About Lee
(a.k.a. Lee writes about himself in the 3rd person…)
Lee Wind (he/him) writes the books that would have changed his life as a young Gay Jewish kid—social justice-inspired picture books, nonfiction about Queer history, and Gay teen action adventure romance novels. To help go on the offense against book banning, Lee co-created the national campaign We Are Stronger Than Censorship, which buys and donates two books to offset every one book challenge.
With a day job for the Independent Book Publishers Association (as their Chief Content Officer), Lee’s superhero job is storytelling to empower readers to shine with their own light. Subscribe to Lee’s newsletter and start your journey to discover our past and live your future.
Lee Wind (he/him)
photo by Joanna Degeneres
Contact
To contact Lee directly, please email him at leewind (at) roadrunner (dot) com
Lee’s Literary Agent is Marietta Zacker, Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency
In The News
Upcoming Events & Media
IBPA Publishing University 2026 – Breakout session on “Equity Innovations in Publishing (yes, even now!)”
ALA 2026 – Book signings for A DIFFERENT KIND OF ENEMY
Author Nation 2026 – Breakout session on book marketing with Christopher Locke
Previous Events & Media (partial)
Panel moderator, San Diego Writers Festival (2026)
Panel participant and panel moderator, Los Angeles Times Festival of Books (2026, 2025, 2024)
Interview with Author Lee Wind at Paper Phoenix Ink (May 2023)
New Podcast Bypasses “Don’t Say Gay” to Bring Queer YA Novel and History to Teens at Mombian (May 2023)
Facilitated the Independent Book Publishers Association 2023 IBPA Publishing University Conference in San Diego, CA (May 2023)
Presented No Way, They Were Gay? and The Gender Binary Is a Big Lie at the National Education Association’s LGBTQ+ Caucus Social Justice and Leadership Conference in Las Vegas, NV (April 2023, 2025)
Interviews
I’m interviewed about my debut nonfiction for ages 11 and up, “No Way, They Were Gay? Hidden Lives and Secret Loves” at TeachingBooks.net – listen to the under seven minute meet-the-author interview and excerpt.
Blog Appearances
Dual Cover Reveal & Interview: NO WAY, THEY WERE GAY? Hidden Lives and Secret Loves by Lee Wind (me!) on Betsy Bird’s School Library Journal Blog A Fuse #8 Production
Media Mentions
My debut YA novel “Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill” is featured as a Publishers Weekly Indie Success Story in this two-page feature story, “Bringing History into the Light: An Indie Success Story”
The small Print
Submission Guidelines: If you are an author or publisher, I do not generally accept review copies, since I don’t generally review the books featured on the I’m Here. I’m Queer. What The Hell Do I Read? blog. All I need is a synopsis (including what’s significantly LGBTQIA2+ about the book – so I know why I should include it), a link to the author website or some online info or interview with the author, and the book’s release date (as I don’t post on books before they are available to the public.) Please make sure to include your contact info so I can follow up with you!
Disclaimer: Having said that, some of the books discussed on the blog may have been provided by the author or publisher. The opinions expressed on the blog and this website, unless they’re a comment from someone else, are my own.
Disclosure: If you click on a book on this blog or website and it takes you to bookshop.org, there is an affiliate relationship in place where 10% of that book order will come back to me, Lee Wind. I hope that works for you. And if it doesn’t, no worries. I hope you buy your books somewhere that feels good to you. Thanks!
Click here to read the privacy policy.
Please, be kind and patient with each other, with yourselves, and, well – with me.
Thanks!
Lee
