All of the presses on this list meet all of our guiding principles, but most of them have such a specific focus that we cannot justify writing a full review and sending it to our full list of subscribers. But they are still good publishers.
Instead, we have compiled this list of mini-reviews. I have also added a few links to reviews of some of the specialized publishing companies we have reviewed in the past.
There is no particular organization to this list. Not all of the publishers on this list are currently open to submissions.
SmartPop is “actively looking for smart, quirky, engaging non-fiction titles on television, books, and film.” They are open to anthologies, as well as single author titles. The work could be an official, authorized guide, or an unofficial one.
Jessica Kingsley Publishers (JKP) focuses on publishing high quality books for professional and general readers on a variety of subjects. They are best known for their books on the autism spectrum, social work, arts therapies, mental health, counseling, palliative care, practical theology and gender diversity. They also publish graphic novels that cover these subject areas, and books for children, on issues including depression and anger.
aunt lute is a multicultural women’s press. Their priority is to publish work by women, both transgender and cisgender, particularly women of color.
Cune Press publishes work with roots in the Middle East but also West Coast authors, and works with a social conscience.
Timber Press is an established and respected publisher of gardening and natural history books. They are an imprint of Workman Publishing.
Microcosm Publishing is a Portland-based publisher that focuses on nonfiction DIY (do-it-yourself) books that focus on the reader and teach self-empowerment. The work they publish ranges from Magick how-to to Punx.
Sophia Institute Press is a nonprofit institution that publishes nonfiction books of spirituality, theology, and philosophy that help readers understand the teachings of the Catholic Church.
Torrey House Press is interested in well-crafted work with environmental, natural history, or natural landscape themes, and writing which explores the value of well-managed public lands and the transformative power of wilderness focusing on the inter-mountain west. See their short nonfiction submission call, and more, here.
Haymarket Books publishes manuscripts that connect with progressive and radical political activists, while being useful to an academic audience.
Inanna Publications and Education Inc. is a Canadian feminist press that was founded in 1978 and is open to international submissions. They publish fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and essay collections. At the time of publishing this article, they have temporarily paused submissions.
Third World Press is an African-centered press that is focused on publishing work that is “life-giving and life-saving to the community, and other communities on the Diaspora”. They were founded over 40 years ago and are the largest Black-owned press in the United States. They are only open to fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, young adult and children’s books submissions during the month of July.
duopress is a publisher of innovative nonfiction books and gift books. They publish a large variety of non-traditionally formatted books for children, including board books that fold out, flash cards, and sticker books.
The Feminist Press was established as an independent nonprofit literary publisher in 1970. The Feminist Press is the oldest women’s publishing house in the world. They are open to submission from female/female identifying, and non-binary authors. They just closed to submissions.
AK Press is a worker-managed, independent publisher and book distributor that focuses on publishing and distributing radical left and anarchist literature. They were founded in 1990, in Scotland, but are now largely based in Chico, California.
PM Press is an independent, radical publisher of books and media to educate, entertain, and inspire. They have a lot of books planned for the next two years, but they are still open to considering the right manuscript.
Llewellyn is the oldest and largest publisher specializing in books for body, mind, and spirit. They were founded in 1901.
Small Town Girl, an imprint from Brother Mockingbird Press, only publishes fiction and nonfiction that takes place in or is about the 80s.
Aggadah Try It is an imprint of Madness Heart Press, that focuses on publishing Jewish speculative fiction including science fiction, fantasy, and horror. It only accepts Jewish stories written by Jewish authors.
BearManor Media publishes books on movies, television, Old Time Radio, theater, animation, and previously unpublished scripts.
Rockpool publishes spiritual books as well as tarot, oracle, and affirmation cards.
Tuttle Publishing describes themselves as a leader in publishing books on all aspects of Asia for over 70 years.
Peepal Tree Press only publishes international writing from the Caribbean, its diasporas, and Black British writers. is the world’s leading publisher of Caribbean and Black British writing. They publish around 15 titles a year, and have published many respected books over the years.
