Who is included in your understanding of trans?
We use trans as an umbrella term which includes trans-femme, trans-masc, trans men, trans women, masculine-of-center, femme-of-center, non-binary, two-spirit, agender, genderfluid, genderqueer, bi+gender, as well as other non-cisgendered people whose gender might not yet have a name.

Almanac Press is an initiative by and for the above people. We understand that those who identify as any of the above might not choose to use ‘Trans’ as their identity marker and that gender is an ongoing and emotional process for many, so being asked to define or label it can be difficult. We respect and honour your process. We trust that you will know if Almanac is the right publishing outlet for you and we are open if you want to ask us further questions about it.



Why don’t you accept submissions from cisgender writers/artists?
The world of publishing is full of cisgender writers. We wanted to see more work by trans people, so we created Almanac to highlight it, serving writers, artists and readers. There are many spaces where cis people can submit their writing, but not so many where trans people are prioritised.



What can I expect from working with you?
We are currently a small team at the beginning of our journey together. If you work with us, you can expect that we are willing to learn and strive to become better at what we do.

We appreciate the courage it takes to try, to fail, to make mistakes and to be accountable through listening, taking responsibility and implementing changes. We look closely at injustice within the trans community, noting especially how within our community our identities are multi-faceted and we experience oppression and discrimination very differently.

In terms of editing and art-direction, we strive to bring an anti-colonial, anti-classist perspective to the work. We are here to offer support in whatever capacity you would be interested in. We believe that every writer and artist knows their perspective and style best and ultimately you will have the final say on what is published. We also give special attention to the proof-reading process by inviting our contributors to double-check their work in layout with us right before printing.

Having worked in feminist contexts, we are committed to making the necessary steps towards a non-patriarchy. Further, as a press founded by three white people, we are examining our own whiteness, and our ambition is to work with the movement towards dismantling white supremacy. At the moment this looks like recognizing our oversights, bias and references, learning and practicing allyship, considering expanding our working group, taking questions of representation seriously as well as creating more space for trans BIPOC+ in our outputs and collaborations.



What if I've never published anything before?
Then you have come to the right place! We are very encouraging of first time poets, artists or writers who find their way to Almanac. We don’t prioritise those who have prior experience in the field or industry – in fact we love receiving submissions from first-time or newly becoming writers and will do our best to make space for you.



What is your funding structure?
We started Almanac with a €3000 grant in 2021. It was enough for us to be able to produce issue #1 of the journal of trans poetics and to pay everyone involved a small symbolic fee.

Afterwards we spent time researching and applying for more funding and were incredibly fortunate to receive around €100,000 from different arts grants in Finland in 2023. These grants cover the work of operating the press and producing publications, merchandise and events. All of us involved in Almanac currently also work other jobs in arts, education and culture to further support ourselves.

We are very inspired by Dean Spade’s thinking around funding, payment and activist work and are currently learning from others experiences. We want to use our grant period to build a structure for the press that would enable us to continue the work for a longer period of time. We want to be able to sustain Almanac outside of institutional funding systems.

If you are interested in reading any of our funding applications for your own reference, get in touch with us. We are also planning to publish them freely on our website along with a summary of how our grant money is used.



Why the tiered pricing system?
By offering three different options for pricing, those who are able to pay more will be sponsoring those who should pay less. We hope this model better supports those in precarious and difficult economic and employment situations.



Can I suggest a stockist?
Yes! We are working to get our publications in stores and in queer/trans libraries worldwide. If you know of a library/stockist in your city please suggest it to us :)



I think my order never arrived to me?
Since we are a small team all working on different tasks simultaneously, sometimes things get overlooked. Drop us an email and we’ll check on the status of your order asap and ship it to you if it didn’t arrive.

We are a neurodivergent group with fluctuating energies. It is a priority of ours to forge a work culture that is non-urgent, anti-capitalist and anti-ableist. We do our best to be efficient, while working within our limits, so please bear this in mind when waiting on orders and replies.



Can I make a donation?
Yes. If you would like to make a donation to further support Almanac Press please email us. We would be happy to hear from you and discuss where your money could go.