18 Cookbook (and Nonfiction) Publishers Accepting Unagented Manuscripts

Updated 9/18/24

Who doesn't enjoy devouring a good cookbook? Especially one that flaunts mouth-watering photos, and waxes philosophical about the complex relationship between salt, sugar and leavening, explores the physics of meringue, or - and this is a clincher - chronicles how a disaster becomes the perfect method of baking brownies. (Turn off the oven before they are done, then rebake later!) And, honestly, who isn't stirred by a pie chart!

Here are 18 cookbook publishers welcoming proposals from authors - no agent needed! And, as an added bonus, many of these publishers also accept nonfiction in other categories. (Remember, non-fiction publishers want proposals, not manuscripts.) Make sure to read the full submission guidelines before you submit.

Now go out and get cookin'!

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Acadian House began in 1979 as a regional book publisher specializing primarily in Louisiana-related titles, with particular emphasis on the state’s history, food and culture.

Submissions: Send query letter summarizing the content of your book. The letter should also provide biographical data on you as an author, including educational background, experience in writing, qualifications to write the manuscript you hope to submit, and other information that establishes a connection between you and the subject of the manuscript. A description of the audience for the book is also welcome in this letter. You will be contacted if the editor is interested. Snail mail only. Read full guidelines here.

Storey Books is an imprint of Workman Publishing Company. Founded in 1968, Workman is an independent publisher of adult and juvenile trade books. The mission of Storey Publishing is to serve our customers by publishing practical information that encourages personal independence in harmony with the environment. The books we select to carry out this mission include nonfiction titles for adults and children on gardening, home reference, crafts, cooking, beer & wine, nature, raising animals, horses, building, farming, homesteading, and mind/body/spirit. 

Submissions: Please send a proposal including: a cover letter giving a short description of the project and what materials are included in the package, a proposal, which includes an outline, introduction, art list, and sample text/chapters, sample illustrations or photographs (duplicates, not originals), and a comparison to similar books, author biography and credentials. Read full guidelines here.

Grub Street (UK) publishes cookbooks and books on military aviation history. A number of their cookbooks have won prizes over the years.

 

Submissions: For cookbook submissions please email the following to: food@grubstreet.co.uk

• Contents page
• Up to 10 sample recipes
• Brief Author Biography

Read full guidelines here.

Camino Books specializes in non-fiction books with a focus on the Middle Atlantic states. They currently publish about 6 to 10 books per year, and are always looking for new material and projects.

Submissions: Your proposal should include: a description of the subject of your book, as well as its format and length, an outline of the book or a sample table of contents, a sample chapter or two, your qualifications, the audience you hope to reach, your ideas for publicity and promotion. Read full guidelines here.

Chronicle Books "We're always looking for the new and unusual." Chronicle Books publishes 90 titles per year.

Submissions: Your proposal should include: a one-page cover letter giving a brief description of the project, why you think Chronicle should publish it, what's included in the package, and your contact information, a market analysis, SASE. Electronic submissions preferred. Read full guidelines here.

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Fair Winds Press publishes instructional books in a range of categories, including lifestyle, cooking, health and body, self-help, spirituality, and history. It is owned by the Quarto Publishing Group.

Submissions: Book queries are usually around five pages and must include: a paragraph introducing yourself, a paragraph offering an overview of the proposed idea/concept, a book outline or table of contents, your ideas for the type of visual materials to accompany the text, and marketability information. Read full guidelines here.

Gibbs Smith is a Utah-based publishing house focusing on social studies textbooks and digital materials for schools, special interest publishing, and cookbooks. They are a mid-sized house, publishing 60 new books a year.

Submissions: Please send a proposal, including: a description of the subject; an analysis of the market and the author’s qualifications for writing the book as well as how the author is going to help sell and promote the book, including on‐line presence and outreach; an outline of contents; and sample writing. If photographs or illustrations are a major component, attach a PDF or jpegs showing samples. Maximum size of attachments is 3 MB. Electronic submissions only. Read full guidelines here.

Victory Belt Publishing was founded in 2006 by New York Times bestselling author Erich Krauss. Their focus is Ketogenic and Paleo diets, as well as health and wellness books. Their titles are distributed by Penguin Random House. 

Submissions: Victory Belt Publishing only accepts book proposals in PDF format. In the proposal, please include a Table of Contents, a sample of the material (10-20 of the most compelling pages, 5-10 recipes, photos/graphs/charts/illustrations, a sample chapter, etc) and the unique selling proposition of your title. In addition, provide a letter that details the concept of your book, the intended size/scope, your target readership, and your personal website/blog and social media channels. Read full guidelines here.

The Harvard Common Press is a publisher of quality trade books specializing in cookbooks and parenting/childcare books. (Now owned by Quarto.)

