Author: Read with Pride

Let’s be real: as introverts, the idea of “community building” usually sounds like a fancy term for “standing in a crowded room wishing you were at home with your cat and a steamy MM romance novel.” We love our community, but sometimes the “community” part involves a lot of noise, a lot of eye contact, …

5 Steps How to Turn Queer Hobbies into Community Building (Easy Guide for Introverted Bookworms)Read More

Hey there, wordsmith. If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve got a story burning a hole in your heart. Maybe it’s a steamy MM romance, a high-stakes gay thriller, or a sweet lesbian contemporary romance that needs to be heard. But let’s be real: the road from “Once upon a time” to “Available on Kindle” …

7 Mistakes You’re Making as an Aspiring Queer Author (and How to Fix Them on Read with Pride)Read More

Let’s be real: as queer folks, our hobbies have always been a little… different. While the rest of the world was busy with fantasy football, we were busy world-building entire queer utopias in our heads or perfecting the art of the “is he/she/they into me?” stare. But in 2026, the game has changed. We’re reclaiming …

Top 10 Queer Hobbies Ideas: From Urban Lockpicking to ArcheryRead More

Let’s be real for a second: writing a book is hard enough. Between crafting the perfect MM romance slow burn and making sure your characters have actual chemistry, the last thing you need is a massive bill just to get your story in front of readers. In the world of 2026 gay books, the hurdles …

Stop Wasting Money on Publishing Fees: Try Our Free Global Portal for LGBTQ+ AuthorsRead More

Let’s be real for a second: growing up queer often feels like you’re handed a script where the ending is already written: and it’s usually a tragedy. We’ve all seen the “bury your gays” trope in mainstream media, where the queer character is either the sidekick, the villain, or the one who doesn’t make it …

Why Queer Healing Will Change the Way You Dream About Your FutureRead More

If you’ve spent any time in the more “eclectic” corners of the queer internet, you’ve probably noticed that we don’t just collect houseplants and overpriced iced coffee. Sometimes, we collect tension wrenches. Welcome to the world of locksport, the art of opening locks without a key, purely for the thrill of the mechanical puzzle. At …

Queer Hobbies Explained in Under 3 Minutes: The Strange Appeal of LockpickingRead More

Let’s be real for a second: building intimacy in queer relationships isn’t always as simple as the movies make it out to be. While we all love a good “happily ever after” in our favorite MM romance books, real-life connection requires a bit more than just a perfectly timed rainstorm and a grand confession. In …

The Ultimate Guide to Building Intimacy: Everything You Need to Succeed in Queer RelationshipsRead More

Let’s be honest: the best part of any MM romance isn’t the grand confession or the final fireworks. It’s the quiet, tension-filled moments leading up to it. It’s the “accidental” hand brush over a shared bag of potting soil, the stolen glances across a crowded board game table, and the slow realization that you’ve spent …

25 Creative Queer Hobbies You’ve Never Thought Of (That Feel Like a Slow Burn Romance)Read More

So, you’ve got a story burning a hole in your hard drive. Maybe it’s a steamy MM romance about two rival hockey players sharing a single bed, or perhaps it’s a heartfelt gay romance novel set in a cozy small town where the grumpy baker finally falls for the sunshine-infused newcomer. Whatever your flavor of …

The Ultimate Guide to Self-Publishing MM Romance: Everything You Need to Succeed on Read with PrideRead More

Welcome back to the morning installment of our massive 100-post series here at Read with Pride! We’ve been diving deep into everything from digital life to professional niches, and today we’re getting a little more… hands-on. Let’s be real: we’ve all finished one of the best mm romance books 2026 has to offer and thought, …

15 Queer Hobbies to Try if You Want to Live Out Your Favorite MM Romance TropeRead More

Let’s be real for a second: the publishing world hasn’t always been our best friend. For years, LGBTQ+ authors, especially those of us writing MM romance books or steamy gay romance novels, have had to jump through more hoops than a circus performer just to get our stories seen. We’ve been told our stories are …

The Ultimate Guide to Our Free Global Portal: Everything You Need to Succeed as an LGBTQ+ AuthorRead More

Let’s be real for a second: being part of the LGBTQ+ community is a beautiful, vibrant experience, but it also comes with a unique set of bruises. Whether it’s the sting of a family that didn’t quite understand, the quiet ache of a “missed” childhood, or the heavy weight of collective loss, we’ve all carried …

The Ultimate Guide to Queer Healing: Navigating Loss and Building LGBTQ+ ResilienceRead More

Let’s be real: as much as we love a good circuit party or a drag brunch that ends in three carafes of mimosa, the “standard” queer social scene can get a little… repetitive. If your social life feels like a revolving door of dating apps and loud bars where you have to scream “WHAT DO …

Queer Hobbies Matter: Why Finding a Niche Passion Is the Secret to a Better Social LifeRead More

Let’s be real for a second: the standard “life script” can be a bit of a yawn. You know the one: finish school, get a 9-to-5, find a spouse (of the opposite gender, naturally), buy a house with a white picket fence, and pop out 2.5 kids. For many of us in the LGBTQ+ community, …

The Ultimate Guide to Queer Life Milestones: Redefining Success Outside the NormRead More

Let’s be honest: we’ve all been there. You’re reading one of those top-tier MM romance books where two best friends spent ten years pining for each other while doing something perfectly mundane: like sharing a bowl of popcorn or arguing over a game of Scrabble: and you think, “Why can’t my Tuesday nights feel this …

25 Creative Queer Hobbies That Feel Exactly Like Friends to Lovers MM Romance StoriesRead More

Let’s be real for a second: the traditional publishing world can feel a bit like a “straight-sized” box that doesn’t quite fit our stories. Whether you’re writing a steamy MM romance, a heart-wrenching lesbian historical fiction, or a high-stakes gay thriller, you’ve probably felt the frustration. You know the one: where your book is labeled …

How to Start Your LGBTQIA+ Author Journey Using Our Free Publishing PortalRead More

Let’s be real: as queer people, we’ve already mastered the most difficult hobby of all: navigating a world that wasn’t exactly built with our floor plan in mind. We’ve spent years curating our aesthetics, perfecting our coming-out monologues, and finding the best lighting for our Instagram thirst traps. But what happens when you want to …

Queer Hobbies 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Mastering Everything From Archery to LockpickingRead More

Listen, we’ve all been there. You have this incredible story living in your head, a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers MM romance that’s so steamy it could fog up a mirror from three rooms away. You’ve spent late nights typing away, falling in love with your characters, and now you’re ready to share them with the world. But …

How to Publish Your First MM Romance Ebook for Free: The Ultimate Guide for LGBTQ+ WritersRead More

Let’s be real for a second: growing up queer often feels like navigating a world that didn’t exactly print a map for you. Between the systemic hurdles and the personal “wait, am I the only one?” moments, the journey toward queer healing can feel pretty heavy. We’ve all been there: carrying the weight of grief, …

The Ultimate Guide to Queer Healing: How Storytelling Builds LGBTQ+ ResilienceRead More

Let’s be honest: as much as we love a good cocktail and a flashing dance floor, the “gay bar as the only community center” era is getting a serious run for its money. In 2026, the queer community is officially in its “Side Quest Era.” We’re trading hangovers for recurve bows and sticky floors for …

Queer Archery to Lockpicking: 20 Queer Hobbies to Get You StartedRead More