PLEASE NOTE: We are transitioning to a new website. Please visit now us at leftforkbooks.com
(and update your bookmarks before this page you’re on goes away)

Left Fork is a small press in Southwest Oregon, and our primary focus is books celebrating the people and culture here (and here is defined loosely–maybe let’s say we span the full Klamath-Siskiyou bioregion of SW Oregon and NW California). If you’re a local author or your work focuses on this region, Left Fork might be a good fit.

That said, we also seek to publish the best possible writing, particularly the highest quality poetry through our Flowstone imprint. If that brings us strong authors and artists from elsewhere, we’re excited to meet you and share your work with the world. We work closely with authors to create a book they can be proud of. We also have a strong focus on supporting young writers, by publishing their work alongside that of more seasoned writers (the literary journal Cobra Lily being one such place).

Why Left Fork? For one, our international headquarters is presently situated overlooking the West Fork of Oregon’s Illinois River, and West is Left. Also, we are an unashamedly progressive press and do not shrink from people calling us Lefty. Finally, we think forks, whether in roads or rivers, provide opportunity for conscious choices. As a press, we are conscious of what and how we create, as well as what we leave behind. As one example of this mission, we utilize print-on-demand technology, to hopefully minimize the number of unwanted books in the world.

Submission guidelines are available here. You can also learn more about us on our Facebook and Twitter pages (though maybe don’t look so much at the Twitter, as we really don’t update that any more).

Editorial Staff / Masthead

Ryan Forsythe (Publisher/Book Designer/Webmaster) is originally from the suburbs of NE OH. When not traveling, Ryan lives off-grid in the woods of SW OR. He is a writer, editor, teacher, artist, and dad. For four years he and wife Kaci ran a hostel in Redwood National Park, before temporarily relocating to San Diego. There he earned his MFA in Creative Writing, while also serving as Associate Editor for Fiction International. A Co-Administrator at the Dome School, he also serves in the Adult Basic Skills department at Rogue Community College.

Michael Spring (Flowstone Press Editor-in-Chief) is the author of numerous books of poetry, and also a poetry editor for The Pedestal Magazine. His awards include an honorable mention for the 2012 Eric Hoffer Book Award (for Root of Lightning), the 2013 Turtle Island Poetry Award (for Blue Wolf), and the Robert Graves Award (for a selection from Mudsong). Michael lives in Oregon where he teaches martial arts.