This past year was the first for Los Angeles Literature as an official online magazine covering the Greater Los Ángeles Literary Community. It was a great and exciting one, spreading the word on a publication whose aim is to bring together the vast, expansive, diverse and multifaceted literary community, by covering its news, authors, literature, history, literary organizations and its movers and shakers. Thank you to everyone who has read, recommended, submitted to, and was subsequently published in Los Angeles Literature. Its reach has grown so much in the last year and this year Los Angeles Literature is looking to grow its reach even further, to reach more of the region’s literary citizens.

Importantly, Los Angeles Literature is for the Greater Los Ángeles literary community as well as all literary lovers of SoCal. That’s why, as it says in its About section, “Los Angeles Literature is an independent online magazine that covers the Greater Los Angeles Literary community—its news, history, writers and their writing through articles (literary journalism), book reviews, interviews, history and literary criticism,” Plus, it also publishes a weekly list of literary events, among other information about the community.

To continue to cover the Greater Los Ángeles literary community—to be a publication for the community and SoCal, I need us, the community, and everyone else who wants to write about Los Ángeles Literature, to continue to submit. Especially writers of color and LGBTQIA writers. Their perspectives on the community and the community’s work are particularly important. Submission guidelines are found here: http://www.losangelesliterature.com/submissions. Submissions are open year-round.

Also, to afford to publish this coverage, and to provide another outlet for writers to be compensated for their work, later this year Los Angeles Literature will roll out its Patreon beginning with two tiers. A pay-whatever-you-can-afford tier and a $20 a month ($240 a year) tier. With the $20 tier, subscribers will not only be supporting a publication for the community, but you will get the choice of receiving a Los Angeles Literature t-shirt or two bookmarks with a different quote from two important pieces of Los Angeles Literature, for free.

Half the proceeds will go to maintaining and updating the site and the rest will go to compensating writers for their hard, time-consuming work. There will also be an online store where you can purchase this merchandise without having to donate.

Los Angeles Literature looks forward to your continued support so we can publish the most thought-provoking, in-depth writing on, and interviews with, the Greater Los Ángeles literary community.