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Best Independent Publishers

Award-winning indie presses, curated by Reedsy

Showing 36 publishers that match your search 🔦 reset

Hawthorne Books

Publisher of: Fiction and Nonfiction

This Portland-based indie press is highly literary without being pretentious. Their wheelhouse is fairly broad, focusing on fiction and narrative nonfiction that puts vivid storytelling on display. In practice, that often means character-driven contemporary novels and emotionally rich memoirs that pull you into all the complexities of real-life relationships. You don’t have to write within spitting distance of Forest Park to be published by Hawthorne: they work with authors from all over the country. But, true to their geographic roots, Hawthorne Books has quite a few Oregon-centered titles on their list.

Hit title: California Calling by Natalie Singer

Best known for: How-To Guides

Accepts unagented submissions? No

Headpress

Publisher of: Nonfiction

This edgy, Manchester-based press has furnished a voice for the counterculture since 1991. Originally founded to sell VHS copies of a controversial cult director’s latest release, Headpress hasn’t strayed far from its roots in pulp, grindhouse, and all things indie film. Beyond its sharp criticism of movie genres that don't get a lot mainstream attention, Headpress publishes widely across the spectrum of quirky nonfiction. Look through its list of titles, and you'll see everything from deep cuts on underground music to trippy meditations on European folklore.

Hit title: Bleeding Skull by Joseph A. Ziemba and Dan Budnik

Best known for: Biography, Film, Journalism

Accepts unagented submissions? Yes , in the form of Queries, view guidelines

House of Anansi Press

Publisher of: Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry

This storied Canadian publisher has been running out of Toronto since 1967. In that time, it’s grown from a one-man operation to a North American indie powerhouse, publishing prominent authors like Margaret Atwood and Michael Ondaatje. As it makes headway into its sixth decade of operation, House of Anansi remains as committed as ever to promoting Canadian literature, including French-Canadian books in translation, and work by First Nations authors.

Hit title: How Should a Person Be? by Sheila Heti

Best known for: Memoirs, Literary Fiction

Accepts unagented submissions? Yes , in the form of Book Proposals, Full Manuscripts, view guidelines

Ig Publishing

Publisher of: Fiction and Nonfiction

This New York-based press kicked off with a series of Dive Bar guides that showed much-traveled tourist hubs, from San Francisco to Chicago, in an offbeat new light. These days, their list tilts much more towards literary fiction as well as political nonfiction: since the Bush years, Ig authors have been tackling issues from workers’ rights to PTSD care for veterans.

Hit title: Missile Paradise by Ron Tanner

Best known for: Journalism, Literary Fiction

Accepts unagented submissions? Yes , in the form of Queries, view guidelines

McSweeney's Books

Publisher of: Fiction and Nonfiction

McSweeney’s is better known for their humor website, which features snort-inducing titles like “I Regret to Inform You That My Wedding to Captain Von Trapp Has Been Canceled” and “Signs You May Be a Female Character in a Work of Historical Fiction.” But this San Francisco-based indie publisher also runs a small — yet vibrant — books division. Their titles range from brainy, irreverent humor in the vein of their Internet Tendency to more serious fare: politically incisive nonfiction with a progressive bent.

Hit title: Indelible in the Hippocampus by Shelly Oria (editor)

Best known for: Humor, Memoir

Accepts unagented submissions? Yes , in the form of Full Manuscripts, view guidelines

Melville House

Publisher of: Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry

Two New York-based creatives — sculptor Valerie Merians and writer Dennis Loy Johnson — founded Melville House in the aftermath of 9/11. Their inaugural title was a poetry anthology collection thoughtful, devastating responses to the attacks from the likes of Pulitzer winners and New York State poets. These days, Melville House continues to engage with both politics and high art. Their nonfiction titles tackle tough issues like CIA torture and presidential malfeasance, while their fiction program elevates emerging talents and underrated international writers — voices overlooked by corporate publishing.

Hit title: Cat Out of Hell by Lynne Truss

Best known for: Journalism, Literary Fiction

Accepts unagented submissions? No

Microcosm Publishing

Publisher of: Nonfiction

The playful, punk-adjacent Microcosm Publishing considers itself the “most colorful, authentic, and empowering publishing house” in Portland's vibrant indie publishing scene. It’s a bold claim, but one borne out by the press’s DIY mindset, its centering of marginalized creators, and its exclusive use of recycled printing paper. Microcosm emerged as a zine distributor run out of founder Joe Biel’s bedroom, and it’s hung onto that sense of grit even after decades of expansion. Their strongest titles tend to be no-nonsense handbooks full of actionable instructions.

Hit title: Making Stuff and Doing Things by Kyle Bravo (editor)

Best known for: How-To Guides

Accepts unagented submissions? Yes , in the form of Queries, view guidelines

Milkweed Editions

Publisher of: Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry

This Minneapolis-based press takes inspiration from its botanical namesake. Just as milkweed feeds the transformation of caterpillars into monarch butterflies, Milkweed Editions supports emerging and experimental writers, giving them a home for their work to flourish. Its catalogue is an exercise in artistic risk-taking: full of intricately textured novels, cerebral and raw memoirs, and some of the finest verse by young poets.

