Written by Emily Harstone May 1st, 2025

9 Publishers Open to Direct Submissions in May 2025

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.

If you  haven’t yet done so, I also encourage you to get a copy of The 2025 Guide to Manuscript Publishers, which includes review of hundreds of publishers accepting direct submissions. Get your free copy here.

Microcosm Publishing
This 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.

Mischief and Mayhem
Mischief and Mayhem are the YA imprints of the romance publisher Entangled Publishing. Until recently they were called Entangled Teen, but they have since been rebranded. Please read the review of Entangled Publishing first, as they have had a number of issues over the years, that you should take into consideration.

Parlor Press
This nonfiction presses 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.

Everything with Words
Everything With Words is an independent  publisher based in the UK. They focus on publishing literary fiction for children and adults. Their books have been featured in major UK based newspapers and online, and have won or been shortlisted for industry prizes. You can get a good feel for what they publish here.

MIT Press
One of the largest and most respected university presses, MIT press was founded in 1962 and continues to be a leading publisher of books at the intersection of science, technology, art, social science, and design. MIT Press is open not to direct submissions of proposals, but to inquiries sent first, via post or email to the appropriate editor.

Cornerstone Press
Cornerstone Press is a traditional press in that it doesn’t charge it’s authors, but they are an unusual press in that it is run by students at the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point. You can learn more about the press and how it is run, here. The masthead is also included at the bottom of the page.

Page & Vine
Founded in 2022, Page & Vine describes themselves as a “boutique romance imprint” (although, honestly they do not appear to be an imprint, but their own independent company). They specialize in “bringing BookTok and social trending titles to bookshelves internationally.” They were founded by #1 NYT bestselling author Meredith Wild.

Evidence
Evidence is the Thriller/Suspense/Mystery focused imprint of Enchant of Entwined Publishing, which we have reviewed here. They is how they describe what they are looking for: “submissions that weave intricate plots, deliver heart-pounding tension, and keep readers guessing until the very end. If your story features cunning detectives, unsolved mysteries, or nail-biting suspense, we want to hear from you. Bring us your best twists and turns that will leave readers on the edge of their seats.”

Dragonblade
This digital-first publishing house only publishes works of historical fiction with a clear focus on romance. Within the historical romance genre they are open to most subgenres including: Viking, Regency, Georgian, Tudor, Highlander, Medieval, Victorian, Roman, Civil War, Restoration, Edwardian, etc. They are interested in anything pre-20th century except Westerns and Amish. They are also open to time travel,  historical fiction, historical fantasies, and historical mysteries as long as there is a romance component that ends happily ever after. They are open to M/M, F/F, M/F, LGBTQIA pairings.


Emily Harstone is the author of many popular books, including The Authors Publish Guide to Manuscript SubmissionsSubmit, Publish, Repeat, and The 2024 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.

 

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