This list focuses on nine publishers 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. 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 journal 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 title, and carefully consider fit before submitting work.
Shadow Mountain
Shadow Mountain is an imprint of Deseret Books. Both publishers have their roots in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but Shadow Mountain publishes primarily fiction and they have published a number of New York Times bestselling books. Because the company is run by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, books have to be approved by in-house censors in order to be published. They are very firm about publishing “clean books only”. However the authors need not be members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They have four week- long open reading periods a year. The current one ends on September 7th, and the next one opens up on the first week of December.
Inner Traditions and Bear & Company
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. The books they publish cover a wide range from Self-Help to Conspiracies.
Hezeldon Publishing
Hezeldon 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.
Sleeping Bear Press
Sleeping Bear Press is a well regarded publisher of board books, picture books, and select middle grade readers. They offer advances to some authors. They have good regional distribution in the Midwest and decent distribution in North America. Their books have won a wide variety of awards, all of them are listed here.
Curious Curls
Curious Curls is a small press that published their first book in 2021. You can learn more about the press and its founder here. Curious Curls has published six books in the past three years. They started out primarily publishing fiction and poetry for adults but their most recent book is a children’s book. You can see their full back catalog here.
Afterglow Books
Afterglow Books is a new imprint of Harlequin. Their tagline for Afterglow books is “From showing up to glowing up, these characters are on the path to leading their best lives and finding sizzling romance along the way.” This is how the editors describe what the new imprint is seeking: “Depth, relatability and sizzling spice, too: these characters are determined to live their best lives — and find the romance that makes them feel seen, unapologetically. In the pages of Afterglow Books, characters from all walks of life, all types of diverse identities, will pursue their dreams and discover love isn’t far behind. Because everyone deserves a happily ever after that’s true to who they are.”
Ryland Peters & Small (RPS) and CICO Books
Ryland Peters & Small (RPS) and CICO Books is an independent, illustrated publisher that publishes books in focused on interior design, food and drink, craft, mindfulness and spirituality, health, humour and pop culture. They also publish children’s books. It’s easy to get a feel for what they publish here. RPS was started in 1995 by David Peters, Anne Ryland and Jacqui Small, in 2006 they acquired CICO books. They are based in London and publish about 100 books a year. They have good distribution in the US and the UK.
Winding Road Stories (WRDS)
Winding Road Stories (WRDS) is a small press that publishes fiction, thriller, horror, nonfiction, mystery, romance, science fiction, and fantasy, all aimed at adults, as well as young adult fiction. They also have a section of their bookshop titled historical fiction, with the image being a coming soon sign. Their covers range from decent to good, and you can get a feel for what they have previously published here.
Blue Star Press
Blue Star Press is based out of Bend, Oregon, and is distributed by Penguin Random House Publisher Services. The work they publish includes work focused “on the arts, creative processes, wellness, and witty non-fiction”. They were founded in 2015 in San Antonio, Texas. They link to press coverage about their books here.
It’s also worth noting that The Dorothy Project is open to submissions of feminist fiction and near-fiction for the first two weeks of September, also. Hub City Press is open to submissions from BIPOC writers only till September 15th and then they will open submissions to all writers till the 3oth, although there are additional eligibility details involved, here.
Emily Harstone is the author of many popular books, including The Authors Publish Guide to Manuscript Submissions, Submit, 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.
