UPDATE July 2022: They seem closed indefinitely to prose submissions, and charge for poetry submissions.
Waywiser is a small independent press based in the UK. They host a yearly contest called The Anthony Hecht Poetry Prize, but they charge a fee for that. They seem to focus on literary prose and poetry. They publish fiction and nonfiction, including essay collections. Unfortunately the only way to submit poetry manuscripts to them is through the contest.
They only publish a few books a year and they do not seem to have distribution. This is the sort of press where self promotion is key if they publish your book. Waywiser appears to be open to submissions year round. They try to respond to all submissions within four months.
If you are submitting prose, do not submit your entire manuscript. They just want a synopsis of no more than 500 words and the first two chapters. Follow the submission guidelines carefully. All submissions must be made through the mail.
It is easy to get a feel for what they have published in the past by viewing their back catalog.
To learn more go to their website here.
