Michele Karlsberg brings a unique combination of skills to effectively carry out publicity/marketing campaigns for authors, organizations and film/theater
Michele Karlsberg brings a unique combination of skills to effectively carry out publicity/marketing campaigns for authors, organizations and film/theater professionals. She has also worn many hats in her 34-year book Publishing career. Michele was one of the founders of Amethyst Press. As curator of Outspoken, a nationwide LGBTQ Literary series, she helps new and established voices reach a wider
audience. Michele also served as Publisher of Bywater Books and published many award winning authors in those years. In 1989 along with the Publishing Triangle Michele launched Le***an and Gay Book Month. She was recently presented with the Publishing Triangle Leadership Award which along with Michael Denneny was the first co-chairs of the Triangle. She worked with David Rosen and The Book Of The Month Club/Quality Paperback Books on their GLBT Book Club Insight/Out along with the Triangle Classic series. She was also inducted in the Saints and Sinners Literary Hall of Fame in New Orleans, LA. She produced Holland America cruise lines first BOOK EXPO along with Olivia Travel. In 2010 she produced BACK 2 BACK at the St George Theater in NY with Lily Tomlin and Kate Clinton She is the author of Self Publishing GLBT Books (1989) and is the co-editor of To Be Continued and To Be Continued: Take Two (1998). Her non-fiction piece entitled The Isle Of Staten will appear in the book Love, Christopher Street. (Chelsea Street Editions). Her column WORDS appears in the San Francisco Bay Times. Michele has won the Publishing Triangle Leadership Award, Community Health Action Advocacy Award, Lambda Literary Foundation Publishing Professional Award, One Island/One Pride Award. The Publishing Triangle established its Leadership Award in 2002, specifically to honor contributions to LGBTQ literature by those who are not primarily writers, such as editors, agents, booksellers, and institution. As of 2023 tis award will now be known as the Michele Karlsberg Leadership Award,
Her activism includes working with many organizations but not limited to CHASI, Lambda Literary Foundation, Soulforce, The Publishing Triangle, GLAAD, New York City GLBT Center, Gay Men's Health Crisis, Project Hospitality, SAGE, Helping Our Women and God's Love We Deliver. She is most proud of her dedication to building community.
01/11/2026
The written word has always been a profound force—a bridge between thoughts and action, sparking revolutions, inspiring change, and capturing the essence of humanity. Among the many voices that have shaped this legacy, women writers stand as extraordinary beacons of creativity and courage. Their words, often forged in the face of adversity, have not only challenged conventions but also broadened perspectives and left indelible imprints on literature and culture.
Meet Bruno
Howling Bird Press Fiction Prize Winner
"With precise, exquisite prose, Bruno illuminates the relationship between loss and desire and how the heart can find its way when it learns to let go."
— Cassandra Garbus, author of Solo Variations and winner of the American Short Fiction Halifax Ranch Fiction Prize
01/11/2026
Russ Lopez has big news in this year. Check out his newly built platform. Author, historian, editor, and publisher exploring the stories, places, and people that shape our world.
Transforms Observations into Compelling Narratives
"Whether capturing q***r history, exploring Latinx experiences, or crafting fiction infused with myth and realism, his work reflects a lifelong commitment to storytelling grounded in truth and humanity. My writing is driven by a desire to communicate truth – about our worldand the worlds we have yet to discover.
From nonfiction histories to imaginative fiction, his writing reflects a lifelong focus on community, identity, and place."
Worth Burning is ready to hit the bookshelves and make an even impact on .
Mickie Kennedy receives a rave review in
gay man looks back on his complex, abusive Southern childhood in this poetry collection.
“I feared AIDS,” Kennedy’s speaker declares bluntly in the opening poem, “and Cindy feared / being alone, so we forged a compromise” (“The Pact”). The speaker fulfills his role of heterosexual husband to Cindy quasi-dutifully, killing “dozens, then hundreds” of beetles to maintain his “aggressively healthy” roses and grilling brats in the backyard (“Beetle Graveyard”). But the actual orientation of his desire is clear—he covertly meets up with his gardener at an airport hotel ....
We are so proud to present to you "Tihi" Hayslett creation ORBITAL BEBOP on FRIDAY 16th of January. You will have the chance to meet TIHI who will speak about his journey . See you all for this important event ❤️
— at Jardin Cafe Lounge
01/11/2026
Is Reading Dying?
The sky is falling in has always made good copy. At the dawn of the UK’s National Year of Reading, several voices of doom have begun to promote the “end of civilisation” with an ominous catalogue of bad news from the world of books. Suffice to say, all is not sweetness and light.
Last year, Times columnist James Marriott froze his readers’ marrow with an anatomy of the post-literate society, before locating the golden age of literary culture in the 18th century. It was the...
