Our name is derived from the tenacious damselfly, often mistaken for the dragonfly. The damselfly is a unique and highly independent insect capable of aerial acrobatics and has been known to travel as far as 900 miles off the coast to deposit eggs. Her remarkable multi-lens eyes allow her the advantage of examining many aspects of her environment. At damselfly press, we are intrigued by the extraordinary in the ordinary, by the everyday seen through sundry lenses. We value writing that soars beyond common perceptions.

Mission Statement

damselfly press seeks to promote exceptional writing by women whose voices have not yet been heard. We welcome work from female writers of all backgrounds and experiences. We accept fiction, poetry, and nonfiction that is honest and daring, and explores the relationship between dualities. Joy, pain. Boldness, vulnerability. Sacred, profane. Be passionate about your writing, and explore the truth that lies within. There is truth even in fiction; make us believe what you have to say.

Editor Bios

Jennifer Taylor is a writer, editor, and book critic currently living in Georgia. Most of her life has been spent moving from place to place, as evidenced by the fact that she has moved 35 times. She is a co-founder and fiction editor of damselfly press, and will begin leading the Tidal Writers Workshops out of her retreat house in Saint Simons Island, GA, beginning in October. Her writing has appeared in Atlanta Business Magazine, Atlanta’s Finest Dining, Inkling Magazine, Publishers Weekly, Pittsburgh Magazine, and Southern Distinction. She was a fiction editor for The Fourth River, Chatham University’s literary journal, where she received her MFA in 2006 with a double concentration in fiction and nonfiction. Jennifer was a writer-in-residence for five weeks at the Writing Retreat in New Brunswick, Canada, to work on her forthcoming novel.

Lesley Dame is a writer and editor living in Florida. Co-founder and poetry editor for damselfly press, she has also served as poetry editor for The Fourth River, Chatham University’s literary journal, where she received her MFA in 2005. Lesley is a co-host and poetry instructor for Tidal Writers Workshops in Saint Simons Island. She is the author of Letting Out the Ghosts, a poetry chapbook. Her poetry has appeared or is forthcoming in Stirring and Poesia. A great book-lover, her passion for writing, reading, and dissecting poetry has led to a desire to share this infatuation with others and find the yet-undiscovered poets lurking in the corners.

Rebecca Clever is a co-founder of damselfly press.