We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Matthew Hubbard. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Matthew below.

Matthew, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?

I hope my legacy as an author will be summed up by two words: We’re Here. I strive to tell authentic stories that give LGBTQ+ readers, especially teens, hope. I want my legacy to be one full of hope and recognition, not for me but for my community. They deserve to be present and be represented in the world.

Matthew, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Matthew Hubbard, and I’m an author represented by Katie Shea Boutillier with Donald Maass Literary Agency. I started my WE’RE HERE newsletter as a guide for queer and ally individuals highlighting book news, inspirational interviews, and awareness that we’re here to make difference. My debut novel LAST BOYFRIENDS will publish Summer 2024 from Delacorte Press / Penguin Random House. It’s a coming-of-age novel pitched as Heartstopper meets The First Wives Club in which three queer teenage boys in small-town Alabama set out to get revenge on their ex-boyfriends and end up fighting their school’s anti-LGBTQ+ initiatives. I grew up in a small Alabama town and graduated with degrees in English, marketing, and psychology from an equally small Alabama university. When I’m not writing, I can be found outside hiking trails with my husband. More details can be found online at www.MatthewHubbardWrites.com.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Being an author is resilience defined. I started writing stories when I was a child, writing my first novel my senior year of college. I began the process of getting literary representation only to find out how hard this journey I’m on could be. I lost count at 200+ rejections, but I didn’t give up. I kept reading, improving my writing skills, and refusing to give up hope. It has taken me 11 years to attain my publishing dream. My debut novel LAST BOYFRIENDS was my 5th story, and I’m so glad I was resilient. I didn’t know LAST BOYFRIENDS would lead to the book deal of my dreams when I wrote it. I only knew the anger I felt over anti-LGBTQ+ laws, book bans, and the constant battle for queer youth to exist. Writing this story was my fight back against hate.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an author is synergy. Words on pages add up to something so much more when you type “The End.” You’ve created an entirely new world with its own emotions and lessons learned. Seeing someone read your story and glean something more, connecting to something specific, relating to it in a way they see themselves… that’s rewarding. I connects us, being the writers and readers, together on a common thread – it reminds us we aren’t alone.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.MatthewHubbardWrites.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/matthewhubbard
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/matthewhubbardwrites
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/matthewhubbard