We have uncountable publishing companies in the world.
Questioning the best should be the priority for any author. Meanwhile, The best publishing company will in return make you as a author proud of your work, depending on the book’s target market.
While most people think of “traditional” publishers as those who print books that are sold in bookstores, there are also academic and professional publishers, as well as self-publishing platforms.
Writing a book is a labor-intensive process. It’s more difficult to locate a publisher. If you’ve written a book and are looking for a publisher, we’ve put together a list of the best publishing houses that accept submissions. The United States is home to over 2827 publishing companies.
These are the 20 Best Publishing Companies For Authors in 2023
The publishing market can be intimidating, especially for new authors with no prior publication history. To help, we’ve compiled a list of the best publishers for first-time authors:
1. Sterling Publishing
sterlingpublishing.com
They’ve been in business for 60 years and have over 5,000 titles in print, all of which are published for adults, young adults, and children.
They publish fiction as well as nonfiction for children’s books. Students from preschool through middle school can use their imprint’s workbooks and flashcards.
Submission guidelines: They accept submissions from authors through the mail. Click here for submission guidelines
2. DAW
penguin.com
Penguin’s science fiction and fantasy imprint is a well-known and reputable publishing house.
Submission guidelines: Only novels with a word count of 80,000 words or more and submissions sent in the mail will be considered. Sadly, we can’t accept novelettes or short stories. They require submissions to be exclusive to them, but if it takes them longer than three months to assess your book, you can submit it elsewhere. Click here for submission guidelines
3. Chronicle Books
San Francisco-based independent publisher Chronicle publishes a wide range of works, including award-winning children’s books, bestselling cookbooks, and gift books.
The majority of them have a strong focus on the visual aspect. Their books are extremely well-done.
Submission Guidelines: Different guidelines if you’re submitting children’s or adult trade, so follow carefully. They will only respond if interested in publishing. Click here for submission guidelines
4. Alloy Entertainment
They publish up to 12 partial or complete manuscripts every year, primarily in the genres of women’s fiction, young adult, middle grade, and chapter novels.
Because they’re affiliated with Warner Bros., they strive to adapt their novels into films and television shows (e.g., Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars, and The Vampire Diaries).
Submission guidelines: Verify they are open to submissions, as they sometimes close their doors to unsolicited submissions. They try to respond within 6-8 weeks. Click here for submission guidelines
5. Baen
thebookseller.com
They only publish science fiction and fantasy. They are a reputable publisher of Science Fiction and Fantasy and one of the few major publishers that accept full-length manuscripts from authors without an agent.
Submission guidelines: Electronic submission via their submission form is strongly preferred. It takes longer than usual to receive a response (9-12 months). Click here for submission guidelines
6. Flashlight Press
The majority of your publications should be picture books for children aged 4 to 8. They only print a limited number of books each year, and they are all beautifully illustrated.
Their firm’s and authors’ books have received numerous honors. There is an international market for them.
Submission guidelines: They encourage submissions via their site, but you can also email them. Books should be under 1,000 words long, have a global topic, deal with family or social concerns, and fit into their book collection.
They will contact you within three months if they are interested. Click here for submission guidelines
7. Skyhorse Publishing
U.S.-based small presses In addition to fiction and nonfiction, they also publish books for adults, teenagers, and children.
They’ve had 43 books on the New York Times bestseller list in the ten years since they started publishing.
Submission guidelines: If they want to view more of your novel, you’ll hear from them within 4-6 weeks. Click here for submission guidelines
8. Free Spirit Publishing
They publish nonfiction books and educational products for children, teenagers, parents, educators, counselors, and those who work with children and teenagers.
A wide range of educational materials are available from this company for children of all ages as well as educators who work with children and adolescents.
They release between 20 and 25 new titles each year and have a wide distribution network that includes major trade and library distributors, Barnes & Noble bookstores, Amazon.com, and their widely dispersed mail order catalog.
Submission guidelines: They’re on the lookout for nonfiction submissions. Proposals are only accepted by mail and their response time ranges from 2 to 6 months. Click here for submission guidelines
9. Five Star
fivestarpublishing.co.uk
They accept submissions for mystery and western fiction and are affiliated with prominent academic publishing houses Gale and Cengage Learning.
Submission Guidelines: If you don’t have an agent or a published book, you’ll need to contact a general editor (AssociateEditorTekno@shaw.ca) for complete submission criteria. Your name, contact details, and genre should all be included. Only electronic submissions are accepted.
They’ll answer, but it might take a while. For most authors looking for publishing houses, their website was more difficult to navigate, but they also have a Facebook page where you may get more information.
10. Adams Media
Adams media publishes almost anything, they feature a large range of popular nonfiction books on topics such as self-help, parenting, business, cuisine, money, relationships, and pet-raising.
They also publish crime, humor, lifestyle, memoirs, inspiration, and a variety of other topics. One of the largest publishers that takes book suggestions from first-time authors and those who do not have representation.
