Behind-the-Scenes Tour of the Asian Writers' Collective

What to expect, meet the team, and fuck the glass ceilings

First of all, thank you to everyone who has supported by subscribing, sharing, and pledging! What started as a tiny seed has grown to be so much more; ideas are continuing to spark as we get going. Your feedback is invaluable as members of this collective, so keep sharing them!

Now that we’re getting established, you may be wondering what the Asian Writers’ Collective is all about and what we’ve got planned. Keep reading to find out!

What to Expect

The heart of AWC is to provide a home for Asian written talent, in the tradition of literary journals.

Each quarter of the year will feature a theme. Our current theme is identity, which will run from October 2024 to December 2024.

We aim to feature a variety of writing styles, including creative nonfiction, fiction, and media reviews—one chosen submission from each of these 3 categories will be featured each month, based on our theme for the quarter.

Our current call for submissions ends on August 15, 2024!

We will also highlight Asian authors through:

• Interviews

• Selection of articles + 1 featured publication

Most months, we will have a thread for people to interact, find others to collaborate with, and share stories, recipes, and advice. These will be open to all subscribers.

Posts will be published 1-2 times a month.

This publication is a celebration of Asian writers. They are not a monolithic group, and each of their experiences, cultures, and ethnicities is different. We are committed to representing all Asian voices. If you want to find writers with unique perspectives and cheer them on, you can show your support by subscribing.

What does your subscription get you?

Everything in the Asian Writers’ Collective is free to read.

That said, running this publication does take time and effort. I want to say a huge thank you to those of you who have already pledged your support. Supporting AWC with a paid subscription shows me that you value this work. It is a way to encourage me to keep it going and justify putting my efforts into helping it grow.

Historically, those of Asian descent are less likely to make waves; we don’t rock the boat.

I say, fuck that.

Staying silent did not protect us during the COVID-19 pandemic¹. It does not stop people from asking, “Where are you really from?”² It doesn’t prevent us from being perceived as the “model minority” in order to keep us in our place.³ It doesn’t remove the “bamboo ceiling.”⁴

I created the Asian Writers’ Collective because I want Asians to be seen and heard. There has been some progress, but the recent Hugo Awards debacle⁵ shows there is still a lot of work to be done.

Even as we see a few more East Asian authors on the shelves of big-name bookstores than before, I want even more on there. I want to see more South and Southeast Asians published. I want to read more from Pacific Islanders. I want to hear from adoptees from Asia.

I want us all to smash every glass ceiling and break every box we’ve been stuffed into.

This is for us.

My long-term goal is to have the means to compensate the authors we publish here, using a sustainable model. I envision AWC as both an online publishing home and launchpad for Asian authors. And I can’t do that without your contribution.

If you believe in what Asian Writers’ Collective can accomplish together, if you want to be part of this mission, if you want to lift up writers who have been invisible and voiceless for far too long, upgrade your subscription or make a one-time donation:

Meet the Team!

bakhtawar

is a Pakistani-Chilean who writes Stories and States, where she critiques and analyses society, culture, and literature.

christa lei (they/them)

writes is this what you want?, where they share insights about identity as a disabled, fat, queer, neurodivergent, polyamorous Filipino-American on self-advocacy.

Team roles are being ironed out as we speak, so stay tuned.

Speaking of community

Asian Writers’ Collective is part of a larger community—one that seeks to lift up others. If you are new here and looking for more great reads, check out the following:

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Substack Directory of Directories

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AWC would not be what it is without all of you here. It also wouldn’t have gotten off the ground without the support of people like

Victoria

and

Susan Kuenzi

who have been spreading the news and connecting me with many like-minded individuals, such as

Louisa Wah

,

Cissy Hu

,

Alice Chen

, and

Aimee Liu's MFA Lore

. Like

Robin Taylor (he/him)

for sharing his advice with me so generously, recommending AWC to his readers, and creating a space for fellow list-makers to connect and share our experiences. Like the countless people who have sent me encouraging messages and comments to let me know how much this project means to you.

Thank you. Let’s make some waves.

1. Asian Americans and discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic (Pew Research)

2. Should you ask where I am from? by

Rachel Ooi

and Why I can’t go back to where I came from by

Noha Beshir

3. 6 Charts That Dismantle The Trope Of Asian Americans As A Model Minority

4. Why East Asians but not South Asians are underrepresented in leadership positions in the United States

5. Hugo Awards under fire over censorship accusations, and SFF writers want answers