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While the Big Five publishers require an agent, many smaller publishers do not.
There are some important advantages to publishing with a smaller press. For one thing, there is a shorter gap between acceptance of a manuscript and production. Larger publishers often take upwards of a year to produce and distribute a book. With a smaller press, the wait is a matter of a few months.
A second advantage is that there is greater flexibility in contracts. Among larger publishers, contracts are written in stone. There is very little room for negotiation. Smaller presses can offer larger royalties, and give authors greater leeway in terms of rights.
Lastly, smaller presses are more accessible. With a larger press, authors have absolutely no say in cover design, blurbs, or marketing. Small presses accept more input from authors. The increase in communication is reassuring for authors, who often feel that control over their book is taken out of their hands once a contract is signed.
For a list of more than a hundred publishers that do not require an agent, go to
Publishers Accepting Unagented Manuscripts.
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Academy Chicago Publishers is one of the oldest publishing houses in Chicago. They publish both fiction and nonfiction and have more than two hundred published titles on their list. Academy Chicago publishes about 60 new titles yearly under five imprints: Chicago Review Press, Lawrence Hill Books, Ball Publishing, Zephyr Press, and Academy Chicago.
Seeking: Nonfiction, memoirs, mysteries, fiction, history, popular science, music, film, biography, autobiography, DIY, craft, and travel, as well as children's activity books and young adult biographies. Read submission guidelines here.
Acre is an imprint of the Cincinnati Review. They are interested in novels, poetry, and short story collections.
Read submission guidelines here.
Arsenal Pulp Press is a book publisher in Vancouver, Canada with over 400 titles currently in print, which include literary fiction and nonfiction; books on social issues; gender studies; LGBTQ and diverse literature; graphic novels and non-fiction; cookbooks; alternative crafts; youth culture and young adult literature; visual arts; and books in translation. "We are interested in literature that engages and challenges readers, and which asks probing questions about the world around us."
Read submission guidelines here.
Baen Books was founded in 1983 by science fiction editor and publisher Jim Baen (now deceased). Baen was one of the first publishers to use the Internet as a means of "spreading the word" about a book or author.
Seeking:
Science fiction with powerful plots with solid scientific and philosophical underpinnings are essential for science fiction submissions. For fantasy, any magical system must be both rigorously coherent and integral to the plot, and overall the work must at least strive for originality. Manuscripts should be at least 100,000 words. Click here for submission guidelines.
Bellevue Literary Press publishes literary fiction and narrative nonfiction geared toward a general readership. They do not publish poetry, single short stories, plays, screenplays, memoir, or self-help/instructional books. Distributed to the trade by Consortium Book Sales & Distribution.
Read submission guidelines here.
Black & White Publishing is an established Scottish press. They publish nonfiction and fiction in a variety of genres.
Seeking:
Commercial women’s fiction, especially chick lit, saga and romance, crime and psychological thrillers, contemporary YA and New Adult crossover books, children’s fiction. In nonfiction: memoirs, sport (UK and Ireland in particular), humour, food and drink, activity books.
Read submission guidelines here.
BlazeVOX [books] is an independent small press publisher located in Buffalo, New York. To date, BlazeVOX has published 280 books and over 1000 writers in their online journal and other publishing outlets. They are in the process of developing a book series that promotes the work of women who are courageous, innovative, definition defying writers.
Seeking:
Poetry, short stories, experimental fiction, literary criticism (including companions, studies and histories), women authors. Submissions online.
Coffee House Press is an independent book publisher and arts nonprofit based in Minneapolis, MN; through their literary publications and Books in Action program, CHP acts as a catalyst and connector—between authors and readers, ideas and resources, creativity and community, inspiration and action.
Seeking: Literary novels, full-length short story collections, poetry, creative nonfiction, book-length essays and essay collections, and the occasional memoir. CHP does not accept submissions for anthologies. CHP also does not publish genre fiction, such as mysteries, Gothic romances, Westerns, science fiction, or books for children.
Read submission guidelines here.
Chronicle Books "We're always looking for the new and unusual." Chronicle Books publishes 90 titles per year.
Seeking: Art and design, art, craft, graphic design, interior design, photography, food and drink, kids and teens, literature, lifestyle, pop culture. Read submission guidelines here.
