All of the presses on this list meet all of our guiding principles, but some of them have such a specific focus that we cannot justify writing a full review and sending it to our full list of subscribers. Some of them we have full reviews on.
There is no particular organization to this list. Not all of the publishers on this list are currently open to submissions.
Inner Traditions and Bear & Company was founded in 1975 by Ehud C. Sperling. Inner Traditions has always focused on publishing work related to spirituality, the occult, as well as Eastern religion, philosophy, and practices. In 2000 they acquired Bear & Company, which focused more on Native American culture, alternative Christianity, New Age, and healing arts. They are currently distributed by Simon & Schuster.
Pitch Publishing is a UK-based publisher of nonfiction books about sports. They have a large catalog that covers football, cricket, rugby, boxing, golf, athletics and other sports. Many of the books they’ve published have won or been longlisted for awards. They have excellent distribution in the UK through MacMillan.
Hazelden Publishing is the publishing arm of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation which describes itself as “a force of healing and hope for individuals, families and communities affected by substance use and mental health conditions”. The work they publish is intended for the prevention, treatment, criminal justice, behavioural healthcare, and consumer markets. They are distributed by Simon & Schuster in the United States.
Wisdom Publications accepts unsolicited submissions on topics directly related to Buddhism. They ask that Authors “have relevant professional, academic, or Dharma-teaching credentials”. They are distributed by Simon & Schuster.
Parlor Press‘s motto is “equipment for living”. They are an independent publisher and distributor of scholarly and trade books. They publish work in print, and digitally. They are only interested in submissions that are targeted specifically towards one of their existing book series, which we outline in our review.
Bullshit Lit describes itself by saying they are,”Inspired by a stack of silly poems, Bullshit Lit is the antithesis to those flowery submissions calls for, like, “the deepest echo in your heartcanyon.” We don’t take ourselves too seriously. We like to see your worst. Your trash. Get funky with it. We love silly poems, nonsense prose, and lazy lore.” They are open for short online features, and book submissions will reopen mid-2026.
The Evil Cookie is a micropress focused on publishing “gore-infested, fast-paced novels/novellas and anthologies.” It is run by K. Trap Jones, an extreme horror author. The publisher’s tagline is “#NoneGorier”.
Aqueduct Press was founded in 2004. Their motto is “Bringing Challenging Feminist Science Fiction to the Demanding Reader.” They go into more details in their mission statement that you can read here. They are closed to submissions at this time but plan to reopen.
Slashic Horror Press is an LGBTQ+ Horror press. They welcome submissions from allies, but LGBTQ+ voices come first and foremost. They also state that “if you only have a gay character on page 50 and they don’t do anything except re-affirm stereotypes… then you aren’t an ally. “
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.
Timber Press is an established and respected publisher of gardening and natural history books that is now an imprint of Hachette.
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.
Haymarket Books publishes manuscripts that connect with progressive and radical political activists, while being useful to an academic audience.
Westminster John Knox Press (WJK) is the academic and trade imprint of the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation. They have published many established Christian scholars, including Marjorie Thompson, Cornel West, and Rowan Williams.
No Starch Press is a small press that focuses on publishing work on technology particularly work with “a focus on open source, security, hacking, programming, alternative operating systems, LEGO®, science, and math.” Their motto is “the finest in geek entertainment”.
Tiny Ghost Press is a small press that focuses on publishing Young Adult and New Adult fiction that centers LGBTQIA+ characters. They are closed to submissions at the time of this update..
G Editions is a small press that focuses on publishing books in the following areas of interest: fine art and popular culture, fashion and photography, architecture and design, cooking and gardening, children’s interests, and lifestyle.
Hatherleigh is a nonfiction publisher focused on publishing books about health and wellness, fitness and exercise, living with chronic diseases, as well as self-help books and books focused on sustainability and green living.
Farrago is an imprint of Duckworth Publishing (please read if you’re considering submitting to Farrago). Farrago’s tagline is “fiction to make you smile”. All of the work they publish, from mysteries to science fiction, have humor at the core. They do not publish memoir.
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 closed to submissions at this time, but generally have one to two reading periods a year.
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.
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, and 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.
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.” See their submission guidelines here.
Blind Eye Books publishes science fiction, fantasy, mystery, and romance novels featuring LGBTQ protagonists. They are open to submissions at this time.
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.
Bala Kids is an imprint of Shambhala Publications, an independent publishing company based in Boulder, Colorado. They are distributed by Penguin Random House Publisher Services.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Stone Pier Press is a niche publisher that describes themselves as “an environmental publishing company with a food focus.” They are currently only open to submissions about sustainable gardening.
Bard Press strives to publish one business book a year (although they missed a few years, they published two books in 2025).
Dragonblade is a digital-first publishing house only publishes works of historical fiction with a clear focus on romance.
Entrepreneur Press is part of Entrepreneur Media that focuses publishing books with “actionable solutions to help you excel in all your business”. The books they publish fall into three categories: Starting a business, running a business, and growing that business.