Headpress was established in 1991 although the publishing arm wasn’t active till 1992, according to their FAQ. Headpress focuses on publishing nonfiction. The subject matter they publish varies widely. They say, “When Headpress first started, much of this was considered the counterculture. Now it is pop culture.” They publish work on cult film, strange music, pulp literature, fanzines, conspiracy theories, sex and gender, occult and folklore, and true crime.
Grub Street is a small UK based press, not to be confused with the creative writing center in Boston. Grub Street publishes nonfiction, but only in two niche markets. The books they publish are either on cookery (recipes), or military aviation history.
New Village Press was established in 2005. Since then they have focused on publishing transdisciplinary books in urban sociology, community cultural development, and healthy city design. Most of their books are actively focused on community building and change making. Some of the books they publish are academic, and others are aimed at a general audience. They particularly like to publish books that “go beyond abstract policy and polemics to present the human motivations and nitty-gritty work for making a certain part of the world a better place.”
Blind Eye Books publishes science fiction, fantasy, mystery, and romance novels featuring LGBTQ protagonists. If you scroll to the bottom of the submissions page you can also see a list of tropes that the publisher is not interested in.
Shambhala Publications is distributed by Penguin Random House. The work they publish often is focused on meditation, as well as a range of spiritual traditions “from Buddhism and Taoism to contemplative traditions within Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, and Sufism.” They also publish books on health, wellness, yoga, and martial arts, as well as books on psychology, emotional well-being, and mindfulness.
Arte Público Press focuses on publishing literary work by “Hispanic writers”, and they publish work in both English and Spanish, but primarily focus on English work. They also have bilingual children’s and YA book imprint, Piñata Books.
Gurt Dog, an LGBTQ+ press focused on publishing books that aren’t just romance. Their ideal genres are horror, fantasy, sci-fi, thriller, mystery, paranormal, and speculative fiction. They are currently closed to submissions.
Parallax Press is a nonprofit publisher founded by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. They publish 15 books a year, focused on Engaged Buddhism and mindful living. They rarely publish books that writers that aren’t directly affiliated with practices founded by Thich Nhat Hanh.
Monkfish is an independent press that focuses on publishing religious, spiritual, and literary books from a diverse range of perspectives. They have published memoirs, fiction, scholarly works, and wisdom literature, which you can get a better feel for by downloading the catalog here.
Paloma Press was established in 2016. They are a San Francisco Bay Area-based, Filipino American women-led, independent literary press publishing poetry, prose, and limited edition books. They are currently closed to submissions, but plan to re-open in 2023.
Apollo Publishers is a small press focused on publishing timely and topical nonfiction.
Korero Press is a London-based publisher. They describe themselves by saying “At the heart of everything we do is a love of lowbrow and kustom kulture”. What they publish includes books about pop culture and street art, as well as erotica and horror titles. You can get a feel for what they publish here. They have good international distribution and have published established contemporary artists including Ron English, Patrick J. Jones and Derek Yaniger.
Ta-Ha Publishers Ltd. is an Islamic book publisher established in 1980 that publishes a wide range of titles.
Baker Academic is an imprint of the large Christian publishing company that only publishes research based Christian scholarly works by individuals with terminal degrees.
Feldheim publishes “quality literature that is true to Torah values”.
OSV is a multi-channel Catholic organization that publishes work of varying lengths.
Kar-Ben is based in the US and publishes Jewish books for Children and families.
International Press publishes works on advanced mathematics by editors or authors with appropriate credentials.
Codhill Press was Founded in 1998 by David Appelbaum, then editor of Parabola Magazine. Codhill Press has always focused on publishing books for the “serious seeker”, and most books contain a spiritual element, many are still rooted in Buddhism.
Linden Publishing, Inc. specializes in publishing high quality woodworking books.
Stone Pier Press is a niche publisher that describes themselves as “an environmental publishing company with a food focus.”
Cleis Press is the largest independent sexuality publishing company in the United States, and they focus on LGBTQ, BDSM, romance, and erotic writing for all sexual preferences.
