Author · Podcaster · Publisher · Teacher
Don't be afraid to tell your stories.
Terry Bartley writes queer allegorical fantasy set in a world that doesn't let anyone off the hook for history. He's the founder of Starlight King Press, host of the Most Writers Are Fans podcast, and an English teacher in West Virginia. He's been building the world of Galevyn for years. The main series starts now.
The Work
Fantasy Series
A seven-book allegorical fantasy series set in a world shaped by colonial history, inherited consequence, and a generation of heroes who never asked for the job. Three books out now. The flagship series begins with Destined for Greater Things.
Podcast
A bi-weekly podcast about the intersection of writing and fandom. Full episodes go deep on craft and industry. Minisodes — including the recurring Ink Over AI segment — go weird. A Starlight King Production.
About
Terry Bartley is a fantasy novelist, podcaster, and high school English teacher based in Madison, West Virginia. He is the founder and publisher of Starlight King Press and the author of the Galevyn Universe — a seven-book allegorical fantasy series that maps real colonial histories onto an intricate fantasy world without letting the allegory get in the way of the story.
His fiction is character-driven, politically engaged, and unabashedly queer. The world of Galevyn has been growing for years — through short stories, light novels, and a newsletter — and the main series is just beginning. Destined for Greater Things follows Star Satar: a half-elven Chosen One whose very existence is the result of his mother refusing the destiny she was handed.
When he isn't writing, Terry teaches English 11 at Scott High School, hosts the Most Writers Are Fans podcast, and runs journalism and Speech & Debate programs. He approaches all of it — teaching, writing, publishing — as narrative design.
The Imprint
Starlight King Press is an independent publisher based in West Virginia. Founded by Terry Bartley, the press publishes fiction that takes its world seriously — queer characters, political allegory, and stories that don't condescend to their readers.
Every episode of Most Writers Are Fans is a Starlight King Production. The Starlight King Herald is its magazine. A short story anthology featuring Terry and fellow indie authors is forthcoming in 2027.
Visit Starlight King PressCurrent Titles
On the Road
Upcoming events, signings, and panels.
Fall 2026
Destined for Greater Things
Crowdfunding Campaign Launch · Details TBA
A monthly dispatch — new serialized fiction from Galevyn, craft essays, podcast extras, and news from Starlight King Press. Free to subscribe on Substack.
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