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.

Tra Publishing: Now Accepting Book Proposals

Tra Publishing was founded in 2016 in Miami by Swiss-born graphic designer and author Ilona Oppenheim. They have good distribution and in North America their books are widely available in libraries and bookstores. While they publish excellent children’s books (I first encountered them through the book, The Rare, Tiny Flower by Kitty O’Meara), they do…
Issue Five Hundred Forty Nine

Dragonblade: Now Accepting Manuscript Submissions

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…
Historical Fiction Issue Five Hundred Forty Eight Manuscript Publishers Romance

In the Mood Magazine: Now Seeking Submissions

In the Mood Magazine bills itself as a “Pop Culture Journal about the Things We Like to Watch.” Their focus as a publication, is on the viewer, and their preoccupations. This is one example they give to try to make it clear what they are interested in learning about: “Why can’t we stop thinking about…
Creative Non Fiction Fiction Issue Five Hundred Forty Eight Literary Journals Paying Market Poetry

47 Romance Publishers Open to Direct Submission

For the first few years of Authors Publish, even though I only reviewed romance publishers that were over a year old, I had no lack of options in terms of romance publishers to review. They were the easiest genre to find publishers open to direct submissions, other than those focused on non-fiction. Particularly in 2016…
Special Issue

Walker Books: Now Accepting Picture Book Submissions

Updated April 14th, 2025, they are no longer open to direct submissions. Walker Books, an established and respected UK based publisher of Picture books, is open to direct submissions, but only of work that is already illustrated. So if you have an un-illustrated picture book, this is not the right home for it. Walker Books…
Children's Books Issue Five Hundred Forty Seven Manuscript Publishers

Ethicool Books: Do Not Submit

UPDATED NOV 21st, 2023: It has been brought to our attention that some authors who submitted to Ethicool, have been told their work is a potentially a good fit with revisions and directed to a portion of Ethicool’s site labelled Manuscript Assessment. We do not condone this, and feel this is unethical behavior. Which is…
Children's Books Issue Five Hundred Forty Six Manuscript Publishers

riddlebird: Now Accepting Submissions

riddlebird is a beautiful electronic and print-based literary journal that was founded in 2022. They are focused on publishing creative nonfiction and short stories. They are not interested in flash or poetry. They publish a very small percentage of what they receive. Even though they are a newer journal, they are already respected. They nominate…
Creative Non Fiction Fiction Issue Five Hundred Forty Six Literary Journals

23 Memoir Publishers Open to Direct Submissions

Memoir publishers that don’t require an agent to submit are few and far between. However, there are still options out there.  Some are old and respected, others are new and still figuring things out. Not all the publishers on this list are currently open to submissions, but most are. Persea Books Persea Books is an…
Memoir Special Issue

Agora Books: Now Accepting Manuscript Queries

Update April 28th 2024: They have closed their doors along with Polis Books. All that we know is shared in an update to the Polis Review. Agora Books is a  diversity-focused imprint of Polis Books, devoted to crime and noir fiction. In 2018, Publishers Weekly published this article about the initiative, and in 2019 Agora…
Issue Five Hundred Forty Five Manuscript Publishers Mystery

Hamilcar Publications: Now Accepting Manuscript Proposals

Hamilcar Publications is a small Boston-based nonfiction publisher. They are primarily focused on the following categories: professional boxing, true crime, hip-hop, and jazz. It was founded by an experienced editor, and an experienced book designer. You can learn more about the company here. They are distributed by the Two Rivers Press imprint of Ingram, which…
Issue Five Hundred Forty Four Manuscript Publishers Non Fiction

Ylva Publishing: Accepting Manuscripts

Ylva Publishing is the home of lesbian fiction and fiction about women-loving-women, and not surprisingly given the context, they only publish women.  They mainly publish romance genre, but they are open to other genres, including historical fiction, crime, action, mystery, young adult, and erotica. They state: “We want our books to have a rich diversity…
Historical Fiction Issue Five Hundred Forty Four Manuscript Publishers Romance Young Adult

Nine Exciting New Literary Journals (Fall, 2023)

In my experience, there are many reasons to seek publication in journals that have been around for less than a year. When a literary journal is new, the editors tend to be a lot more passionate. I have gotten handwritten thank you cards from editors of new publications, something that has never happened when my…
Special Feature

Tenebrous Press: Now Accepting Manuscript Submissions

Updated November 4th, 2025 Tenebrous Press is a publisher of “New Weird Horror, and New weird SF&F, and other dark and strange genre mashups.” They know this genre is one that needs further definition, because they have an entire page of their website devoted to defining it. You can see that webpage here if you…
Horror Issue Five Hundred Forty Three Manuscript Publishers

Orbit Works: Open to Direct Submissions

Orbit Works was founded in April 2023, as a new imprint of Hachette/Orbit that is focused on digital publishing. This includes both eBooks and audiobooks. You can read the PR statement about the imprint here. It is led by Orbit Executive Editor Brit Hvide and Editor Stephanie Clark. Orbit Works, like Orbit, is based out…
Fantasy Issue Five Hundred Forty Two Science Fiction

24 Respected Literary Journals and Magazines

The literary journals and magazines on this list reject the vast majority of what is submitted to them. Sometimes established authors’ works are rejected for years, decades even, before they receive an acceptance. But these literary journals are respected and trusted. Most have a large readership and good distribution in libraries and bookstores. Many of…
Special Issue

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