Are you an author who lives in New Zealand?
Are you looking for a suitable book publisher for your manuscript?
Continue reading to find out about 10 top book publishers in Auckland.
1. Hachette New Zealand
Everyone that’s dipped their toes in the publishing industry, will most likely recognise this name – Hachette Book Group is probably one of the most influential publishing companies in the world, with headquarters in the city of dreams New York, as well as offices in Australia, UK and of course, New Zealand.
Hachette New Zealand publishes a great selection of local authors’ work, but also distribute books signed with names such as J.K. Rowling, Donna Tartt, John Grisham or Nicholas Sparks. You may also recognise one of their newest additions, which is already getting incredibly positive reviews – “The Flatshare” by Beth O’Leary. Would you like to see your novel next to some of these writers’? Keep reading!
There are a few rules when it comes to submitting your book proposal to Hachette. First of all, authors need to be residents of New Zealand. In terms of genre, Hachette doesn’t accept adult fiction and non-fiction at the present time. If you’re a children’s writer however, please submit your proposal through the form here. Best of luck!
2. Beatnik Publishing
A fresh, creative group of editors and designers has been working collaboratively at Beatnik Publishing to bring authors a new, exciting opportunity for making their dreams come to life.
The independent Beatnik was founded in Auckland in 2007 by photographer and designer Sally Green, to provide authors with a publishing that celebrates unusual ideas and approaches them with positive energy and determination. You can therefore be certain, should your book be published by Beatnik, it will be the most beautifully illustrated and designed one to have ever graced readers’ shelves.
Beatnik’s catalogue features a wide selection of genres, including cookery, children’s stories, poetry, art and culture. The whole process from start to finish is managed by a dedicated team, to bring out the best book to look at, and of course read.
Undiscovered talent from New Zealand is always welcome at Beatnik – they’re waiting to hear what you’ve got to say! Familiarise yourself with the books published by Beatnik and if you think you’d be a good fit, here’s the submission enquiry form you can fill out. Expect a response within six weeks.
3. New Holland Publishers
An absolute leader when it comes to non-fiction books in New Zealand, New Holland Publishers is a small, yet mighty publishing company. They’ve been in the publishing industry since 1955, helping authors from the UK, Australia and New Zealand achieve their literary goals.
New Holland publishes books on every subject you can possibly imagine, including arts and crafts, memoirs, cooking, health, gardening and children’s. Their priority was and is quality, which can be told by beautifully designed coffee table books they produce in accordance with latest literary trends.
With more than one office, New Holland can provide international recognition to local authors and really deliver books that stand out, but can still be bought for competitive prices. Non-fiction will always be reached for by the masses, as oppose to fiction, so New Holland really knows how to invest in this genre’s future.
All manuscripts are welcome at New Holland, as long as they comply with some of their ground rules. Only hard copies will be accepted, and only successful authors will be contacted with feedback. Please allow up to three months for a response – if you haven’t heard from them, it means your application was unlucky this time. You can find more information on what to include in the proposal here.
4. Allen & Unwin New Zealand
If you’re a local Kiwi author dreaming of international publicity for your newest novel, Allen & Unwin can help make that happen. This publishing has offices not only in Auckland, but also Sydney, Melbourne and London. They’re also agents and distributors for other publishing companies and imprints, including Faber & Faber, responsible for Sally Rooney’s bestselling “Normal People.”
Allen & Unwin first started publishing in Australia in 1976, so their reputation and experience are indisputable. The company is now boasting a global outreach and full independence, their main imprint producing nearly 250 titles annually!
The New Zealand leg of the company publishes mainly novels, children’s stories and non-fiction, including history, sport, biography, cooking and heavily illustrated coffee table books. One of their newest works of fiction is “The Nancys” by R.W.R McDonald, an awarded title that’s both dark and comical.
Authors interested in submitting their manuscripts to Allen & Unwin will be thrilled to hear the publishing has introduced an innovative submission system The Friday Pitch, which makes submitting a proposal less daunting, and gives it a bigger chance of being fruitful. Only electronic submissions will be considered. More information and guidelines related to specific genres can be found here.
5. Upstart Press
If you value having an intimate, creative collaboration with your publisher throughout the entire publishing process, the small, independent Upstart Press may be one to look into.
It was founded in 2013 in Auckland North Shore to publish and distribute a diverse range of genres and subjects. The main categories found in Upstart’s catalogue are fiction, non-fiction, humour and children’s. One of the forthcoming titles, which is bound to be a major success, is a photography book by an award-winning artist Callie Shell, featuring an intimate account of the life of the Obama family, and moving stories the public will definitely love to get an insight into!
Upstart publishes both established and upcoming writers, releasing around 20 new titles each year. It’s their aim to support the local literary community of not just writers, but also illustrators and photographers – after all, a memorable book does not just contain words.
Unfortunately, due to the high volume of unsolicited fiction manuscripts received by Upstart, they will only be accepted through literary agents. Proposals for non-fiction titles, however, are still very much welcome! Please submit them as a Word document via e-mail. Guidelines on what to include in your proposal can be found here.
