"For most of history, Anonymous was a woman."

--Virginia Woolf

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As recently as Jane Austen, writing as a career was viewed as a primarily male pursuit. The role of a woman was seen as suitable for wife and mother only; writing, if one dabbled in it, was to be relegated to a hobby at best. This led most classical writers that we now consider geniuses and trailblazers to go under masculine pen names or otherwise full anonymity: George Eliot, the Brontë sisters, Louisa May Alcott, Agatha Christie, and many more. At the time, they were discouraged from being "literary lionesses," a term meant to shame them from pursuing notoriety or any form of success outside the home. 

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However, times have changed. Women now make up roughly 70% of the publishing market. In particular, they dominate the romance shelves, fantasy genre, and self-publishing industry. It's no longer considered odd or wrong to be a women in the writing sphere; so why then should "literary lioness" still be considered a scornful term?

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For that reason, the third issue of Heart on Our Sleeves Press would like to focus on just that: strong female characters, pungent feminine energy, settings that elevate and hone in on the unique experience of womanhood. We invite you to submit stories that touch on such themes, to celebrate all that women have accomplished and all the accomplishes yet to come.

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(Note 1: Male writers are, of course, welcome to participate in this issue; their submissions must simply stay on theme.

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Note 2: This journal is trans inclusionary. Narratives around trans women, feminine non-binary people, and the like are welcome.)