Updated January 2017

I have written before about the fact that most poetry manuscript publishers charge their readers to submit. You can read about that here if you want to know more. This article focuses on a number of poetry manuscript publishers who do not charge submission fees to writers, which is good news for poets.

Below is a list of a number of publishers who have at least one free reading period a year, where they will consider all the manuscripts submitted to them. Some of the publishers are open all the time. Some have a limited window that is only a month or two long. Not all of them are currently open to submissions. A few of them have geographic limitations, but most are open to authors of any nationality.

If you want to see the updated list with 72 publishers on it from 2018, click here.

The list is in no particular order. If you know of another publisher who belongs on this list, or if you find an error or an update for this list please email support@authorspublish.com

1. 1. 1. A-Minor Press
         A-Minor Press was founded in December 2012. They are a small press that primarily publishes poetry. To learn more, or submit visit their website here.
      2. 8th House Publishing
         8th House Publishing is a newer publisher based out of Montreal and New York. They publish poetry, novels with a literary bent, and non-fiction. You can get a better idea of the poetry they have previously published here. You can read our full review of them here.
      3. Platypus Publishing
         A new UK based publisher of poetry and prose. You can read our full review of them here.
      4. Measure Press
         Measure Press is a small press that publishes poetry, criticism, and poetry instruction as well as a semi-annual literary journal that focuses exclusively on publishing formal poetry. You can read our full review of them here.
      5. Arte Público Press
         Arte Público Press, affiliated with the University of Houston, specializes in publishing contemporary novels, short stories, poetry, and drama based on U.S. Hispanic (Cuban American, Mexican American, Puerto Rican, and others) cultural issues and themes. To learn more visit, their website here.
      6. solid objects
         solid objects is a publisher of fiction, poetry, drama, and nonfiction based out of New York. You can read our full review here.
      7. Wiseblood
         Wiseblood is a Christian publisher that is deeply influenced by Flannery O’Connor’s work. They publish poetry and other work that has literary merit. You can read our full review here.
      8. Breakaway Books
         Breakaway Books publishes literary and thoughtful writing on sports — fiction, poetry, and essays on the athletic experience. To learn more or submit, visit their website here.
      9. Grayson Books
         A small press that publishes only a few books of poetry each year. Query with 6-10 poems first. Learn more at their website here.
      10. Another Sky
          An unusual publisher that gives away digital versions of their texts for free. To learn more or to submit, visit their website here.
      11. BlaxeVox
          A publisher of poetry and experimental literature. Learn more at their website here.
      12. Blood Axe
          A British publisher of poetry manuscripts They expect poets to have been previously published in literary journals. Learn more at their website here. Unfortunately they cannot currently accept unsolicited manuscripts from North American poets.
      13. Broadstone Books
          A small publisher of poetry. You can learn more on their website here.
      14. Carcanet
          A UK based publisher of poetry. To learn more about their submission guidelines visit their website here.
      15. Colbalt Review
          A literary journal and press that is looking for poetry manuscripts. Learn more at their website.
      16. Counterpath Press
          A small non-for profit publisher of poetry manuscripts that requires writers to query first. To learn more visit their submission guidelines here.
      17. Deerbrook Editions
          An independent literary press publishing noteworthy or emerging authors in well-designed trade editions. They are open to submissions from August to January. You can read their submission guidelines here.
      18. Ekstais Editions
          A Canadian publisher of poetry manuscripts. They have been around for 30 years. To read their submission guidelines go here.
      19. Hiraeth Press
          They publish between 2-4 books of non fiction or poetry a year. To learn more visit their submission manager here.
      20. Harbor Mountain Press
          A non-profit poetry press based in Vermont, they prefer queries before submissions. To learn more, visit their website here.
          
      21. Lapwing Press
          A small publisher of poetry based out of Belfast. You can learn more here.
      22. Lady Lazarus
          Lady Lazarus Press is a small, dedicated publishing house and is looking for creative, original, edgy, humorous or thought provoking and no-nonsense non-clichéd writing. To learn more visit their submission manager here.
      23. Mongrel Empire
          They are particularly interested in cross genre and multi-disciplinary work. To learn more about them and to submit, visit their website here.
      24. New Binary
          To learn more about them and to read their submission guidelines go here.
      25. Mid-List Press
          They publish fiction, nonfiction, and poetry books of high literary merit and fresh artistic vision by new and emerging writers and by writers ignored, marginalized, or excluded from publication by commercial publishers. To learn more visit their website here.
          
      26. Coach House Books
          Coach House Books publishes innovative poetry, literary fiction, drama and select nonfiction by Canadian authors only. You can learn more here.
      27. Northwestern University Press
          A university press open to unsolicited poetry manuscript submissions. Learn more here.
      28. Pinyon Publishing
          Pinyon Publishing is a small company located in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. Learn more at their website here.
      29. Salmon Poetry
          This Irish based poetry press asks that you query first. Learn more about them here.
          
      30. Nine Arches Press
          A small poetry publisher. To learn more visit their website here.
          
      31. Skylight Press
          A British press with great covers. Learn more about what they accept here.
      32. Unicorn Press
          A California based poetry publisher. Learn more here.
      33. Black Mountain Press
          A small publisher open to poetry and a number of other literary works. Learn more here.
      34. Canarium Books
          They are an independent press dedicated to publishing poetry by established and emerging authors from the United States and abroad. Learn more here.
      35. Ninebark Press
          They are committed to publishing literature that crosses boundaries of genre, culture, and aesthetic. Visit their website here.
      36. Faber & Faber
          This respected British publisher is only open to unsolicited submissions of poetry. Learn more here.
      37. Kaya Publisher                                                                                                                      They only publish work by Asian and Pacific Islander diasporic writers in the United States. To learn more visit their website here.
      38. McSweeny’s
          Started by the writer Dave Eggers, McSweeny’s is a well known and established publisher transitioning into becoming a non-profit. To learn more visit their website here.
      39. Able Muse
          A small publisher that publishes a wide variety of work. Learn more here.
      40. Black Ocean Press
          They generally consider manuscripts only for a limited period in the spring. Visit their website here.
      41. Augury Press
          A small New York based literary press. Visit their website here.
      42. Octopus Books
          This small publisher traditionally considers new poetry manuscripts only in April. Learn more here.
      43. BatCat Press
          A literary press that considers work in the fall. Learn more here.
      44. Black Lawrence Press
          This literary press runs a number of contests but they also have two open reading periods a year. Visit their website here.
      45. Lummox Press
          A small publisher of literature. They publish manuscripts and chapbooks. You can learn more here.
      46. Persea Books
          A respected literary publisher open to queries. Read our review here.
      47. Manic D Press
          A small publisher. Learn more here.
      48. Brick Road
          They publish full length poetry manuscripts. Learn more here.
      49. Spring Gun Press
          A small press with a summer open reading periods most years. Visit their website here.
      50. Tarpaulin Sky
          They are open to poetry manuscripts every year for a period of time. They don’t know when they will be open yet in 2017. Visit their website here.
      51. FuturePoem
          This small publisher that focuses on publishing modern work is open to submissions once a year. Learn more here.
      52. Milkweed Editions
          This respected non profit publisher only considers manuscripts during yearly open reading periods. Learn more here.

Bio: Emily Harstone is the pen name of an author whose work has been published internationally by a number of respected journals. She is a professional submissions adviser. You can follow her on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/emilyharstone/