Snakeskin Press

Queer Independent Publisher

Mission Statement

Snakeskin Press is a Queer Indie-owned Publisher focused on uplifting queer voices, publishing diverse work, and giving visibility to smaller and emerging authors.Snakeskin Press is firmly anti-AI, anti-fascist, anti-genocide and anti-discrimination.It is run by two queer non-binary authors.

Meet Preston

Preston or Pres, is our mascot, cheering for all things queer and making sure your shelves are full of new, exciting, rainbow reads. They are particularly keen about own voices and would like to see more reptiles in the books you write.

Why Snakeskin

After a lot of brainstorming, the name ‘Snakeskin Press’ stuck. While both Jake and Jess are fans of reptiles, in particular snakes like Pres, there is a deeper significance to the choice.Snakeskin is something that’s shed and regrown, over and over, a long and sometimes arduous process through which the snake emerges renewed, beautiful, and at ease. Queer identities are also, in many cases, about shedding–old selves, learned perspectives that don’t suit us, public perception–and emerging in our true skin.At Snakeskin we also cherish the fluidity of queer experience, and this metaphor fits perfectly for the renewal and redefining that a lot of queer people experience throughout their lives.

About Us

Meet the faces behind Snakeskin Press

Jess

Editor

Jess is a queer nonbinary author from Malta who lives in Norway. They are themself an author and write under two pen names, one focused on dark political fantasy, the other on queer fiction of many subgenres.As a Snakeskin editor, Jess is particularly interested in own voices, trans+ experiences, romance, and prose-heavy writing. They read across genres and if it’s queer, original, and gripping, there’s little they won’t enjoy.Jess’s wish for Snakeskin Press is to become a lighthouse for those who are looking for a welcoming shore, a safe space where writers and readers alike can be seen, heard, and loved.

Benny

Groot

Nebula

Jake

Cover design
Formatting

Jake is a queer nonbinary author from Germany. They are themself an author and write anything that's queer, from dark fantasy, science fantasy, horror, to a slice of erotica.As a Snakeskin editor, Jake is particularly interested in own voices, trans+ experiences, romance, found family, and emotion & character focused writing. They read across genres and if it’s queer, original, and gripping, there’s little they won’t enjoy.Jake’s wish for Snakeskin Press is to become a safe space for (especially underrepresented) queer voices, to uplift new and established authors, and to build a community.

Baby

Bastet

Opportunities

We currently don’t have any open public calls. You can follow us on Instagram to stay updated on the latest.If you have a project you think we might be interested in, get in touch with us.

Publications

Prometheus

Futuristic Horror

Release: 31 october 2026

Snakeskin Tales I

Prometheus is the first title coming out by Snakeskin Press. This queer futuristic horror anthology features the work of 16 authors and is steeped in queerness, with diverse representation, all the subgenres of horror you can think of, and writing that will chill you to the bone.Prometheus comes out on 31st October 2026, and you can support us by pledging to our upcoming Backerkit campaign. As a queer independent press, we rely on such funding to be able to create the best product possible and compensate our authors for their amazing work. A little can go a long way with such campaigns.

Prometheus

Futuristic Horror

31 october 2026

Snakeskin Tales I

Prometheus is the first title coming out by Snakeskin Press. This queer futuristic horror anthology features the work of 16 authors and is steeped in queerness, with diverse representation, all the subgenres of horror you can think of, and writing that will chill you to the bone.Prometheus comes out on 31st October 2026, and you can support us by pledging to our upcoming Backerkit campaign. As a queer independent press, we rely on such funding to be able to create the best product possible and compensate our authors for their amazing work. A little can go a long way with such campaigns.

The Authors & Stories of Prometheus

Alisa Kowal

Teleop

Corporate, and the horrors of being replaceable

Alisa Lee Kowal (she/her) is a horticulturist with a passion for native wildlife, living in constant wonder at the terrible beauty of existence. Her writing explores resilience in the face of horror, the eerie and the strange, finding love for shadows and demons and their invaluable purpose, for creation and destruction and the elegant dance between the two. She resides in Western Massachusetts.

Ash Bronte Roy

No Space For The Dead

Gender dysphoria / What makes us who we are?

Ash Bronte Roy (they/he) is a queer author (meaning they are both a bit gay and a bit odd) who lives in Scotland and writes a cross between genre and literary fiction. They chose indie publishing because it’s punk and subversive and not because they must do absolutely everything by themselves.

C. L. Mari

Human-Made

"The City of Dreams" hides dark secrets

C. L. Mari (she/her) writes stories that will make you question who your heart belongs to. Find her in rural France, drinking coffee, hoarding ebooks like a dragon, and writing the next character.

Christopher Sehmi

A Fault To Heaven

A love-letter to the struggles of trans people

Christopher Sehmi (he/him) is a queer mixed race British Indian author and dad to a princely black cat and the cutest ferret in the world. Christopher likes writing queer character-motivated plot-directed stories with a literary tone and a focus on trans experiences.He is studying English and Modern Languages at University. When not writing, he can be found with a cup of tea and his fur babies, Angus and Loki.

Ezra Wren

A Girl Called Adam

Handmaid's Tale in Cyberpunk style X Queer feminine rage

Ezra Wren (they/them) is a queer fiction writer who identifies as non-binary, pan, and demi. Wren is a lover of all things literature, music, and art. Their favourite thing to do when they’re not writing is read, watch anime and suspenseful series, and sit by the water. Wren lives in Norway with their husband; their German Shepherd, Groot; and their cats, Benny and Nebula. They’re partial to cake, sunshine, and Highland Cows, in exactly that order.Their debut under this pen name, Knitting Needles comes out on 1st June. If you like dark and gritty, you might also enjoy their dark fantasy universe being published under the name J. M. Rose.

