
We care about voice, not CVs. Urgency, not accolades. Real stories, not polished bios. -
Community is responsibility.
We only operate in spaces that align with our ethics. You won’t find us propping up platforms that tolerate hate, exclusion, or exploitation. We’ll never trade values for visibility. We build our scene with intention—honest relationships, mutual support, and a firm refusal to feed the machine. -
We’re working toward fairer pay.
We can’t afford to pay contributors right now. That’s the truth. But we’re transparent about it—and we’re not standing still. We help writers sell books (ours or theirs), offer contributor copies they can profit from, and we’re always exploring ways to push more of the pie their way. The goal is sustainability—for us and for them. -
Accessibility is non-negotiable.
We make space for everyone. If your press excludes people, it’s not “indie”—it’s broken. -
We don’t do safe writing – only safe spaces.
Language is political. Literature is confrontational by nature— and we lean into that. We’ll publish work that interrogates the legacy of writers like Bukowski, that both admires their flair and questions their worldview. We’ll publish voices that rage against systems, that redefine intimacy, identity, and resistance. What we won’t do is play nice to please everyone. We’re here to push boundaries—from every direction. If it challenges, if it provokes, if it matters—it belongs here.
This is our baseline. Everything we do comes back to this.
Inclusivity Statement
The Broken Spine considers itself to be an inclusive platform. We have worked hard to forge a safe space for people of all backgrounds, ethnicities, genders, sexualities, cultures, and persuasions to share their art freely.
We are proud to celebrate your differences , and we are committed to this endeavour and the practice of #SafeEditing.
We welcome, encourage, and demand continued submissions from all under-represented groups.
We strongly believe that diversity drives creativity.
Submission Guidelines
longing to be published? here’s what we’re looking for