Submission Guidelines: You can send your book proposal via email or regular mail, and you will only hear back if they are interested in publishing your work. Click here for submission guidelines
11. Kensington Publishing Corp
They have multiple imprints and are recognized as “America’s Independent Publisher.” They produce almost 600 fiction and nonfiction books each year in a wide range of genres, including romance, women’s fiction, African American, young adult and nonfiction, true-crime, western, and mystery.
Some bestselling authors from the New York Times have been published.
Submission Guidelines: Examine the areas of interest of their editors and submit to the one you think is the best fit for your work. They will only respond if they are interested. Click here for submission guidelines
12. Beacon Press
They publish serious nonfiction about important subjects including diversity, religious pluralism, anti-racism, justice, equity, and compassion for all people.
Submissions Guidelines: Only electronic entries are accepted. After examining your inquiry, they will contact you within three weeks if they are interested in seeing a comprehensive proposal. Click here for submission guidelines
13. Black Inc.
They publish a wide range of fiction and nonfiction, although poetry and children’s books are not among their offerings.
Submission guidelines
Only Australian writers are eligible to submit, and contributions must be sent by email. They will contact you within 8 weeks if they are interested in your novel. Click here for submission guidelines
14. Persea Books
Literary novels, creative nonfiction, memoirs, essays, biographies, books on current events, anthologies, and poetry, and young adult titles are all accepted. No genre fiction, self-help, textbooks, or children’s books are published by them.
Submission Guidelines: You should send in your submissions package by mail. Click here for submission guidelines
15. BelleBooks/Bell Bridge
BelleBooks began with a focus on Southern literature before expanding to include the Bell Bridge imprint, which publishes a wide range of genres.
They publish children’s literature, fantasy, nonfiction, romance, mystery, and women’s fiction, as well as anthologies and young adult books.
Submission Guidelines: They don’t accept simultaneous submissions unless you’re represented by an agent. The average response time is 3-6 months. Click here for submission guidelines
16. Seven Stories Press
They publish fiction and nonfiction, as well as poetry books on occasion. Random House is a publishing house that distributes books.
Submission Guidelines: You should only send the requested materials by mail. Click here for submission guidelines
17. Jollyfish Press
They publish a wide range of genres, such as fantasy, science fiction, mystery, thrillers, young adult, humor, romance, and women’s fiction. In October 2016, North Star Editions, Inc. acquired a more recent publisher, established in 2012.
Submission Guidelines: You should only send your submission via email. Their About Us page explains what their editors are searching for, which might be useful for authors looking for a place to publish. Click here for submission guidelines
18. Oneworld Publishing
oneworld-publications.com
Founded in 1986 as an independent press, they now publish about 100 books of nonfiction and literary fiction each year. They work with publishers, authors, and distributors all over the world, but they are only accepting unsolicited nonfiction submissions.
Submission Guidelines: They provide a submission form that authors can fill out and submit. Check to see whether your book fits in with their other titles. Click here for submission guidelines
19. Black & White Publishing
One of the largest Scottish publishers, Black & White Publishing was established in 1995. At this time, they are the authors of over 200 books.
They have a reliable distributor and are beginning to make inroads into the eBook publishing industry.
As well as general non-fiction (e.g. chick-lit, sagas, romance), general fiction (e.g. historical fiction), and young adult/new adult literature (e.g. crime and psychological thrillers), they publish general non-fiction, biographies, sports, and humor.
Submission Guidelines: They recommend that you utilize their online submission form, but you can also send them a letter. If they are interested, you should hear back within three months. Click here for submission guidelines
20. Angry Robot
angryrobotbooks.com
A well-known publisher of science fiction and fantasy for adults, as well as horror from time to time. However, despite the fact that it is based in the United Kingdom, it has a sizable fan base across the globe. They’re a division of Watkins Media Ltd.
Submission Guidelines: They have occasional “open door” periods (every 18 months or so) when they accept manuscripts from authors who do not have agencies.
Check their website to see if an open door period is now in effect. If you have a literary agent or have been suggested to them by an author already on their roster, you can submit at any time. Only electronic submissions are accepted. They favor adult-oriented literature over junior- or young-adult-oriented books.
Frequently Asked Questions
Royalties are payments to a creator through a licensing agreement to use music, content, other creative works, or business technology patents, which are intellectual property.
It can take up to a year for royalties to start coming in. It will generally take an average of 9-12 months before you see your first royalty payment. This timeline is based on full global registration taking up to six months, and payments coming in on varying pay cycles.
Publishers promote authors and books in a variety of ways, such as scheduling media interviews and setting up book signings. They send press releases and advance copies to members of the media.
For as long as the book is still selling.
They make money by paying you for your ideas, your work’s rights, and anything else that’s specified in the contract. In essence, the company owns the book but only gives you a small portion of the profits.
The types of publishing are; Traditional, hybrid, and self-publishing are the three types of publishing.
Conclusion
When you’re a published author, people will notice that you’re courteous and professional in all of your dealings. Demonstrate civility and professionalism in all of your correspondence — correspondence such as letters and emails as well as social media posts and phone calls.
For more information, visit the book publishing companies’ websites listed above. To publish your book through a publisher is one option, but it is not the only one available to you
