If a publisher has closed to submissions unexpectedly, please send us an email at support@authorspublish.com.

Please read the full review, which we link to in the publish name, and carefully consider fit before submitting work. I can not stress enough that you should only submit to presses that are a good fit for your work, and that you should carefully read and follow submissions guidelines before submitting that work. Over the past year we had several presses ask to be de-listed because they were deluged by submissions, even after moving to this format. Still more presses have had to temporarily close to submissions because of an influx of inappropriate submissions.

Orbit Works
Orbit Works was founded in April 2023, as a new imprint of Hachette/Orbit that is focused on digital publishing. This includes both eBooks and audiobooks. You can read the PR statement about the imprint here. It is led by Orbit Executive Editor Brit Hvide and Editor Stephanie Clark. Orbit Works, like Orbit, is based out of New York. They are open to both agented and unageneted submissions. Orbit is only open to agented submissions and was founded in 2007 to focus on publishing science fiction and fantasy. They have one other imprint, called Redhook. They have published many well- regarded, bestselling, and award-winning books, in terms of science fiction and fantasy. They don’t have a deadline listed in terms of when they will close to submissions, so could close at any time.

Legend Press
Legend Press is a UK-based independent press open to direct and agented submissions. They publish contemporary fiction and crime fiction (largely psychological and political thrillers). They now also publish historical fiction. You can get a good feel for what they publish by visiting their website here. They’ve published some very popular books, including The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner. They don’t have a deadline listed in terms of when they will close to submissions, so could close at any time.

Crooked Lane
Crooked Lane was established 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 can see their catalog here. They are generally open to submissions. 

Headpress
Headpress was established in 1991 although the publishing arm wasn’t active till 1992, according to their FAQ. Headpress focuses on publishing nonfiction. The subject matter they publish varies widely. They say, “When Headpress first started, much of this was considered the counterculture. Now it is pop culture.” They publish work on cult film, strange music, pulp literature, fanzines, conspiracy theories, sex and gender, occult and folklore, true crime, etc. It is still run by one of the three founders, David Kerekes.

TCK Publishing
TCK Publishing was founded in 2011 by Tom Corson-Knowles. Tom Corson-Knowles is also an author and has published a number of his own books through TCK Publishing. It’s not clear if he started TCK Publishing as a way to self-publish, but it is clear that TCK has moved past that, publishing many books, on a number subjects, by many authors. They are only open to nonfiction submissions at this time.

Bold Strokes
Bold Strokes Books publishes only LGBTQ books.  They publish general and genre fiction, with an emphasis on romance. They have great print distribution.

Genius Book Publishing
This small Wisconsin-based press is run by a couple, Steven and Leya Booth. They share some of their story and experience on their About page here. Genius Book Publishing was founded in 2011. It publishes a range of genres, including fiction, but at the time of this review, they are only open to nonfiction submissions focused on Music or True Crime. The earliest work accepted now will be published is 2026.

Harlequin Heartwarming
Harlequin Heartwarming describes the stories they are seeking as “Wholesome, fun and feel-good contemporary romances set in close-knit communities where the reader can escape to a world of love and belonging. Fall in love with small towns, friendly neighborhoods and romances that always end with happily ever after!”.

Young Dragons
They are planning to reopen to submissions in April 2025. They are not open yet, at the time of this update, but I have every reason to believe that they will open this month as planned, which is why they are listed here. Young Dragons is a traditional independent publisher focused on publishing books for children. They publish picture books as well as middle grade fiction. 

CSIRO Publishing
CSIRO Publishing is Australia’s largest science publisher of books, peer-reviewed journals, and magazines. The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) was founded in in 1916. In 1948, the CSIRO scholarly journals program started, and only in 1995 was CSIRO Publishing established as a stand-alone imprint and publishing house. They still operate as as a not-for-profit, editorially independent business unit within CSIRO.

Additionally because this is National Poetry Month, more poetry presses are open now, so this list of 102 Poetry Manuscript publishers might be worth reading as well, if you are a poet seeking a manuscript publisher.

Merganser Magazine was established in 2024, and since then they’ve published three issues online. Each issue features writing from three to four contributors.

