The bookstore helped break ground on many social issues. Mainstream publishers began to look to women's bookstores for issues and trends, and New Words was one of those bookstores from whom publishers sought that type of direction. It was one of the first bookstores in Boston with a large nonsexist children's book section and featured books on children in what were then considered non-traditional families and children with disabilities; its lesbian fiction section held hundreds of titles; it was one of the few sources for writings on women and violence. New Words was one of the few venues in Boston where Black feminism was made visible; the store was a significant outlet for the writings of the Combahee River Collective and for Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press, and housed an extensive "African American" section. The international linkages of the bookstore were evident in the range of offerings—New Words' journal shelves included Manushi (India), Femme (Mexico), and Spare Rib (UK). The store featured international women writers of both fiction and nonfiction, from Bessie Head to Nawal El Saadawi.