Frederick A. Zaberisk

Neural Prison

Black-market surgeon with a struggling moral compass

Frederick A. Zaberisk (he/him) is a queer author from New Jersey. His works focus on queer tragedies, as well as the occasional erotic horror. Outside of writing, he is an avid medieval re-enactor, and enjoys several historical crafts.

I. C. Aruss

Voluntary Suicide

Technology mirroring religious fanaticism

I.C. Aruss (they/them) is a play on the author’s mononym — Icarus. They hail from Romania and they’ve always had a knack for stories and writing in general. Alongside writing, they are also an illustrator and they think their art’s pretty cool, actually, unless that's a little out there. They are passionate about folklore, video games, TTRPGs, and they might have a video essay for just about any topic of conversation.
You can find them on Instagram @icarussarts (for art; this is also their Bluesky username) or @icarusswrites (for books)

Ivy Bookdragon

Spider In The Web

Horror as loss of self & control over your own body

Ivy Bookdragon (she/her) is a neurospicy author from Austria. Her stories focus on emotional damage, the dark side of diverse personalities and the rise out of the ashes, in whatever form that might be.
Ivy's heart belongs to all things fantasy with sparks of horror, scifi and crime.
You can find snippets of her two WIPs on Instagram under @ivybookish_writes

Jake Vanguard

2099

Black Mirror vibes x Hacker tired of bigotry

Jake Vanguard (they/them) is an indie author of queer dark fantasy, science fantasy, horror, and a slice of erotica. In their stories, they love exploring queerness and contradictions, love and connections, family and friendship.The first two books of the Deity Chronicles trilogy – FIRST SNOW and FIRST ROSE – are available now, as well as the paranormal duology Angelverse, with more to come. REMNANTS OF RELICS is their first curated anthology, a product of love and community, about the struggles and joys one works with when losing or gaining a new part of themselves.

Jaydell

To Become Something Living

Black Mirror vibes x "Beyond The Aquila Rift"

Jaydell (they/them) is an author and poet living on Dharawal Country in the Illawarra region of NSW, Australia. They acknowledge that this always was and always will be Aboriginal land.A queer, non-binary, neurodivergent storyteller, Jaydell writes fiction and poetry exploring identity, belonging, and transformation. Jaydell’s work spans urban fantasy, gothic horror, and romantasy, all infused with lyric prose and a passion for centring queer, gender-diverse characters.

Leviathan A. Solivagant

The 1 ½ Coming of the Ophians
or
People and Famine and the World

Biblical tone meets scientific explanation

Leviathan A. Solivagant (they/he) is a queer neurodivergent author who uses writing as a way to process their environment, and reading as a means to understand it. Their work explores themes of identity, performance, and what it means to be different in a world that's not quite keen to accept any perceived deviations from its narrow view of normalcy. When they aren't reading, writing, or thinking about writing, the Leviathanus Solivagantus specimen can be spotted outside, wearing a skin suit and playing the part of a human being. Find him and more of his work on Instagram (@leviathanatosaur)!

M. K. Nedjelkovic

207 Years

Murderbot in a wrong body X Lonely AI and traumatized miner

M.K. Nedjelkovic is a queer disabled writer based in Germany. After writing for more than a decade M.K. finally took the decision to finish that book.M.K.’s writing is influenced by growing up queer in Italy, having an immigrant background, and a love for languages. M.K. is now based in Dortmund and lives a mysterious life with two cats and a partner. Besides being an author, M.K. is also a freelance illustrator and artist.

M. E. Detlefs

Gravediggers

A look into the future if humanity keeps relying on genAI

M. E. Detlefs (they/them) is a Boston-based writer and audio engineer. Working predominantly with queer climate fiction, fantasy, and mystery, their upbringing in Santa Cruz, CA informs the themes of environmentalism in their work. Their short fiction has appeared in Club Chicxulub, Altered Reality, and Generic Magazine. Maren received their BFA in Creative Writing at Emerson College. When they are not writing, you can find them eating sushi and watching The Lord of the Rings with their dachshund, Peanut.

Nico Silver

Except For The Thorns

It's ‘better somewhere else’ - or is it?

Nico (they/them) is a queer nonbinary writer of urban and epic fantasy, romantic fantasy, and folk horror. They like stories with a little bit of magic lurking on the edges and love to include illustrations in their books. Nico is also an artist and illustrator (as Nik Sylvan) specializing in hand-printed linocut, pen & ink, watercolour, and digital illustration.You can find them as @nicosilverbooks on Threads and Instagram and @anagramforink on Bluesky, as well as on their website nicosilverbooks.com.

S. Jean

The Blessed Dark

Love, Cults, and the Dark personified

S. Jean (they/she) is a sci-fi & fantasy author writing whatever genre sparks joy at the moment. Many of their works explore loneliness, with heavy existentialist themes. By day, they work at a library, and by night, they try to fit in as much writing, reading, or even drawing as possible. For more information on where to find them online, please visit sjean.earlronove.com/

U.M. Agoawike

Knowing Is A Hungry Thing

Knowledge can be Friend or Foe

U.M. Agoawike is a queer Nigerian-Canadian author of short stories with vibes for plot and SFFH novels featuring everything but the kitchen sink. When not writing, they can be found reading fanfic, watching horror movies, or playing video games. Their fiction has appeared in Saros, Augur, and Baffling magazine, and their debut, Black as Diamond, is out from Bindery Books.