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.

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…
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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…
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Lantern Publishing & Media: Now Accepting Book Proposals

Updated July 22, 2026 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…
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

37 Wonderful International Literary Journals

The bulk of the journals we review are based in North America, with a smattering in the UK. Although we sometimes seek out and include international journals, the bulk of the journals we’ve reviewed are in these two regions. All of the journals in this list are not in either of these regions. They span…
Special Issue

Monarch Educational Services: Now Accepting Manuscript Queries

Updated March 2025: They keep updating their website, and it’s very unclear if they are still publishing new books. The review below reflects the version of the website that existed in March 2024. They do not currently have a submission guidelines and if they are still active they do not seem interested in un-agented submission….
Children's Books Issue Five Hundred Thirty Two Manuscript Publishers Young Adult

Opportunities for Historically Underrepresented Writers this August

This list of publishers meet our guiding principles, but are only open to free submissions from historically underrepresented writers or focus on publishing content produced by historically underrepresented writers. Some of these publications are open to a wide range of writers including writers of color, gender non-conforming and LGBTQ+ writers, and those living with disabilities….
Issue Five Hundred Thirty Two

No Starch Press: Now Accepting Book Proposals

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…
Issue Five Hundred Thirty One Manuscript Publishers Non Fiction

22 Memoirs that Every Aspiring Memoir Author Should Consider Reading

As a writer, I’m a firm believer that you should also be a reader. I think the best way to learn the craft of writing is to read. I also believe that it’s important to be well-read in your chosen genre. It’s easier to pick up the tools of that genre if you are reading…
Special Issue

Golden Storyline Books: Now Accepting Manuscript Queries

Note: Usually we keep our updates in chronological order starting with the most recent at the top and the oldest at the bottom but because of the amount of updates required here, and their relationship to each other, we’ve condensed and reorganized all the updates to go here. The latest update for this note, is…
Fiction Issue Five Hundred Thirty Manuscript Publishers Memoir Mystery Non Fiction Science Fiction Women's Fiction

31 Publishers that Accept Direct Submissions of Speculative Fiction

Speculative fiction is generally defined as a genre of fiction where the setting is not in the world as we know it because of supernatural, fantastical, or futuristic elements. Three genres are covered by this umbrella term: Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror. This term is used to cover work that doesn’t fit exactly in one…
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