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.

14 Major Book Publishers Always Open to Submissions

Some publishers open and close their doors to submissions on a routine basis. It can be hard to determine if they are open or shut to submissions, and when you should submit. The following 14 publishers, however, are always open to submissions from writers without agents or previous publishing experience. They are all respected publishers…
Special Issue

ECW Press: Accepting Submissions

ECW Press is an established Canadian publisher. They accept poetry, fiction, and non-fiction submissions from Canadians. They only accept non-fiction submissions from international submitters.  I can not stress this enough – if you are not a Canadian, you can only submit non-fiction to them. Within Canada, ECW Press has good distribution. They also have excellent…
Issue Two Hundred Eighty Two Manuscript Publishers

The Shame List: Manuscript Publishers Who Always Charge to Submit

All of the publishers included on this list are traditional publishers. They are not vanity or assisted presses that charge their authors in order to publish their books. Many are respected publishers with good distribution. Most primarily publish poetry manuscripts. We have written at length before about why this problem affects poets the most. We…
Issue Two Hundred Eighty Two Special Feature

Wundor Editions: Now Seeking Manuscript Submissions

Updated March 17th, 2020: They appear to be permanently closed. A ‘wundor’is a miracle or a powerful feat of creativity. It is also a monster or a strange creature. It is an Old English word which runs the breadth of the artistic imagination and its unlimited potential. “Wundor Editions is committed to publishing innovative and…
Fiction Issue Two Hundred Eighty One Literary Fiction Manuscript Publishers Poetry

Allen & Unwin: Accepting Submissions

Updated May 17th,  2023, they are no longer open to submissions from not Australians or/New Zealanders for First Fridays. Allen & Unwin is a large independent Australian Press that is open to submissions on a wide range of topics. They have won a number of Australian publisher awards. They accept based on pitches, and have…
All Genres Issue Two Hundred Eighty Manuscript Publishers

Twelve Famous Authors Who Didn’t Get Published Until Their Fifties (Or Older)

Often people tell me they are too old to become a writer. Sometimes these people are in their thirties or forties, sometimes they are in their fifties and sixties. But the fact remains the same, no matter how old you are, you are not to0 old to become a writer. Many authors started writing later…
Issue Four Hundred Thirteen Issue Two Hundred Eighty One Special Feature

The Ten Most Common Manuscript Submission Mistakes

When I talk to agents, writers, and editors I always hear them complain of the same mistakes over and over again. The other day I was reading a back issue of Poets & Writers and based on the question “What kind of submissions do you not take seriously?” (I am paraphrasing here), I was able…
Special Issue

Belle Lutte Press: Accepting Submissions

UPDATED January 2020, no longer publishing books. Consider defunct. Belle Lutte Press is a small press with the motto “Let’s bring exceptionalism back to the masses”. They published their first two books in 2016 and they have published one book since then, with one more scheduled to be released soon. They focus on publishing literary…
Issue Two Hundred Seventy Nine Literary Fiction Manuscript Publishers

Versify: Now Accepting Manuscript Submissions

Update: They have been closed to general submissions for a year now but plan to re-open to general submissions in the future. Versify, a new imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers, is accepting submissions via email. Versify was started by the Newberry Award winning author Kwame Alexander, who you can learn more…
Children's Books Issue Two Hundred Seventy Eight Issues Manuscript Publishers Young Adult

Nightscape Press: Accepting Submissions

Update January 17th, 2022: They haven’t published a book since 2020, even though they updated their site multiple times. They are no longer open to submissions and I would consider them defunct. Nightscape Press publishes horror, weird fiction, science fiction, and fantasy novels of at least 60,000 words and YA novels within the same genres…
Horror Issue Two Hundred Seventy Seven Manuscript Publishers

The Top 35 Publishers for New Authors

The writing market can be overwhelming, particularly for new authors who do not have a history of past publication. It is important to note that no legitimate established presses specifically look for unpublished authors. The presses on this list were chosen because they have published a number of debut books before. Also, the publishers on…
Special Issue

Thirteen Famous Authors Who Were Rejected

One of the ways I comfort myself when I face yet another rejection letter is to think about the number of rejection letters J.K. Rowling received while she was attempting to publish Harry Potter. I also think of the five years Agatha Christie spent trying to get her first novel published. I have not spent…
Issue Two Hundred Eighty Special Feature

Acre Books: Accepting Queries

Updated September 19th, 2025 Acre Books is an imprint of The Cincinnati Review. They focus on publishing fiction, nonfiction, hybrid forms and poetry. They are particularly interested in working with debut writers. They are not accepting submissions of full manuscripts. They ask that authors query first. Their website focuses on selling books, not on recruiting…
Issue Two Hundred Seventy Six Literary Fiction Manuscript Publishers Poetry

Woodbine House: Now Accepting Submissions

Update MARCH 2020 – Consider Defunct. No longer publishing work. Woodbine House specializes in books about developmental disabilities such as Down syndrome and autism. The books they publish are written for and about children with certain disabilities. Their titles cover AD/HD, autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, early intervention, inclusion, special education, communication skills, and more….
Children's Books Issue Two Hundred Seventy Five Manuscript Publishers Non Fiction

How to Promote Your Poetry Without Paying A Penny

Many writers ask me this question all the time: “How do you promote your poetry without paying anyone?” There is more then one answer to this question, but it mostly comes back to hard work. In my experience, outside of paying to enter contests, it is very easy to promote one’s work for free. Here…
Issue Two Hundred Seventy Five Special Feature

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