Hit title: Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Best known for: Poetry Collections

Accepts unagented submissions? Yes , in the form of Contest Entries , view guidelines

New Directions Publishing

Publisher of: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Short Fiction

This indie publisher got its start because Ezra Pound didn’t believe in a certain Harvard undergrad’s future in poetry. James Laughlin, then a college sophomore, went to the legendary modernist for advice. And Pound, who had been critiquing his work all semester, urged him to give up writing and “do something useful” instead. Thus New Directions Publishing was born. Laughlin retained a love for verse, so the budding press’s first books were poetry anthologies and collections by the greats — including Pound. These days, New Directions boasts a rich collection of fiction and criticism as well, especially works in translation.

Hit title: The Emissary by Yoko Tawada and Margaret Mitsutani (translator)

Best known for: Literary Fiction, Poetry Collections

Accepts unagented submissions? No

Noemi Press

Publisher of: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Short Fiction

Founded in 2002, Noemi Press operates out of Blacksburg, Virginia, where it publishes both new and established writers — especially women, queer people, and people of color. Their titles are often described as part something, part something else, and you can fill in the blanks to build all kinds of fascinating, extremely high-brow combos: say “autofiction” and “sequential critical engagement”, or “family gothic” and “queer historiography”. Even books that don’t have this genre mashup quality feel pieced together, in the best way, mixing forms and textures to produce writing that feels wholly new.

Hit title: Her 37th Year, An Index by Suzanne Scanlon

Best known for: Literary Fiction, Memoir

Accepts unagented submissions? Yes , in the form of Contest Entries, view guidelines

Press 53

Publisher of: Nonfiction, Poetry, and Short Fiction

Press 53 titles are set apart by their fearlessly anti-commercial tenor. This indie publisher specializes in publishing poets and short story writers — in other words, the kind of authors who have trouble landing book deals at more mainstream presses. Their backlist shows an interest in experimentation: look for innovative forms like flash fiction, prose poetry, and linked short stories that come together to form a novel. Based in North Carolina, Press 53 looks for great writing by authors from all over the US.

Hit title: What the Zhang Boys Know by Clifford Garstang

Best known for: Literary Fiction

Accepts unagented submissions? Yes , in the form of Contest Entries, view guidelines

Quirk Books

Publisher of: Fiction and Nonfiction

Quirk Books is best known for publishing Seth Grahame-Smith’s brilliant decision to mash up Regency romance and B-movie horror, a title that ultimately became an NYT bestseller — not to mention a Lily James-led film. True to its name, this Philly-based indie press injects a whole lot of whimsy into the literary world. Quirk’s publishing program is unabashedly reader-centric, aiming to produce “objects of delight and desire”. Its titles — from humorous essays on celebrity to LGBT-affirming picture books — are clever, irreverent, and eminently giftable.

Hit title: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith

Best known for: How-To Guides, Humor, Science Fiction & Fantasy, YA

Accepts unagented submissions? Yes , in the form of Book Proposals, Full Manuscripts, view guidelines

Rare Bird Books

Publisher of: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Short Fiction

LA-based Rare Bird Books has a strong affinity for edgy, whip-smart titles on sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll: think candid sex worker memoirs and deep dives into the London music scene of the ‘70s. Besides nonfiction, Rare Bird widely publishes a number of genres over its various imprints. California Coldblood, for instance, presides over the press’s speculative fiction titles, while Barnacle Books takes care of crime fiction. As a whole, their titles are both progressive and compulsively readable, no matter if it’s PG-friendly or NSFW.

Hit title: Camgirl by Isa Mazzei

Best known for: Memoir, Mysteries, Science Fiction & Fantasy

Accepts unagented submissions? No

Soho Press

Publisher of: Fiction and Short Fiction

This Manhattan-based press releases 90 books a year, making it relatively big for an indie publisher. It’s especially well-known among mystery connoisseurs for its Soho Crime imprint, which specializes in top-notch thrillers with a strong sense of place, a bit like traditional detective fiction crossed with travelogue. Whether it takes place in Denmark or Thailand, a Soho Crime title will set the scene so vividly you’ll feel you’re walking alongside the detective down those minutely rendered streets. Soho also publishes YA through Soho Teen and literary fiction through Soho Press proper.

Hit title: The Thief by Fuminori Nakamura and Satoko Izumo (translator)

Best known for: Literary Fiction, Mysteries, YA

Accepts unagented submissions? Yes , in the form of Full Manuscripts, view guidelines

Tachyon Publications

Publisher of: Fiction, Nonfiction, and Short Fiction

This San Francisco-based small press has been publishing thoughtful speculative fiction since 1995, sweeping up a full slate of high-profile nominations on the way, from the Hugo to the Nebula and beyond. Their sustained excellence has earned them legendary status in the eyes of hardcore sci-fi fans, although they occasionally dip into other, less speculative genres like memoir and mystery. Tachyon Publications’ bread and butter are its famous science fiction short story collections, which routinely earn glowing reviews from the likes of Booklist and Library Journal.

Hit title: In Calabria by Peter S. Beagle

Best known for: Science Fiction & Fantasy, YA

Accepts unagented submissions? No

Filter your search

Accepts unagented submissions?

Independent publishers are a huge part of the literary landscape. Together, they’ve gone viral, scored film contracts, and fielded contenders for every literary prize under the sun, starting with the Pulitzer.

Look through our handpicked list of the best indie presses for a host of places that can make your publishing dreams come true. Filter by category, genre, and submissions format — and whether they’re taking unagented submissions.

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