City Lights Publishers has launched several famous poets, including Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Allen Ginsberg, but this press also specializes in literary fiction and nonfiction.
City Lights publishes 12 books a year. Seeking:
Fiction, essays, memoirs, translations, poetry, and books on social and political issues. They do not publish New Age, self-help, children’s literature, how-to guides, or genre works such as romance, westerns, or science fiction. Read their submission guidelines here.
Dalkey Publishers primarily publishes literary fiction, rarely poetry or non-fiction. They place a heavy emphasis upon fiction that belongs to the experimental tradition of Sterne, Joyce, Rabelais, Flann O’Brien, Beckett, Gertrude Stein, and Djuna Barnes.
They also accept scholarly work.
Read their submission guidelines here.
Harvard Square Editions was started by a group of Harvard University graduates who met on one of the university’s online discussion boards. The press focuses on novel and novella submissions with environmental and social themes.
HSE does not offer an advance.
Read submission requirements here.
Head of Zeus opened for business in 2012, and won Independent Publisher of the Year in 2017. Their list is a mix of general and literary fiction, genre fiction and non fiction. In 2016, they launched Aria, a digital fiction imprint, and in 2017, they started a children's imprint, Zephyr. Head of Zeus uses a submissions portal
HERE.
Holland Park Press (UK) publishes books in English and Dutch. No advance. What they want: They accept literary fiction in the form of a novel, novella or collection of short stories. They also welcome poetry collections.
Read submission requirements here.
Immedium publishes picture books, Asian-America: Contemporary viewpoints on our evolving national identity and changes that have universal resonance, and Arts and Culture:
Cutting-edge commentary on the intersection of popular culture, social trends, and our modern lifestyle.
Read submission guidelines here.
Joffe Books is a small publisher located in London. They accept full-length manuscripts in following genres: Mysteries, Romance, Thrillers, Detective, Suspense. They do not publish children's books, sci-fi, non-fiction, conspiracy theories, or erotica but they'll take a quick look at just about anything. Joffe gives royalties, but there is no information on whether they offer an advance.
Read submission guidelines here.
Kensington Publishing Corp. is the last remaining independent U.S. publisher of hardcover, trade and mass market paperback books.
Seeking: Fiction and non-fiction. They do not publish science fiction, fantasy, poetry, or plays. Read their submission guidelines here.
Milkweed Editions is one of the nation’s leading independent, nonprofit literary publishers. Publishing fifteen to twenty books each year, they have some three hundred titles in print, and nearly four million copies of our books in circulation.
Genres: Fiction, literary nonfiction, poetry collections.
Submissions: Milkweed Editions accepts unsolicited manuscripts from authors of all backgrounds, Submissions that do not initially meet the guidelines will not be considered.
Please read full guidelines here. Milkweed has one open submission period a year.
NCM Publishing is soliciting manuscripts in all genres of fiction, non-fiction, self-help and young adult fiction. "Our editors are seeking tasteful provocative, intelligent fiction manuscripts in the areas of sexuality and erotica, romance, urban and street, science fiction, Christian fiction, and general interest, as well as nonfiction, and lively stories of all genres of fiction for the general population between the ages of 18 and older (as well as Young Adult fiction). A novel must be well written, and professionally edited, in order to find a place on the list. The editors prefer to see completed manuscripts. Query letters are accepted. Along with your submission, please include a book marketing and promotions plan." (
Note: If a publisher requires a marketing plan, it is usually because they will do very little to market your book.)
Nimbus Publishing. "Locally, nationally and internationally, Nimbus is best known and widely recognized as the premier publisher of books about Atlantic Canada. Our books usually fall into one or more of these categories: biography, art, history, science and nature, political and social issues, folklore, children’s fiction and non-fiction, sports, guidebooks, cookbooks, and photographic books. Nimbus does not publish in the following sub-genres: self-help, religion, philosophy, poetry, drama, erotica." Read guidelines
here.
Page Street Publishing. "Page Street Publishing Co. does around sixty original titles a year and is distributed by Macmillan everywhere except Canada, where Manda does the sales and PGC handles distribution. Our books are large format, full-color throughout, packed with original photography and nearly two hundred pages for around twenty dollars. Most titles feature lay-flat binding for ease of use. Page Street is a proud member of 1% for the Planet and donates 1% of its annual revenue to environmental groups. We have an established line of credit with Berkshire Bank. Page Street Publishing Co. was founded in 2012 and is located just outside of Boston."
