Independent publisher Influx Press is to open its submissions exclusively to women of colour in a bid to expand the range of voices and scope of work it publishes.

Spearheaded by assistant editor, Sanya Semakula, Influx is searching for both agented and unagented women writers from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds to send in their work throughout November. For novels, the press is seeking works ranging from 30,000 words to 80,000 words, and for short story collections a minimum of 25,000 words in total.

According to the press, it publishes “experimental, playful work, sometimes political and often set in specific geographic location, or from sites of resistance that remain under explored in mainstream literature”, and is looking for work that fits within this description.

The publisher said it “commends proactive initiatives to reflect diversity and representation in publishing and although independent and small publishing houses are often at the forefront of pushing for changes, there is still much to be done”. By targeting its call for submissions, Influx Press is “acknowledging and specifically addressing our own list, something that is possible for smaller publishers to do more quickly than the larger ones”, it said.

Semakula said she is looking for “great writing that will have something particular to say about the world we live in right now”, and added that she was “excited to be given the opportunity to hunt for the next big writer on Influx’s list.”

Kit Caless, co-founder of Influx Press, added: “We are always searching for new writers but making sure you have authors from a range of backgrounds requires extra proactivity. We are really thrilled that Sanya is leading on this submissions window. We look forward to seeing what comes in, and what she chooses to publish.”

Writers and agents should send manuscripts, with full synopsis, to sanya@influxpress.com with the title line: ‘Submission Window 2017’, between 1st and 30th of November.

Influx Press is the publisher of titles including Eley William’s Attrib and Other Stories, Jeffrey Boakye’s Hold Tight: Black Masculinity, Millennials and the Meaning of Grime, Darran Anderson’s Imaginary Cities and Chimene Suleyman’s Outside Looking On. The press recently launched a Kickstarter campaign in a bid to grow its business, backed by industry figures including Nikesh Shukla and Max Porter.