About the Press







Astral Waters Press was founded in 2018 and published the first issue in 2019. We specialize in creative works of science fiction and fantasy by writers and artists from historically underrepresented communities. In our digital literary magazine, Astral Waters Review, we publish short stories, novel excerpts, poetry, visual art, and reviews by creative people who are POC and/or LGBTQ+.
On May 1, 2020, Astral Waters Review transitioned to a free magazine. While we will no longer make money off our publication, we believe that making the magazine free to download will make it more accessible to a wider and more diverse audience.
Without the income from sales, we rely solely on donations from our community. If you would like to support us so that we can pay for the basic upkeep of our website, publishing tools, editorial staff, and, most importantly, the beautifully talented authors and artists who make our magazine possible, please visit our DONATION PAGE.
The first issue of Astral Waters Review was funded through a Kickstarter campaign in December 2018 and published on May 1, 2019. We have the utmost gratitude to everyone who participated in our fundraiser. In particular, we would like to thank the following supporters for helping us bring our inaugural issue to life:
ALAN POUNDS
KATHY BARRY RYAN
HILARY LOUTH
BREONNA JEFFERSON
MARIAH LEAH JENSEN
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We do not currently publish manuscripts or any other long-form creative works, though we hope to do so in the future.
If you would like to support us in our publishing endeavors, please consider sending us a small donation! To donate, please contact
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Want to advertise with us?
Send a mock-up of your ad idea to admin@astralwatersreview.com. Pricing subject to size of advertisement.
Meet Our Team
Amylia Ryan
Editor in Chief
Amylia established Astral Waters Press after earning her Master's degree in book publishing from Portland State University in 2018. She has worked as a book editor since 2014, including as an in-house editor for a publisher and as a freelance editor. For more information on Amylia's freelance editing, visit her website at www.amyliaryan.com.
Hilary Louth
Bio to come soon!
Michele Ford
Assistant Editor: Fantasy
Michele is an editor based in Portland, Oregon. She reads fantasy and speculative fiction with fierce characters and rich systems of magic. She holds a BA in Creative Writing and an MS in Book Publishing. You can find her at michelepatriceford.com.
Assistant Editor: Science Fiction
Design: Logo and Title
Leigh Thomas is a graphic designer for Oregon Children’s Theatre in Portland, where she lives with her husband and pup. She’s also a dedicated reader, doodler, pun queen, and freelance designer. Check out her work and say hi at leighkthomas.com.