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 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.
Tenebrous Press is a publisher of New Weird Horror, New Weird SF&F, and other dark and strange genre mashups.
Lantern Publishing & Media describes the work they do as “We publish books, develop content, and promote ideas supportive of veganism, animal rights, humane education, recovery, therapy, and spirituality”. They are not open to submissions at this time.
Balestier Press is committed to promoting diversity in publishing, with a particular focus on Asia. They accept submissions of a wide variety of creative works including fiction, poetry, short stories, graphic novels, creative nonfiction, memoirs. They are also open to works in translation. Assume rejection if you have not heard from them after three months.
Behrman House publishes materials, books, apps for Jewish education for children and young adults, as well as “materials for Jewish adult education, Jewish stories (especially stories for children), haggadot and siddurim, and books of a Jewish nature on any topic”. They have a wishlist for their Apples & Honey imprint, that you can see here.
Hippocrene Books publishes work over 115 languages, from Arabic to Zulu, and they focus on beginners guides, and dictionaries for less-commonly taught languages. They also publish international cookbooks and specialized history books.
Quills & Quartos Publishing focus on publishing the best Austenesque romance fiction. They don’t publish anything that does not match this description.
Orison Books says they hope to “publish spiritually-engaged poetry, fiction, and nonfiction of exceptional literary merit.” They clarify that spiritual writing, in their opinion, isn’t based on the subject matter but in the “transcendent aesthetic effect on the reader, and reading it can itself be a spiritual experience.” They only have one fee-free open reading period a year, generally in October.
Carolina Academic Press was founded over 50 years ago, focusing on publishing non fiction books aimed at lawyers. They are still primarily a law publisher, but they’ve also published titles in other areas for a long time now, including titles on history, sociology, criminal justice, education and politics.
Windhorse Publications is an independent publisher of English-language nonfiction books on Buddhism, meditation and mindfulness. The work they publish is for Buddhist practitioners of all stages as well as for non-Buddhist readership. They also say, “We are also interested in books exploring new directions in Buddhist scholarship.”
Harlequin Medical Romance is looking to publish manuscripts of 50,000 words set in the medical world. They say they are seeking “Intense, uplifting and relatable romances set in the medical world. Experience the rollercoaster of emotions, ambitions and desires of today’s medical professionals.”
Shell Education is a new imprint of Teacher Created Materials, which also runs Free Spirit Publishing. Shell Education focuses in on publishing “professional resources that build educator instructional capacity, content-area knowledge, and confidence”.
Genius Book Publishing was founded in 2011. It publishes a range of genres, including fiction, but at the time of this review, they are only open to nonfiction submissions focused on Music or True Crime. They reopen to submissions on June 1st, 2026.
Black Classic Press is currently only accepting manuscripts that are being used by the author in the college/university classroom.
The Jewish Publication Society welcome proposals for original books, translations, and projects in all areas of Jewish scholarship.
Redleaf Press was established in 1973, they are a nonprofit publisher of curriculum, management, and business resources for early childhood professionals. They are not interested in any work outside of the context of their focus. They are not currently open to submissions.
Ave Maria Press is a Catholic book publisher serving the spiritual and educational needs of individuals, groups, and the Church as a whole.
Wesleyan University Press is currently only accepting proposals for books in the areas of dance and music.
Of Metal and Magic Publishing is a small press that focuses only on publishing in traditional fantasy and deep fantasy worlds. They define “traditional fantasy” as second-world, past settings. They state “If your story takes place on Earth–past, present, or mythological–it probably won’t be a good fit for us. Same goes for anything set in a modern or future setting (e.g., steampunk, urban fantasy, or science fantasy).” They are currently closed to submissions.
LittlePuss Press is a feminist press run by trans women, and they publish a wide range of work by all authors. More importantly for the sake of this list, they also run the Trans Reprint Project which is only open to reprint proposals of literary/historical works of significance by transgender authors.
Cardboard House Press publishes Latin American and Spanish poetry in translation. They encourage potential submitter to review catalogue. They are particularly focused on publishing “the work of indigenous, Black, queer and/or women poets. The work of authors for whom this will be the first full-length or chapbook publication in English in the ‘United States.’ The work of poets from countries less represented in our catalog (including, among others, Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, and Paraguay). Poetry on politics, archives, history, land, climate, maps, documents, and language.” They reopen to submissions in April 2026.
Tilted Axis Press is an independent publisher of “contemporary literature by the Global Majority, translated into or written in a variety of Englishes”. If you are not familiar with the term Global Majority, you can learn more about it here. They say “Founded in 2015, our practice is an ongoing exploration into alternatives – to the hierarchisation of certain languages and forms of translation, and the monoculture of globalisation.” They focus on contemporary translated fiction and also publish poetry and nonfiction.
Intergalactic Afikoman is a very small press that publishes picture books, a chapter books and middle grade novels that meet the needs of today’s Jewish kids. You can get a feel for what they publish here.