6. Scholastic New Zealand
Scholastic New Zealand was founded in 1962 to provide Kiwi kids with a better understanding of the world around them, through beautifully illustrated books. For over 50 years now, they’ve been making this their priority, hiring the most imaginative authors with important stories to tell.
“Open a World of Possible” has been the company’s motto since the very beginning, making it clear that their vision involves increasing literacy among kids starting from a very young age. Scholastic’s books are also meant to teach about diversity – for instance through one of their recent releases, a moving story about “Bambi the Blind Alpaca.” How incredible is that?
Scholastic provides materials not just for the youngest readers. They also wish to share their unique approach to primary education with teachers and parents, who play a big part in children encouragement when it comes to personal growth and reading habits.
Sadly, but also understandably, due to the overwhelming number of manuscripts sent, Scholastic has closed their submissions until 2020. They do however, share their wisdom and advice on how to get closer to getting published here. Illustrator submissions for New Zealand artists are open.
7. Auckland University Press
Academic writers will most definitely be interested in Auckland University Press, who are one of the leaders in scholarly publishing nationwide.
This award-winning publishing was founded in Auckland in 1966, and has since then built a vast catalogue of many thrilling subjects and fields. Their strengths remain in history, politics, art, architecture, as well as literature and poetry, but they never stop developing and broadening horizons. Science, business and health-related books are also being published currently, among those 25 titles produced annually.
Books published by AUP have gone to win many prestigious literary awards, which only proves the publishing’s reputation is so great for all the right reasons.
Should you wish to get published by Auckland University Press, you may want to submit your proposal. Familiarise yourself with the direction the press is currently taking, and then simply send a brief synopsis with bio and market analysis either electronically, or via traditional post. More details can be found on this page.
8. Massey University Press
As oppose to traditional academic presses, which are all joined by a long history and reputable, traditional curriculum, Massey University Press strikes us as modern, fresh and forward thinking.
It has only been running since 2015, but using the university’s good name, it’s been able to really put new ideas forward and constantly aspires to promoting New Zealand worldwide. It was founded by Nicola Legat, the former Publishing Director at Penguin Random House NZ.
The subject areas explored by the press are very specific, drawing on the university’s unique courses and specialist academic writers. Fields written on include agricultural science, food research, public health, creative arts, history, social studies and many, many more.
The press itself is also divided into separate imprints, each with specific goals and readership in mind. The Symposia Series has a strong research focus, MUP covers the widest range of titles, and Annual Ink is a children’s imprint for junior readers between the age of 8 and 13.
If any of the topics mentioned above (it’s not an exhaustive list) sound like a field of expertise you’d like to publish your book in, you’ll be pleased to hear MUP welcomes submissions not just from their own researchers, but also authors from outside the university. Detailed guidelines regarding academic submissions can be found here.
9. Penguin Random House New Zealand
Although we don’t think Penguin Random House even needs an introduction, this uber-successful international publishing is worth mentioning specifically in relation to New Zealand authors, who are not afraid to dream big.
Penguin’s main goal was and still is to connect editors, writers and readers into one, creative circle, strengthened by the joined passion for the written word. Hundreds of imprints, over 15,000 new titles published every year, and more than 60 Nobel Prize laureates among their published authors really do speak for themselves – to be published by Penguin, is the ultimate literary privilege.
The number of genres supported and explored by Penguin is truly endless – from Paulo Coelho to Michelle Obama, any writer can find their own unique spot within their vast catalogue. Penguin also publishes fiction for children and YA readers, as well as teaching aids.
Although so many established writers return to Penguin, they’re also not afraid to take on debut authors and make their bumpy ride a little (or a lot!) smoother. Emerging, fresh voices are in high demand always, regardless of their resumes.
Submissions are currently OPEN, as long as you send a hard copy of your proposal. An extensive submission checklist and guidelines, as well as genres NOT currently sought after, can all be found on this page. We sincerely hope you’ll be Penguin’s new hidden gem!
10. HarperCollins New Zealand
A strong finisher of our Auckland publisher compilation is of course HarperCollins, who could not be missed with over 200 years of publishing history and high stature in the literary industry worldwide.
HarperCollins has been publishing in New Zealand since 1888, boasting a forever-expanding catalogue and imprints dedicated to readers of different ages and interests. At the moment, HarperCollins publishes fiction, cookbooks, self-improvement books, romance, biography, fantasy and many more. To emphasise their endeavours in building foundations, educating and entertaining the youngest of Kiwi readers, they have also set up a separate publishing program “Kids & Teens.”
Local writers, who get published with HarperCollins, can count on the highest quality of services and international promotion. Bringing the best local authors together into one excellent literary community has always been, and still is the anchor of HarperCollins.
At present, HarperCollins is NOT considering new fiction, poetry, short stories or children’s books. If you have something else in mind that could fit well into the publishing’s current program, send a short synopsis, bio, background story and market research via e-mail. Hard copy submissions will not be considered. Additional information can be found here.
Are there any other book publishers in Auckland that you’re aware of? Please tell us about them in the comments box below!
Zofia Filipowicz is a freelance journalist living in Poland. She has graduated from De Montfort University in Britain, with a first class degree in Journalism and English Literature. Since then, she’s worked with different print and digital publications. Currently open for commission.