Our concentration levels may be going down, but predictions of the death of the novel – and reading – are wide of the mark, says Robert McCrum. As 2026 is declared the year of reading, he takes a look at why the life of the mind has a future – even more so in a world of AI
01/11/2026
New Bill to Make Digital Books More Accessible
For a growing number of Americans, reading is more than leafing through a physical book. Between 2011 and 2021, the share of Americans who listened to an audiobook more than doubled, from 11% to 23%, according to the Pew Research Center. At the same time, the share who read an e-book rose from 17% to 30% – all while the number of Americans who read any format of book held relatively ....
E-book lending surged during the pandemic and has continued to climb, but restrictive licensing rules mean libraries are paying a steep price.
01/11/2026
The Importance of Reading Full Novels
Reading fiction has been such a joy for me that my heart broke a little to learn recently that many schools no longer assign full books to high school students.
Rather, teens are given excerpts of books, and they often read them not in print but on school-issued laptops, according to a survey of 2,000 teachers, students and....
Increasingly, teens are given only parts of books, and they often read not in print but on school-issued laptops
01/11/2026
Deadline January 19th.
Apply for the MVICW Q***r writer fellowships! Application for these fellowships is open to all q***r-identified writers, ages 18 and older. Deadline: January 19th.
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Michele Karlsberg Marketing and Management posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Contact The Business
Send a message to Michele Karlsberg Marketing and Management:
Michele Karlsberg shows how ordinary people make extraordinary contributions to their communities. Her philosophy is simple: “It is our giving that makes us strong, not our receiving.” Bottom line, she loves what she does. She is grateful for her beloved mentors, some of whom are Nancy Bereano, Sasha Alyson, Barbara Grier, Richard Labonte, Carol Seajay, Roz Parr who helped her gain knowledge and confidence in the book publishing industry.
She has worn many hats in her twenty-nine year career.
As a publicist, she brings a unique combination of skills to effectively carry out publicity/marketing campaigns for authors, organizations, events, comedians, musicians and film/theater professionals. Her list of clients has included Katherine Forrest, Felice Picano, Kate Clinton, Stephen Fry, Jewelle Gomez, Assotto Saint, Dorothy Allison, Martin Duberman, Judy Grahn and Minnie Bruce Pratt to name a few. From her home office stateside, Michele represented many International Publishing companies: Spinifex Press (Australia), Second Story Press (Canada), Bruno Gmunder (Germany) and Creation Books (UK). She generously speaks at many conferences about the business of publishing, publicity and marketing. When she gets to share what she knows about marketing and publicity in the world of publishing, she is one happy woman.
She is one of the founders/publishers of Amethyst Press, home of groundbreaking authors Dennis Cooper, Kevin Killian, Mark Ameen, Stan Leventhal and Patrick Moore. She is a strong advocate for independent booksellers and worked with Carol Seajay on the Feminist Bookstore Network. She is a curator of Outspoken, a nationwide LGBTQI literary series that helps new and established voices reach a wider audience. As publisher at Bywater Books, she published many award winning authors.
She is an innovator and in 1989 along with the Publishing Triangle, Michele launched Le***an and Gay Book Month. Along with Michael Denneny she was the first co-chair of the Publishing Triangle and is still active today. She worked with The Book Of The Month Club/Quality Paperback Books to launch their LGBT Book Club InsightOut along with the Triangle Classic series.
She is a passionate advocate for the Pride Center on Staten Island, whether it was to help supply books to build their library, participate in the LGBTQI Pride celebrations, helping build visibility for the Pride Center or helping other LGBTQI people in need. In 1991 she was part of the team that opened the Pat Parker/Vito Russo Library at the NYC LGBTQI Community Center. For many years she also worked with the Astraea Writers Awards and The Le***an Herstory Archives.
She is a producer:she produced Holland America Cruise Lines’ first BOOK EXPO along with Olivia Travel. In 2010 she produced BACK 2 BACK at the St George Theater in NY with Lily Tomlin and Kate Clinton. She is most proud of producing events to honor the passing of Audre Lorde, Melvin Dixon, Stan Leventhal and John Preston.
As literary executor for Assotto Saint, Roy Gonsalves and Stan Leventhal, Michele manages their creative works for publication today.
Michele is a planner; she has been instrumental in planning the programming of many conferences and festivals such as OUTWRITE, Saints and Sinners, San Francisco Book Festival, BookExpo America, In Our Own Write, Behind Our Masks, GCLS, Readers and Writers and the Gay Games Cultural Festival.
She is an author; her non-fiction piece entitled The Isle Of Staten appears in the book Love, Christopher Street (Chelsea House Editions). Her WORDS column appears monthly in the San Francisco Bay Times. She wrote Self Publishing LGBTQI Books and is the co-editor of the Lambda Literary Award finalist To Be Continued and To Be Continued: Take Two (Firebrand Books).
She is an awardee: Publishing Triangle Leadership Award. Community Health Action Advocacy Award. Saints and Sinners Literary Hall Of Fame. One Island/One Pride Award from the S.I. LGBT Community Center.
When Michele is not focusing on the visibility of the LGBTQI community she persists to resist the current administration.