Church Publishing Incorporated (CPI) was founded in 1918. They publish about 60 new titles per year. They have four imprints, all of which focus on publishing work that sparks “reflection, dialogue, hope, and action”. Besides books they also publish church supplies like parish registers, as well as digital platforms supporting ministry. You can learn more about the company and their imprints here.
33 ⅓ is an imprint of Bloomsbury. Their motto is “Small books. Big Albums”. Their highly acclaimed main imprint focuses on publishing books that cover popular LP’s. For example they have published books on Cher’s album Believe, and Sufjan Steve’s album Carrie & Lowell. Some of the books are by famous authors, like Jonathan Lethem, and others are by established writers. You can see their full publication list of their signature series here. They are only currently open to proposals for their Genre: A 33 ⅓ series and any of the global 33 ⅓ series. The series have different guidelines.
Sea Crow Press‘s motto is “Stories Rooted In Place • Writing That Moves The World”. This small press based in Cape Cod, Massachusetts focuses on publishing fiction, nonfiction, and poetry with a clear focus on eco-literature, regional writing, and climate-aware storytelling. It is a woman-owned press, and you can see their full masthead by scrolling down here.
Hurst is a UK-based independent publisher that was founded in 1969. They only publish nonfiction and the core of their list focuses on “African Studies, Islamic & Middle Eastern Studies, South Asian Studies, History, War & Conflict, and International Relations.” Nonfiction work outside of those areas of study are not a good fit for them. You can spend more time with their catalogue here. It is very easy to get a feel for what they publish, and what they do not.
Exposit Books is an imprint of McFarland & Company Inc.. Exposit books focuses on publishing work that focuses on a popular topics, like serial killers, and approaches that subject seriously. They encourage proposals for nonfiction manuscripts on a wide range of true crime subjects, including but not limited to: murder, serial killers, heists, robberies, abductions, kidnappings, missing persons, con artists, hoaxes, deceptions, organized crime and espionage. They also welcome proposals for books about sexuality, the paranormal, cryptozoology, death, gravehunting, and forteana.
Toplight Books is an imprint of McFarland & Company Inc. The books Toplight publishes focus on “helping readers improve their understanding of the body, mind and spirit. Toplight’s interests include uplifting and positive books about psychology and mindfulness, religious studies and spirituality, coping with chronic pain and chronic stress, and alternative health treatments, among other topics. We strive to offer a wide array of well-researched, original and inspiring books that explore both personal and planetary well-being. Toplight’s authors, through their ideas and writing, seek to make a difference in lives and communities (and even the world).”
becker&mayer! kids is an imprint of The Quarto Publishing Group that focuses on publishing children’s books that focus on portraying varying cultures, races, and abilities. They say this about the imprint, “We believe authenticity is even more important than just visibility. When people read about their own culture, it is often the nuances of the experience that are relatable. Our inspiring children’s list brings representation and positivity to the reading landscape of young readers everywhere.” They publish fiction and nonfiction for children.
Stackpole Books was founded in 1927. From the very start they’ve published books in about the Outdoors, Crafts and Military History. Their particular focuses include fly fishing, nature guide, Civil War and World War II History, military reference, and specialty crafts and hobbies. You can get a good feel for what they publish by going to their catalogue here. In 2025 they published 18 books.
Parlyaree Press was established in 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. They are focused on publishing work that “expands, reveals, and interrogates the mainstream”. They want their books to “exist in the liminal space between what was and what will be.”
Deep Hearts Jr. is a new sub-imprint of Deep Hearts YA, an imprint of Deep Desires Press. Deep Hearts Jr. will focus on publishing middle grade (or MG) books for readers between the ages of 8-12. They will be focusing mostly on publishing LGBTQ+ middle grade fiction, in all genres and sub-genres. The other imprints of the same publisher all focus more on romance. The focus on romance is not necessary for readers of this age.
Lund Humphries‘ tagline is “Publishers on Art, Architecture, and Design since 1939”. It is easy to get a feel for what they publish here. They are an established and respected independent publisher. Their books are beautiful and widely distributed. They publish books by Visual Arts scholars, professionals, students and art enthusiasts. It’s easy to see if they might be a good fit for your project or not, because they have clear perimeters in terms of what they do and do not publish.
Castle Books is a new imprint of the Quarto Publishing Group. Castle Books says, “our mission is to delve into the unknown—giving voice to the eerie, the unexplained, and the supernatural. From spooky-themed cooking and legendary tales to drawing mysterious creatures, our titles explore the fascinating realms of the paranormal and the strange. We invite readers to embrace the thrill of the mysterious and discover the stories that lurk just beyond the veil.”
Emily Harstone is the author of many popular books, including The Authors Publish Guide to Manuscript Submissions, Submit, Publish, Repeat, and The 2025 Guide to Manuscript Publishers. She regularly teaches three acclaimed courses on writing and publishing at The Writer’s Workshop at Authors Publish. You can follow her on Facebook here.
