Submit your book manuscript directly to publishers!
The Writer’s Center has created a list of some of the popular small publishing houses from across the country accepting unagented submissions.
Please note that this page is a reference for writers. We do not partner with the following publishing houses. Also, these opportunities are subject to change, so be sure to visit the websites for more information.
Baen Books
What it is: Baen Books has been publishing science fiction and fantasy for decades.
The Writer’s Center says: If you’re looking for a science fiction/fantasy small publisher that does it all—hardcover, paperback, and ebook—Baen is for you.
Tin House Books
What it is: Three times per year, Tin House offers a two-day submission period for unagented writers without a previously published book to submit their work. They accept works of fiction, literary nonfiction, and poetry, both originally in English and in translation. They are especially interested in engaging with work by writers from historically underrepresented communities, including—but not limited to—those who are Black, Indigenous, POC, disabled, neurodivergent, trans and LGBTQIA+, debuting after 40, and without an MFA.
The Writer’s Center says: Tin House—which has published authors like Hanif Abdurraqib, Margaret Atwood, Khadijah Queen, David Foster Wallace, and Elissa Washuta—launches careers.
Kensington Publishing Corp
What it is: Kensington Publishing Corp. is the foremost independent commercial publishing house in the United States, publishing over 500 fiction and nonfiction titles each year. It’s home to New York Times bestselling authors, including Fern Michaels, Lisa Jackson, Joanne Fluke, William W. Johnstone, and others.
The Writer’s Center says: If you’re looking for an established publisher in the areas of cozy mysteries, westerns, and romances, Kensington Publishing Corp. is an appropriate choice.
Holiday House
What it is: Holiday House is a longtime publisher of children’s books.
The Writer’s Center says: This is a very established publisher of quality picture books, middle-grade books, and young adult fiction.
City Lights Publishers
What it is: In 1955, two years after opening his iconic bookstore, City Lights, Lawrence Ferlinghetti launched City Lights Publishers. City Lights publishes “works of both literary merit and social responsibility.”
The Writer’s Center says: This publisher focuses on socially engaged work—work that calls out injustice and offers solutions to societal problems.
Workman
What it is: Workman Publishing is an independent publishing company that is part of Hachette Book Group, a big five publisher. Workman publishes cookbooks, parenting/pregnancy guides, books on gardening, country living, humor, children’s books, gift books, fiction, and calendars. They have several imprints, including Workman Publishing, Algonquin Books, Algonquin Young Readers, Artisan Books, The Experiment, Storey Publishing, Timber Press, duopress, and Familius.
The Writer’s Center says: Workman offers an unparalleled opportunity to get your manuscript in front of a major publisher that publishes many bestselling books.
Quirk Books
What it is: Quirk Books is a small publisher that publishes books for adults and children in a number of genres and categories. Some of their best-selling titles include Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Quirk’s books are distributed worldwide by Penguin Random House.
The Writer’s Center says: Despite being a small publisher, Quirk Books is established and well-known in the book world.
Skyhorse Publishing
What it is: Skyhorse Publishing is the fastest-growing small publisher in America, according to Publishers Weekly. They publish outdoor sports, adventure, team sports, nature, country living, politics, public health, current events, true crime, history, military history, reference, and humor. Skyhorse is distributed by Simon & Schuster in the U.S., Canada, and overseas.
The Writer’s Center says: Skyhorse Publishing focuses on particular genres, so be sure to research their imprints and understand what they publish before submitting work to them.
Chronicle Books
What it is: Chronicle Books is an independent publisher in San Francisco. They publish books, stationary, journals, puzzles, and games.
The Writer’s Center says: Note that Chronicle Books publishes coffee table books, and books and gifts for children.
Albert Whitman & Company
What it is: Albert Whitman & Company publishes books that “educate and empower children.”
The Writer’s Center says: This is an independent publisher concerned with themes of “empathy, inclusion, and personal responsibility.” Albert Whitman & Company sees itself as responsible for the emotional and intellectual growth of children.
Persea Books
What it is: Persea is an independent, literary publishing house founded in 1975 by Michael Braziller and Karen Braziller. Persea has published hundreds of books in the genres of poetry, fiction, essays, memoir, biography, and “revived classics.” They focus “on contemporary issues expressed through individual experience.”
The Writer’s Center says: Persea Books is well-known for its poetry, but anthologies like short have garnered acclaim.