Updated September 22, 2026
This small Northern Virginia based press was founded in 2023. The press makes it clear that they are women owned and are committed to amplifying the work of writers and artists who are “women, nonbinary; Black, Indigenous, Latina/o/x, Arab, Asian; LGBTQ+; neurodivergent, disabled; multinational, multicultural, multidisciplinary; and those defining and redefining their identities”. They state, “Modern Artist Press looks to expand and explode the definition of a modern artist by publishing literary fiction.”
They have so far published three books of literary fiction. Two were short story collections, and the third was a novel. They have a short story collection and a novel forthcoming. Their books have excellent covers, and you can see their full catalogue here. Because they have published so few books it’s hard to get a feel for how well those books have sold. They are distributed by Asterism.
They are open to emailed submissions of literary fiction and ask that all authors include the following:
- the first 25 pages of your manuscript in a Word document
- a 1-page description of the overall story
- a half-page author biography
- initial ideas for marketing the published book
Submissions without all the above components will not be reviewed. Only authors with a completed manuscript can submit.
As of September 22, 2026 they are currently particularly seeking “Manuscript submissions for literary horror novels and ghost stories. Feminist retellings and spooky twists on traditional folktales are encouraged, while murder mysteries are not. Possible comps include A Sunny Place for Shady People by Mariana Enriquez, Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova, Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder, Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward, Where the Wild Ladies Are by Aoko Matsuda, and Woodworm by Layla Martinez.”
To learn more, go here.
Emily Harstone is the author of many popular books, including The Authors Publish Guide to Manuscript Submissions, Submit, Publish, Repeat, and The 2025 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.
