This list focuses on nine publishers that we are excited about that are open to submissions this month. Some are only open for a short period of time, others will be open the whole month and beyond. At least four of these are presses we have not covered previously.

Please note that if a publisher doesn’t have a specific submission window they can close at any time, and publishers that use Submittable can close at any point because of submission caps (although these publishers generally reopen to submissions at the end of the month).

If a publisher has closed to submissions unexpectedly, please send us an email at support@authorspublish.com.

Please read the full review, which we link to in the publish name, and carefully consider fit before submitting work. I can not stress enough that you should only submit to presses that are a good fit for your work, and that you should carefully read and follow submissions guidelines before submitting that work. Over the past year we had several presses ask to be de-listed because they were deluged by submissions, even after moving to this format. Still more presses have had to temporarily close to submissions because of an influx of inappropriate submissions.

Harlequin Historical
Harlequin Historical is an imprint of Harlequin Romance, which is an imprint of Harper Collins. Harlequin Historical has only recently been listed as an imprint on Harlequin’s Submittable. They only consider work between 70,000 and 75,000 words. According to their guidelines they are looking for “Richly textured, emotionally intense novels set across a wide range of historical periods—from the battlefields of Viking and Medieval times to the ballrooms of Regency and Victorian Society.”

Literary Wanderlust
This small press recently started seeking submissions in Historical and Western Fiction, as well as Adult Romance (all sub-genres and heat levels), Women’s Fiction, Adult Paranormal and Urban Fantasy, Adult Crime, Mystery, and Thriller Fiction, Adult LBGTQ, and Young Adult and Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy.

No Starch Press
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.” They are distributed by Penguin Random House. You can get a good feel for what they publish by going here.

Cupid’s Arrow Publishing
An imprint of Paper Angel Press, they are open to submissions, both of novel-length work and shorter pieces, in the Romance genre. They are interested in all kinds of romance stories except for full-on erotica. Stories can include scenes that are more steamy, but the core of the story must be the relationship between the main characters. Work should have happily-ever-after endings.

BenBella
BenBella is a niche publishing company run by Glen Yeffeth. Yeffeth has a marketing background but he is also a lover of books. They have a good distributor and are a marketing-oriented company. The editors receive high praise for their ability to edit books. They only publish works of non-fiction.

Hashtag Press
Hashtag Press was established in the UK in 2016 by Abiola Bella and Helen Lewis. They focus on publishing “commercial fiction books for young people that are plot driven with relatable, inspiring characters and great friendships”. They are currently only considering unagented work in the Young Adult (YA) genre, although they publish a wide range of books for younger readers. You can get a feel for what they publish here. They very much prioritize stories about characters from underrepresented backgrounds and by authors from underrepresented backgrounds. They are particularly interested in debut books by authors from underrepresented communities.

Rockpool Publishing
Rockpool Publishing is an established press with international distribution, largely through Simon & Schuster. They are based in Australia and their primary imprint is focused on “Mind Body Spirit; Health and Wellness; Self-help and Gift titles”. They publish books as well as Tarot, Oracle, and Affirmation card sets.

Hurst
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.

Gibbs Smith
Gibbs Smith is an established publisher with good distribution and a focus on cook books, interior design and architecture books, and board books for children. They have published a number of bestsellers, including a board book version of Pride & Prejudice.