Interview with Sunbee Publishing House

NEPF² has interviewed Sunbee publishing house, a company focused on publishing LGBT+ books and advocating for the need for inclusion and diversity in the editorial market, in addition to the need of recognizing the talent of fanfic writers. Website: Sunbee Publishing House.

Sunbee Team at Bienal do Livro Rio 2025.

1. Sunbee is a publishing house committed to creating a representative space in the editorial context. How does the company deal with the erasure of the LGBT+ community in this environment? What kind of challenges show up in the request for more diverse content?

Sunbee Publishing House was founded because of the lack of representation for the LGBTQIAP+ and other minorities. The founders are women that are part of the LGBTQIAP+ community. One of the founders is from the Northeast region of Brazil¹, and the other is PwD, therefore, there is a perceived need for publishing books so that all communities can feel seen and included in a society that envisions a certain norm, which so few people can achieve.

Despite working with this seemingly ‘more restricted’ kind of theme, we also understand that LGBTQIAP+ literature is in many corners of the internet, you just need to know where to look. So, until now, we haven’t had many challenges in the request for more diverse content. With that said, it is important to notice that we receive a much higher number of stories about white gay/bisexual men with standard body types, which brings to light that, even within the community, we need and want more representation.

¹ It is important to note that the publishing market in Brazil is located mostly in the Southeastern region. In this sense, being far from this commercial hub presents challenges regarding logistics, costs, and the publisher's symbolic presence in the editorial market.

2. Fanfic is one of the most precious tools for fighting against the lack of representation in mainstream [media]. What are the steps for publishing a story that started as fanfic? How important is it to give voice to fanfic authors?

When we are writing fanfic, we already know the characters/real people, we know the physical qualities as well as the subjective ones, which means that the reader of that specific ship does not need much explanation to understand more about the characters’ development, and that is what must be changed when the adaptation from the fanfic to the original story is made.

It is not only changing the names but creating a whole context and bringing in details so that any kind of reader can comprehend and visualize the character, even the ones that are not inserted in the world of fanfic.

The importance of giving voice to fanfic authors is, as well, to displace this type of literature from the sidelines. There is much prejudice with these stories, as if they are less than any other type of literature. But we know that there are fantastic authors and fantastic stories that are waiting for only one chance of going public.

3. In terms of age range, what is the target audience of Sunbee and which niches do you wish to reach?

The target audience is teenagers between 14 and 16 years old, even young adults. We have a fairly diverse audience concerning age. Besides, we have a much higher number of females than males [readers].

Sunbee books.

4- All of the Sunbee books are hardcovers created with a major focus on detail, which is common in small publishers. The editorial market has increased the labels in size and decreased the particularity of the reading experience. Small publishers such as Sunbee have been fighting these changes. Why is it important for Sunbee to provide high-quality products that include complimentary treats to the readers, and what is your view of the current state of the editorial world regarding the purchase value?

Since the first time we envisioned Sunbee, we always focused on the reader’s experience because we, besides being female authors, are readers as well, and we love those details and that care that publishing houses have. We would like for our readers to have the sort of experience that would make them want to read even more books and fall in love with the act of reading.

In regard to purchase value, we now have two modalities: hardcover and paperback, because we believe in accessibility and in the democratization of culture. In lowering the price of paperbacks, more people can purchase our books.

We know that Brazil is a country where we do not have much of an active culture of readers, as well as that right and far-right governments always have the goal to increase book prices or even to censor them - as it has happened for a few years in Bienal do Rio, and as it is also currently occurring in the United States of America -, with the purpose of taking away the citizens’ ability to think critically and analyze society.

Sunbee recognizes the power of books and how stories can change people’s lives. For that reason, we do not only make pretty books, but we also work with costs that are as accessible as possible and stories with representation.

5. Sunbee participated in Bienal do Livro 2025. How was the preparation for such a big event, and how did the experience contribute to the company’s morale?

The 2025 Bienal do Rio de Janeiro was the first Bienal that Sunbee Publishing House participated in with an individual booth. It was already an incredible experience just for that. [It was great] to decorate it the way we imagined it, to see our readers, and even to see new readers discovering our work.

In terms of preparation, we are very lucky that the conversation concerning any issue is easy between us, and besides, even though Sunbee is not a big company, we can organize ourselves well, each one of us doing a little so that the event is not that exhausting and heavy for only one of us and also so that nothing is left behind.

Bienal do Livro Rio 2025.

6. The illustrations in Sunbee’s books are one of your main attractions. How does the partnership process with each illustrator work?

We always keep an eye on illustrators on social media, and as soon as an author sends us their mood board, our art director can evaluate which style would best suit the author’s vision and the story.

7. In a context where AI is being used so extensively in the creative world, what is your stance as a publisher on the use of AI in the books you publish?

We do not accept any use of AI in our books, whether in images, writing, or even in services such as proofreading. Our contract even includes a clause prohibiting the use of AI.

This policy is well defined at Sunbee Publishing House.

8. What types of fandoms would you say are most prevalent among your audience? K-pop fandoms generate a large amount of LGBT+ fan content, such as fanfic and fan art. Do you notice their presence in the publication recommendations and among the company’s consumers and supporters?

Most of the fanfic books we have come from the BTS fandom. We’ve noticed an increase in the consumption of this content since the pandemic, around mid-2020, and it has only grown since then.

We also work with other K-pop ships and a few from literature, but BTS definitely makes up 99% of the fanfic stories at Sunbee Publishing House, both in published books and in received manuscripts.

9. Sunbee uses genres such as erotica and other common tropes originating from fanfic. Given the prejudice around fan-created content, and especially erotic content, what is Sunbee’s stance regarding the legitimacy of “hot” stories that are often not considered real literature, particularly considering the misogyny in the publishing industry?

There is an attempt to sanitize the sexual lives of LGBTQIAP+ people, but just as heteronormative people have sex, the majority of LGBTQIAP+ people do as well and enjoy reading such scenes. It is legitimate to have more steamy scenes, but it’s not essential, so we let the authors decide whether their books will include them.

Furthermore, when it comes to literature, it is important to understand that bringing the LGBTQIAP+ community out of invisibility creates the possibility for real people to find themselves in the characters, discover and understand themselves [in the characters], and this applies to the topic of sex as well.

We consider sex scenes to be legitimate and important, except for when they are not handled correctly, such as those that romanticize rape.

10. NEPF² always seeks to support publishers that promote representation and diversity. If you could recommend a Sunbee book to readers who haven’t yet explored LGBT+ literature, which one would it be for the group to feature on our website?

We recommend “The Bride's Best Friend” [“A melhor amiga da noiva”], which is a lighthearted romantic comedy with sapphic representation, and “For Those Who Live” [“Para aqueles que vivem”], which is a low fantasy novel with captivating characters, Achillean and Black representation.

“The bride's best friend” ["A Melhor Amiga da Noiva"] by Livia Medeiros and “For those who live” [“Para aqueles que vivem”] by Juliana Giacobelli.