Did you know that May 20th will mark the 5th anniversary of the founding of the I Heart Lesfic website? My goal was to create a space that was inclusive and supportive for authors and readers of sapphic fiction. I had no idea back then how far we would come!
Now, I have to admit something. Change scares me, so my first announcement is kinda frightening, but I absolutely believe it’s the right thing to do because my biggest goal with the website, and in life, remains being inclusive and supportive.
Our genre has many beautiful people, not just lesbian characters. Please understand, there is nothing wrong with the word lesbian. It’s how I personally identify. And five years ago, the word “Lesfic” was all the rage, which is why I chose it. But I’m passionate about being inclusive, especially when so many hateful laws are being drafted targeting the LGBTQIA+ community.
This is why I Heart Lesfic will be changing to I Heart SapphFic. It’s a mashup of the words “sapphic” and “fiction”, and I think it does a great job relating what we’re all about.
The website will continue to welcome all sapphic books, meaning books about characters who identify as lesbian, queer, bisexual, pansexual, homoromantic asexual or demisexual, sapphic trans women, sapphic nonbinary people, or other identities on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum.
Soon we’ll have a fancy new website, and we hope you’ll love it. But rest assured, we’ll still have the same passion for supporting our amazing community.
And, this leads me to the next exciting piece of news. As a way to kick off our rebranding, as well as to celebrate our 5th anniversary in style, we’ve spearheaded a project we’ve dubbed the I Heart SapphFic Pride Collection, featuring eight books by some of the most popular authors in sapphic fiction today. Each book involves a Pride theme and all the books will go up on preorder the first week of May and be released on June 1.
Want to know which authors are involved? Each day, starting on April 23rd and ending on April 30th, we’ll reveal one author, along with their book’s title, cover and a short blurb.
We hope you’re as excited as we are about the new developments at I Heart SapphFic. Here’s to a successful future and many more happy years of sapphic reading!
As a bi/pan author and reader, I would never have thought that y’all needed to change the name. And yet I also really, truly appreciate that this step feels right to you, and honestly I’m a little teary at how included it makes me feel. Thank you so much for everything y’all do for this community.
Thanks for the encouragement!
This is so exciting. Congratulations on your upcoming 5th anniversary and kudos for your support and changes to support our community. I’m looking forward to receiving the first NEW newsletter.
Thanks!
Good change, we need to include all of our marginalized family members. I remember not being able to find good lesbian fiction or almost nothing but pron for men. Love the books available today!
Thanks for the encouragement!
Kudos. I’m sure the “new” website will be as wonderful as this one. I always look forward to your current emails so news of an updated site has me tingling with anticipation. 🙂 ;-0
Aww, thanks!
Thank you for 5 years of wonderful reading, Introducing new authors and supporting the community. I agree there are too many attempts being made to repeal freedoms. I will be watching my inbox daily for the new releases. Thank you again for all of your hard work.
Thanks so much for the words of encouragement!
I love the new name and applaud your dedication to diversity. While I was growing up, I thought I was the only person who felt things differently. I am still unique, it’s nice to see that there are others out there, who if not like me, are certainly me-adjacent.
Thanks so much!
Extraordinary times call for extraordinary effort. I’m never disappointed when I click on the IHL link. “What did Sappho of Lesbos teach but how to love women?”― Ovid, The Tristia of Ovid. We need to add you to this quote, you’ve taught me a lot, thank you. And Happy anniversary.
Thanks so much for the lovely words!
Congrats on 5 years. Cheers for all the hard work and support. Rebranding is always scary but I’m sure the site will continue to grow and go from strength to strength. Kudos
Thanks so much for the kind and encouraging words!
I LOVE the new name! I’m a trnsbian (at least that’s how it’s described in a couple of groups I’m in) and I’mglad that all of you are opening your arms to the others on the spectrum.
May we all find our happily ever afters.
I really like how you put that and thanks for the encouragement!
LesFic: Great idea, beautifully executed. Awesome site. Awesome authors. LesFic became an integral part of my reading regimen. And now, SapphFic will continue that journey of wonder.
Thanks for the support!
Congratulations on 5 years of sharing the knowledge and the power that comes with it. I think it’s great that you are adding diversity with the change of one word. Thank you for being open-minded and inclusive. I can’t wait to read and share your site for another 5 years and more. Congrats!
Thanks, and we appreciate the encouragement!
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Congrats on five years! IHL has been such an amazing resource for authors, and I’m so grateful it exists. Love the new name. Definitely nothing wrong with the word lesbian, and at the same time, it’s great to make more readers feel welcome.
Thanks, and we appreciate the encouragement!
5 years of reading. I am getting older. Happy Anniversary!
Thanks!
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