Seeking: YA and children's fiction (all genres) and nonfiction.
Submission guidelines are here.
Peachtree Publishers, located in Atlanta Georgia, publishes 30 books per year.
Seeking:
Children's books, from picture books to young adult fiction and nonfiction; consumer references in health, education, and parenting; and regional guidebooks about the American South. Read their submission guidelines here.
Persea Books is an independent, literary publishing house founded in 1975 by Michael Braziller and Karen Braziller, who still own and direct the company.
Genres: Poetry, fiction, essays, memoir, biography, titles of Jewish and Middle Eastern interest, women's studies, American Indian folklore, and YA.
Response time: Eight weeks for proposals and 12 weeks for requested manuscript.
Submissions: Queries should include a cover letter, author background and publication history, a synopsis of the proposed work, and a sample chapter. Send queries and manuscripts to info@perseabooks.com or to the appropriate editor (Fiction or Nonfiction), Persea Books, 277 Broadway, Suite 708, New York, NY 10007.
Read their submission guidelines here.
Reagent Press publishes Children's Fiction, Teen Fiction, Adult Fiction, Nonfiction and market Specialty Merchandise. They are particularly interested in fantasy. They publish their books in print, digital, and audio with simultaneous distribution in the US, Canada, and UK. They work directly with foreign agents and publishers to sell rights internationally. Accepts novels and novellas. This press does not edit manuscripts, so your book must be professionally edited prior to submission.
Read their submission guidelines HERE.
Skyhorse Publishing accepts proposals for non-fiction books through its main website. Its distributor is Perseus Book Group. Skyhorse has 14 imprints, including Talos and Nightshade (speculative fiction), Sky Pony Press (children's book imprint), and several imprints for fiction. They have hundreds of titles on their list.
Read guidelines here.
Small Beer Press was founded in 2000 and is run by Gavin J. Grant and Kelly Link. It publishes books as Small Beer Press, Big Mouth House, and Peapod Classics, and occasionally chapbooks and a zine - on recycled paper.
Generally, they publish 6-10 books per year.
Seeking:
Fiction (leaning toward the speculative), both short story collections and novels. No poetry. Read their submission guidelines here.
Tirgearr Press is a small independently-owned publishing company of commercial adult genre fiction located in Ireland. It is a digital-first publisher, which means in most cases it is a digital-only publisher. Tirgearr does not offer an advance. Rights are purchased for five years.
Read guidelines here.
Turner Press is an award-winning, independent publisher of books. The company is in the top 101 independent publishing companies in the U.S. as compiled by Bookmarket.com and has been named five times to Publishers Weekly's Fastest Growing Publishers List. Operating since 1984, Turner currently publishes 5,000 titles. Turner has a broad array of titles in fiction & non-fiction, including business, young adult, history, romance, mystery, cookbooks, health & wellness, animals, design, and more. Turner Publishing Company has the following imprints:
- Turner
- Wiley: Turner publishes under the Wiley name, with permission, for over 1,000 acquired titles
- Hunter House: Health, Wellness & Sexuality Titles
- Ancestry: Genealogy (acquired assets of the book division of Ancestry.com)
- Fieldstone Alliance: Business Books for Non-profits (acquired assets of Fieldstone Alliance)
- Basic Health Publications: Titles on Health and Wellness
- Iroquois Press: Fiction and Literature imprint
- Ramsey & Todd: for children's books
- Specific Titles formerly published by Cumberland House Press
Read their submission guidelines here.
Diversion Books was started by literary agent Scott Waxman in 2010. They describe themselves as "an innovative indie publisher, combining decades of traditional experience with new, digital strategies." While the majority of their books are electronic, they are breaking into print.
Genres: Most genres, as well as non-fiction. Fiction genres include: Thrillers, Mysteries, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, and Young Adult.
Read full guidelines HERE.
Wundor is a small publisher located in the UK. They publish fiction, poetry, and photography. They publish literary fiction only, but they consider innovative genre fiction to be literary fiction.
Read their full submission guidelines HERE.