Submissions: Authors interested in publishing with The Harvard Common Press are encouraged to submit a full proposal, including: a chapter-by-chapter outline of the proposed book, an introduction and a sample chapter (for cookbooks, please include a recipe list), a résumé or brief personal history, any current or planned marketing and sales platforms you may have, an evaluation of competitive titles and how they relate to the proposed book. Read full guidelines here.

Pelican Publishing Company is a medium-sized company with a backlist of over 2,500 titles and thirty new titles produced yearly. As a general trade publisher, Pelican is presently the largest independent trade book publisher in the South.

Submissions: "We look for a concise synopsis/outline and a topic with a clear sales hook and audience. The author should present a strong case as to why we should take on the book and who would buy it." Read full guidelines here.

Sasquatch Books is one of the country’s leading independent publishers, known for its innovative and eclectic list of nonfiction books featuring authors such as Nancy Pearl, Lynda Barry, and Art Wolfe, and top-selling titles in food & wine, travel, and gardening.

Submissions: Send a query letter, proposal, or a complete manuscript, along with information about you as an author, by email. For submission details go here.

Seaside Publishing is an imprint of the University Press of Florida with a regional focus.

Submissions:  To submit a manuscript, please send a one-page letter of inquiry to, submission@upress.ufl.edu, to determine the University Press of Florida's interest in your project. Please include your full postal address.

If the Press would like to pursue your manuscript, you will receive a Manuscript Information Sheet from the acquiring editor you would be working with. When asked, you should fill out the Manuscript Information Sheet and submit it along with your completed manuscript. Please allow 3-4 weeks for review of either proposals or full manuscripts. Read instructions here.

Sourcebooks, Inc. is an independent publisher located in Naperville, Illinois. The company publishes books, ebooks, and digital products in most consumer categories, including college guides, memoir, children's books, young adult, fiction, romance, and reference books. Sourcebooks publishes over 300 titles a year and boasts many bestsellers.

Submissions: Please send a proposal with a brief synopsis in 1-2 paragraphs, author bio or resume specifying credentials and publication credits, if any, a complete table of contents, plus estimated length of manuscript in words and pages, two to three sample chapters (not the first), a description of the target audience, one page/paragraph on your book's unique advantages, a list of competing or comparable titles and how your book differs. Electronic submissions only. Read full guidelines here.

Square One specializes in books on cooking, parenting, business/personal finance, self-help, history, and memoir among others. Square One has been named one of the top ten fastest-growing indie book publishers in North America by Publishers Weekly for six years in a row.

Submissions: When submitting your manuscript proposal, please include the following items: a cover letter explaining the concept of your book, why you wrote it, and its intended audience, a detailed table of contents, a brief overview of the book, biographical information about you and any coauthors or illustrators, a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE). Snail mail only. Read full guidelines here.

Nourish is an imprint of Watkins Publishing (UK). They are looking for titles that have a clearly identifiable, international market, as well as having an original and crystal clear concept. Their titles are distributed through Random House. Their website includes recipes! Submissions: Book queries are usually around 10 pages, and must contain the following information: A short author biography. This will include: Your credentials for writing a book on this particular topic; Details of any published or self-published books you have authored; Your proposal (1–2 pages max). This will outline: Your subject matter; Your audience; The main competition for the book; The individual qualities of the book that will make it stand out in the market; A sample chapter or excerpt (10 pages max). If possible, please include a table of contents within your sample chapter. Read full guidelines here.

Surrey Books is focused on food, nutrition, and entertaining. It was acquired by Agate in 2006. In addition to conventional cookbooks, Surrey also publishes specialized cookbooks focusing on gluten-free, vegan, and diabetes cooking.

Submissions: Agate is considering submissions in the general areas of food, cooking, and nutrition-related nonfiction, for its Surrey imprint. Email query. (Do not send full proposal.) Scroll down for instructions here.

Tuttle specializes in Asian cultures. They currently have a backlist of over 6,000 titles and publish 150 new titles per year. Tuttle is a part of the Periplus publishing family.

Submissions: Unlike most large publishing houses, Tuttle offers a hands-on approach, working closely with individual authors. Please submit a complete proposal by email or snail mail. Electronic submissions are preferred. Please note that Tuttle publishes Asian cuisine cookbooks. Read full guidelines here.

Page Street Publishing is an editorially-driven, diverse and independent publishing operation, complemented by distribution through Macmillan, a Big Five publisher with a strong corporate sales force. They have sales channels open to all the major book outlets, as well as mass merchandisers like Target, and special sales accounts such as West Elm, Crate & Barrel, and occasionally QVC, Nordstrom, Williams-Sonoma, Whole Foods, Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie.

Submissions: They are seeking vegan, paleo, gluten free, baking, and general cooking. Submission guidelines are here.