While Merganser Magazine doesn’t have any firm editorial guidelines, they focus on short pieces that are quick and easy to read online. They prefer writing under 2,000 words, and they don’t like long paragraphs. Authors may submit any number of pieces, but Merganser Magazine prefers not to publish more than one piece by an author at a time.

Merganser Magazine accepts submissions on a rolling basis, and submitting authors can expect a response within one month. Authors published in Merganser Magazine should wait at least six months before submitting again.

Merganser Magazine pays authors published in the journal. Authors of fiction and creative nonfiction receive $0.08 per word (the SFWA pro rate), and poets receive $1 per line.

Merganser Magazine accepts submissions via email, not online or by post. They accept simultaneous submissions but ask that authors withdraw writing published elsewhere. They do not accept previously published work, and they do not accept work that’s generated, translated, or developed by AI.

Merganser Magazine only accepts submissions that follow the guidelines they’ve posted online. Please read these guidelines in full before submitting.

If you would like to learn more or submit to Merganser Magazine, please visit their website here. 

Bio: Ella Peary is the pen name for an author, editor, creative writing mentor, and submission consultant. Over the past five years, she’s written hundreds of articles for Authors Publish, and she’s also served as a copywriter and copy editor for a wide range of organizations and individuals. She is the author of The Quick Start Guide to Flash Fiction. She occasionally teaches a course on flash fiction. You can contact her at ellapeary@gmail.com.

Award categories range from art, business, fiction, poetry, memoir, history, and even children’s literature. While some awards are only open to authors from a specific state or region, others accept entries from writers around the U.S. Here are some of the annual published book awards that do not charge monetary reading fees.

While the National Book Critics Circle Award may not confer a monetary prize, winners – and finalists – receive a tremendous amount of publicity for their book, which can significantly boost its sales. Submissions are accepted through November 1 of the year of publication, although the organizers encourage publishers to submit as early in the year as possible. A PDF of the book can be uploaded to the system, or a publisher can mail a hard copy to a committee member. Awards are given in six categories: fiction, nonfiction, biography, autobiography, poetry, and criticism. Any book is eligible if it is published in English (including translations) in the United States. 

Sponsored by Moorhead University, the Thomas and Lillie D. Chaffin Award for Appalachian Writers presents a prize of $500 to an outstanding writer from the Appalachia region. Authors of all genres may nominate themselves by submitting three copies of their book. There is no monetary fee, and applications are accepted between September 1 and December 1 each year.

Each year, the Great Lakes College Association (GLCA) recognizes new writers who have published a first book in one of three genres: fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. The winners of the New Writers Award are invited to visit GLCA colleges, where they give readings and meet with students and faculty members. Four copies of nominated books must be submitted by the publisher, and the the deadline this year is May 25. Authors must live in the U.S. to be eligible for this award.

The Northern California Book Awards annually recognize and celebrate nominees and winners in multiple genres: fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and children’s literature. Authors or translators must be based in Northern California to be eligible, and submissions – three copies of the book – are accepted from either authors or publishers (self-published books are eligible). There are no fees or forms required, but the deadline for submissions is in mid-January each year.

The American Association of University Women-Kansas City Branch presents the annual Thorpe Menn Literary Excellence Award for authors in the greater Kansas City area. Authors may nominate their works of fiction, non-fiction, children’s books, or poetry, including self-published works. There is a $300 first prize, plus $100 each for second and third prizes. Two copies of published print books, or one electronic copy of ebooks, must be sent by May 1 each year.

Though it focuses on poetry, it’s worth noting Claremont Graduate University’s prestigious Kate Tufts Discovery Award, which offers a $10,000 prize to an author’s published first poetry collection, and its Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award, which provides $100,000 to an outstanding mid-career poet. There is no entry fee for this annual award, but authors must submit eight copies of the book for consideration by the July 1 deadline. Self-published books are eligible, but authors must be a citizen or legal resident alien of the United States.

Be sure to check any contest’s website to see the current rules and deadlines.

BIO: Bernadette Geyer is the author of The Scabbard of Her Throat and editor of My Cruel Invention: A Contemporary Poetry Anthology. Her writings have appeared in Oxford American, Bennington Review, Westerly, and elsewhere. Geyer’s second poetry collection is forthcoming from April Gloaming Publishing in October 2025. Her website is https://bernadettegeyer.com/.