Hashtag Press was established in the UK in 2016 by Abiola Bella and Helen Lewis. They focus on publishing “commercial fiction books for young people that are plot driven with relatable, inspiring characters and great friendships”. They are currently only considering unagented work in the Young Adult (YA) genre, although they publish a wide range of books for younger readers. You can get a feel for what they publish here. They very much prioritize stories about characters from underrepresented backgrounds and by authors from underrepresented backgrounds. They are particularly interested in debut books by authors from underrepresented communities.
You can also see that some of the books they publish are co-authored by the founding editor and another author. This is a little unusual with an established press even a small one, but not unheard of. The editor in question is also represented by an agent at a major agency. Many of the books they publish are by authors not affiliated with the press.
They generally have a few open reading period a year. The rest of the time they only consider work submitted by agents. They are open to submissions from the 1st of February through the 28th of 2025. They will only consider Young Adult (YA) fiction.
They prefer work that hasn’t been previously published and that is plot driven, and includes great friendships.
They stress that they are looking for diversity in their story, and they share this definition in the context of publishing: “a book that contains characters not typically or widely represented. Everyone deserves to see themselves represented. It’s about a range of characters that are not from the same walks of life. This can be diversity in class, race, gender identity, sexuality, disability, background and other forms of identity.” They are not interested in publishing a book that isn’t diverse, based on this definition. Any books that are not diverse or inclusive will be a no.
They are not interested in YA that is science fiction, historical fiction, or nonfiction. They will also not consider picture books, film pitches, or book covers.
Submissions must be made via email. To read their full submission guidelines, go here. Please read them in full before proceeding. Please follow their guidelines carefully and do not submit if your work isn’t a good potential fit.
Emily Harstone is the author of many popular books, including The Authors Publish Guide to Manuscript Submissions, Submit, Publish, Repeat, and The 2024 Guide to Manuscript Publishers. She regularly teaches three acclaimed courses on writing and publishing at The Writer’s Workshop at Authors Publish. You can follow her on Facebook here.
