Articles by Emily Harstone

Emily Harstone is the pen name of a published writer. Her work has been published in ten countries, four continents, by over fifty different journals. She is a professional submissions adviser and editor. If she owned a dog it would be named Wystan.

Annick Press: Now Accepting Manuscript Submissions

One of the top children’s book publishers in Canada, Annick Press got a strong start early on by publishing Robert Munsch, back when they were based out of co-founder Anne Millyard’s basement (you can learn more about that here). Annick is currently accepting submissions of picture books, middle grade fiction, YA fiction, and nonfiction for…
Children's Books Issue Five Hundred Thirty Nine Manuscript Publishers Young Adult

24 Approachable Literary Journals

If you are just starting to submit your work to literary journals, or perhaps you just want to avoid rejection, this list is for you. All of the literary journals in this list accept between 20 and 80% of what is submitted to them, and a few have a higher acceptance rate. So the odds…
Special Issue

Afterglow Books: Accepting Manuscript Submissions

Afterglow Books is a new imprint of Harlequin. You can read our review of Harlequin, and their digital imprint Carina, if you want to learn more about the company as a whole. Their tagline for Afterglow books is “From showing up to glowing up, these characters are on the path to leading their best lives…
Issue Five Hundred Thirty Eight Manuscript Publishers Romance

Three Types of Publishing: What You Need to Know

First off, I’m going to be clear, this is not a piece written by someone who is unbiased. I’ve spent the last 10 years reviewing traditional presses, and receiving hundreds of emails a year from authors who’ve worked with vanity presses and traditional presses, and those that have self-published. This has helped shape me as…
Issue Five Hundred Thirty Eight Special Feature

Victory Belt Publishing: Now Accepting Book Proposals

Updated July 31st, 2024. While their website is still active they don’t appear to be actively publishing or promoting books anymore. I would not submit. Victory Belt Publishing is distributed by Penguin Random House, and is one of the biggest publishers in terms of the Ketogenic and Paleo diets, and have published a number of…
Cookbooks Issue Five Hundred Thirty Seven Manuscript Publishers Non Fiction

63 Manuscript Publishers with Geographic Restrictions

We generally only review presses that accept work without geographic limitations on who can submit, but this list includes many publishers who do have geographic requirements. We have never fully reviewed most of these presses because of their geographic limitations, but they are still good presses. Most of the presses on this list accept work…
Special Issue

Gibson House Press: Now Accepting Manuscript Submissions

Updated February 8th, 2024: They did not publish any books in 2023, and have yet to publish any books in 2024, so I’m not sure if they are still active. Gibson House Press is an independent publisher that publishes 1-2 books a year. They have good covers, and a clear easy to navigate website. Although…
Fiction Issue Five Hundred Thirty Six Manuscript Publishers

Why and Where You Should Start Submitting Your Writing This September

 “I went for years not finishing anything. Because, of course, when you finish something you can be judged… I had poems which were re-written so many times I suspect it was just a way of avoiding sending them out.” — Erica Jong Starting to submit your work to literary journals is a hard task. Before…
Special Issue

Nourish: Now Accepting Book Proposals

Nourish is an imprint of Watkins Publishing, which was established in 1893. It is a UK based press with good distribution through Penguin Random House. Nourish focuses on publishing work related to “food and drink”, whereas Watkins as a whole focuses on ” mind, body & spirit”. Watkins Publishing is not currently open to submissions…
Cookbooks Issue Five Hundred Thirty Five Manuscript Publishers Non Fiction

How to Find the Right Agent for Your Book

Researching agents can be a time-consuming process, but I would never submit to an agent without first doing significant research. To me, research is the most important step of the submission process. It is vital because there is no point going through all the work of writing your manuscript and submitting, just to end up…
Special Issue

Lantern Publishing & Media: Now Accepting Book Proposals

September 9th, 2025. Lantern Publishing & Media has a bit of unusual history, as they were initially founded as Lantern Books in 1999, which was a traditional for-profit press that was focused on the “principles of living with a greater depth and commitment to the preservation of the natural world”. Lantern Publishing & Media describes…
Issue Five Hundred Thirty Four Manuscript Publishers

Talon Review: Now Seeking Submissions

Talon Review is an online publication based out of the University of North Florida. They are funded by the Amy R. Wainright Endowment. They started out focused only on publishing student work, but since 2018 they have been open to submissions from anyone.  They publish stories, essays, poems, and hybrid work as well as art,…
Creative Non Fiction Electronic Fiction Issue Five Hundred Thirty Four Literary Journals Music Poetry

Hatherleigh: Now Accepting Manuscript Proposals

Hatherleigh is a nonfiction publisher focused on publishing books about health and wellness, fitness and exercise, living with chronic diseases, as well self help books and books focused on sustainability and green living. They are distributed by Penguin Random House. They accept both ideas and proposals from authors, but unless you have an existing platform…
Issue Five Hundred Thirty Three Manuscript Publishers Non Fiction

Punk Monk Magazine: Now Accepting Submissions

Punk Monk Magazine is an online zine published by Punk Monk Press, which is based in Canada. They are a specialized publication focused primarily on publishing feminine writing with an edge. They are open to submissions from all genders, but this is their primary preoccupation. It’s really easy to get a feel for what they…
Fiction Issue Five Hundred Thirty Three Literary Journals Music Poetry Reprints

A New Ruse by Publishers to Make Authors Pay to Publish

Since 2020 there are more authors than ever trying to publish. This has impacted both the self publishing and publishing industry in profound ways. I’m only going to talk about the shift that has happened that is most worrying to me — as a reviewer of traditional publishers, as an author myself, and as an…
Issue Five Hundred Thirty Three

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