by Writing Workshops Staff
6 months ago
If you have a great book manuscript on your hands but no agent, fear not! The publishers below have fantastic reputations and are open to direct, un-agented submissions.
In a literary landscape often dominated by gatekeepers and exclusive access, independent presses stand as bastions of opportunity and creativity. The presses below are proud to champion a no-literary-agent-required policy, ensuring that diverse voices and innovative stories can reach readers without unnecessary barriers.
The power of independent presses in 2024 lies in their commitment to inclusivity and direct engagement with authors, fostering a vibrant community where unique narratives thrive.
In this post, we spotlight 11 esteemed literary publishers who share our dedication to accepting direct submissions, offering a gateway for authors to bring their stories to life.
So polish your manuscript and submit it to one of these great independent publishers (and, if you're looking for a class on the business of publishing or to help you get your query letter in shape, we've got you covered):
Acre Books is an imprint of The Cincinnati Review and focuses on publishing literary fiction and poetry. Acre is interested in novels and short story collections and ask that authors query first.
Bellevue Literary Press publishes works of narrative nonfiction and literary fiction geared towards a general readership and accept unsolicited submissions. Their list explores the intersection between arts and science. Many of the characters in the fictional work that they publish are doctors and scientists, but many of their books also focus on the natural world.
Coffee House Press is a literary press with a great reputation. They are only open for short submission periods every year and these periods are capped at 300 submissions, so submit early.
Clash Books started in 2015 and they publish fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.
Deep Vellum is a great press based in Dallas. Founded in 2013, they initially published works in translation. Now they publish fiction, nonfiction, and poetry in English, as well as works in translation that fall into any of the previous categories.
Douglas & McIntyre is Canada’s pre-eminent independent publisher, with books that have won many national and international awards, including the Scotiabank Giller Prize and the Governor General’s Literary Award.
Ig Publishing is a New York-based small press that focuses on publishing literary fiction and progressive political nonfiction. The books they’ve published have won or been honorable mentions for many major awards, and are frequently mentioned on “best of” year- end lists.
Persea Books is an independent book publisher based out of New York that was established in the 1970s. Since then they have gained a reputation for publishing thoughtful books in a variety of literary genres, including literary fiction.
Schaffner is an established press with distribution through IPG. They publish literary fiction, short fiction collections, and crime fiction. They also publish a wide variety of nonfiction including memoir, autobiography, biography, journalistic expose or narrative, true crime, art, culture, pop culture, world history, current events, science, and music.
Soho Press is an established and respected literary independent publisher based out of New York. They're generally open to unsolicited submissions of literary fiction. They focus on publishing bold voices and original perspectives.
The Feminist Press was established as an independent nonprofit literary publisher in 1970. They're the oldest women’s publishing house in the world and are open to submissions from female/female identifying, and non-binary authors. They publish literary fiction and works of nonfiction.
Unnamed Press is an independent publisher of literary fiction and nonfiction, based in Los Angeles and founded in 2014. They have excellent distribution, their books have been reviewed in most major publications, and they know how to promote the books they publish.
