Best Independent Publishers

Award-winning indie presses, curated by Reedsy

Showing 36 publishers that match your search 🔦 reset

The Feminist Press

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

This independent publisher emerged in the 1970s, out of second wave feminism’s heyday. Its first print runs were dedicated to foundational women’s studies texts, biographies, and rediscovered feminist literary classics like "The Yellow Wallpaper." These days, FP’s growing list speaks to a much more modern brand of feminism, sensitive to issues of race, sexuality, and gender identity. Since 2017, the press has been headed by Jamia Wilson, its youngest-ever director — and the first woman of color to serve at the organization’s helm. Under her leadership, the press puts out exciting, impeccably crafted books by diverse writers.

Hit title: Training School for Negro Girls by Camille Acker

Best known for: Biography, Essay Collections, Literary Fiction

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

The Permanent Press

Publisher of: Fiction

Founded in 1978, The Permanent Press is best known for their robust catalogue of thrillers, including several long-running, cult-hit series. Still, you don’t have to write about murder most foul to end up in their stable of talent, though a tautly paced mystery will go a long way to catching the editorial staff’s attention. In the end, this indie press looks at novels of all genres — as long as they offer a tale well told. Their recent releases have included several LGBT-interest titles.

Hit title: The Last Refuge by Chris Knopf

Best known for: Mysteries

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

Tin House Books

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

Tin House’s legendary literary magazine may have shuttered its doors 2019, but their book publishing program is still going strong. Originally launched as an Bloomsbury imprint, Tin House Books spun off into an indie publisher in 2005. They release around 12 books a year often from first-time authors. Tin House Books publishes fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, and they have a penchant for lush, character-driven contemporary novels, playful essay collections, and memoirs that delve into complex relationships with uncompromising insight.

Hit title: Things We Didn't Talk About When I Was a Girl by Jeannie Vanasco

Best known for: Essay Collections, Literary Fiction, Memoirs

Accepts unagented submissions? No

Tupelo Press

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

This Massachusetts-based press prides itself on the high production value of its titles, which range from novels and creative nonfiction to poetry. They treat their books as art objects — “a joy,” in the press’s own words, “to hold as well as read.” Crack open those impeccably printed pages, and you’ll find artful language, unsurpassed lyricism, and playful experimentation with form, no matter what the genre. The bulk of Tupelo Press's catalogue consists of poetry collections, although they also publish literary fiction and creative nonfiction.

Hit title: Good Bones by Maggie Smith

Best known for: Poetry Collections

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

Unnamed Press

Publisher of: Fiction, Nonfiction, and Short Fiction

Founded in 2014, this LA-based publisher is relatively young. But it’s already assembled a formidable stable of talent: rising star Esmé Weijun Wang shares shelf space with Booker, Pulitzer, and Philip K Dick Prize winners. Many of their titles are multicultural family dramas, full of complex relationships and pitch-perfect characterization. However, their catalogue ranges beyond literary fiction to embrace highbrow speculative fiction, collections of journalism, and even self-help books.

Hit title: The Border of Paradise by Esmé Weijun Wang

Best known for: Literary Fiction

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

Verso Books

Publisher of: Fiction and Nonfiction

Named after the left-hand page, this left-leaning publisher has been furnishing reading material for prospective revolutionaries since 1970. No wonder Harper’s hailed it as “Anglo-America’s preeminent radical press.” They lean more literary theory than literary fiction, offering sharp, syllabus-ready books across the full slate of humanities and social science disciplines, from Anthropology to Race and Ethnicity. Though many of their writers belong to the professoriate, Verso Books isn’t a university press. Their nonfiction, though intellectually rigorous, tends to be snappier than your usual academic fare.

Hit title: Females: A Concern by Andrea Long Chu

Best known for: Biography, History, Journalism

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

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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.