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.

How to Make Time for Writing

“All writers have this vague hope that the elves will come in the night and finish any stories.” ― Neil Gaiman Time for writing doesn’t make itself. This might seem like a ridiculously obvious statement, yet it is a trap writers fall into all the time, myself included. If you have a good writing habit…

Timber Press: Now Accepting Manuscript Submissions

Timber Press was founded in 1978 and publishes work about the natural world by experts in the fields of gardening, horticulture, and natural history. They were bought by the Workman Publishing Company in 2006. In 2021 Workman Publishing became part of the Hachette Book Group. Timber Press is recognized internationally as a leading gardening publisher…

25 Publishers Always Open to New Submissions

Many publishers open and close their doors to unsolicited submissions on a routine basis. It can sometimes be hard to determine if they are open or shut to submissions and when you should submit. These 25 featured publishers are always open to submissions from writers without agents or previous publishing experience. All of them are…

Fireside Fiction: Seeking Book Submissions Until August 31st

Updated June 2022: They have announced their permanent closure. UPDATED October 30th, 2019: Fireside Fiction has severed without announcment or explantion a number of author contracts. You can read more about it here.  I would not recommend submitting to them at this time. Fireside Fiction is the publisher of novels and novellas as well as…

17 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 around half of what is submitted to them. So the odds of your work being accepted just went up. These are…

Weldon Owen Books: Now Accepting Manuscript Submissions

UPDATED MARCH 16TH 2020 – No longer open to direct submissions Weldon Owen is an imprint of Bonnier Publishing US, which is a division of Bonnier Publishing, a large UK-based company. Weldon Owen Publishing focuses on high-quality adult nonfiction. They publish largely illustrated lifestyle books in the categories of food and drink, sports and fitness,…

Black Opal Books: Now Accepting Manuscript Submissions

UPDATED NOVEMBER 15, 2021 – They are still in operation, but everything I’ve heard from authors has made it clear that their serious issues are ongoing. They are not listed in the manuscript guide and I keep this article up as a reference point. UPDATED JULY 30TH, 2019 – They have gone through some recent…

26 Non-Fiction Publishers Open to Direct Submissions

The following publishers all focus on publishing non-fiction books. Most focus in on one or two aspect of non-fiction, such as history books, memoir, or cookbooks. Some are more broad in their interests. All of them are open to unsolicited submissions directly from authors. No agent required. Almost all of these publishers open to proposals,…

DAW: Now Open to Manuscript Submissions

UPDATED September 2022: They have a new webpage no longer directly on the Penguin Random House website (although they are still an imprint): https://astrapublishinghouse.com/imprints/daw-books/. They no longer appear to be open to direct submissions. I will update if that changes. DAW is an imprint of Penguin that is open to manuscript submissions from authors without…

The Parliament House Press: Now Accepting Manuscript Submissions

Updated February 2025: They have a number of 2024 books that were scheduled to be published that are still stuck on pre-order. The last book they published came out in 2023. I believe they are defunct. The Parliament House is a small eBook and print press started in 2016.  They specialize in fantasy, including paranormal,…

Crooked Lane: Now Accepting Submissions

Updated September 5th 2025 Crooked Lane was founded in 2014 as a press specializing in crime books. They have an experienced staff and have managed to publish some well known authors already. They publish a range of mysteries that lean towards the cozy, and they are not opposed to publishing a series of books. You…

23 Magazines that Publish Writing for Children and Teens

Most children’s book authors and young adult authors struggle with creating a history of previous publications – a useful task when trying to find an agent or publisher for their work.  The following list of publishers are all looking for work aimed at teens and children. So, not only do you create a history of…

9 Great New Literary Journals

The following is a list of 9 very new literary journals. There are many reasons to seek publication in these journals. In my experience, the benefits can be greater than publishing in a well-established journal. When a literary journal is new, the editors tend to be a lot more passionate. I have gotten handwritten thank…

Pelican Publishing Company: Now Accepting Manuscript Submissions

Updated August 2023 Pelican Publishing Company is a publisher based out of New Orleans. They have been around for a long time and they published William Faulkner’s first trade paperback book. They have a back list of over 2,500 titles. They publish around 30 titles a year. They now focus on publishing adult nonfiction, including…

Artisan Books: Now Accepting Manuscript Submissions

UPDATE: As of July 2022 they are closed to unsolicited submissions. It is not clear if they plan to reopen. Artisan focuses on publishing visual-heavy nonfiction books. The visuals themselves vary between photography, illustration, or graphic design, but the idea is that these books communicate ideas and lessons because of their strong visual components. Most…

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