— From Lucy Arnold, Publications Chair

Pen Women Press (PWP) is the publishing imprint of the National League of American Pen Women, Inc. PWP differs from a vanity press in that we carefully select which books to publish, and from traditional publishers in that authors retain all net profit and royalties from book sales after paying an upfront publishing fee.

At Pen Women Press, we want to nurture talented, promising writers. Talent, however, might not equal professional experience. We believe the growth and development of authors is facilitated by providing excellent services and guidance, all with the goal of producing the best possible writers and the highest-quality books. PWP may be a business, but it also supports the values of the League to “encourage, recognize, and promote the production of creative work of professional standard in art, letters, and music.”

Pen Women Press publishes works by NLAPW members in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and memoir, but no technical writing.

PWP plans to reopen after a two-year hiatus. But before PWP can accept submissions, we must form a talent pool of expert Pen Women to fill all the necessary roles in producing our books. These positions will be paid on a per/project basis. A book coordinator will match an author with the most appropriate editors, designers, etc. for each project.

• Please consider applying if you have any of the following skills:
• Editing, all levels
• Book interior (formatting, layout, design)
• Cover design
• Illustration
• Book project management
• Marketing and promotion
• Book coaching
• Voice-over for audiobooks
• Ghostwriting

To be considered for the talent pool, please download the application (MS Word) and follow the instructions.

Mission Statement

The mission of Pen Women Press is to shepherd writers poised to influence the world in a positive way, to create books at the highest standards of excellence, and to support the core values of the National League of American Pen Women, Inc.

History of Pen Women Press

The League of American Pen Women (renamed the National League of American Pen Women, Inc. in 1926) entered the publishing business in January 1916 with the inaugural issue of the LAPW Bulletin. This 15-page leaflet held notes of interest about the League and the achievements of its members, including the celebration of LAPW Day at the Panama Pacific Exposition in San Francisco on Nov. 18, 1915.

In 1920, the League published the first The Pen Woman magazine. The Pen Woman has been published at least quarterly ever since to bring poetry, professional development, fiction, artwork, and music profiles to NLAPW members and subscribers.

At the October 2007 National Executive Board meeting, Jean Holmes, then third vice president, announced that the NLAPW had been accepted as an official organization of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. An editorial committee was formed to solicit, collect, and evaluate submissions for the publication of literary, artistic, and musical works about the Lincoln legacy, titled Happy Birthday, Mr. Lincoln: A Commemorative Collage. To publish the anthology, the January 2008 National Executive Board meeting established Pen Women Press.

The NLAPW has donated copies of the book to every school in the District of Columbia and to many school libraries, public libraries, and educational foundations across the country. The NLAPW continues to publish the work of its talented members.