Are you an author based in the southeastern part of the United States?
Do you need a book publishing house?
If so, take a look at the following 4 top book publishers in Mississippi.
1. University Press of Mississippi
Based in Jackson, the Mississippi’s University Press has been known for publishing scholarly, regional titles since 1970. The publisher’s goal is to promote the history and culture of the state to the rest of the nation and beyond. UPM operates on a not-for-profit basis, collaborating with eight other universities in the state. Over the years, they have released notable titles, collections and series, selling more than 2,600,000 copies around the world not just to academics, but also a general readership. The studies published by UPM touch on many subjects, such as the African American culture, liberal arts, history of the South, folklore and more. One of the upcoming titles published under the UPM imprint is James Meredith’s Three Years in Mississippi, a striking memoir of the first black student to ever attend University of Mississippi.
UPM publishes and distributes around 80 titles annually, however it’s only a small percentage of all submissions they receive. To make sure you’ve done everything you could when sending your idea or a finished manuscript, take a look at the Submission Guidelines for more details.
2. Quail Ridge Press
A food-focused publishing that boasts a long and interesting history of making the readers’ mouths water. Quail Ridge was founded in Brandon in 1978, when the wife of UPM’s director, Gwen McKee, didn’t want a rejected Christmas cookbook to not see daylight and so published it herself! Quail Ridge has released plenty of cookbooks since then, including the state specialities series Best of the Best State that, quite naturally, started off with a book dedicated to the southern delicacies of Mississippi. There’s a lot of personality and heart that Gwen and her partner-friend have put into this publishing, and as they’re both family women and foodies, they can be trusted to know what’s good. The Quail Ridge catalogue bursts with great photography and tried-and-tested regional recipes, but the publishers are still branching out into books dedicated to kids, special diets or busy on-the-go cooks. Their cookbook with pressure cooker recipes only (Great Food Fast by Bob Warden) has received the New York Times Bestseller title!
Quail Ridge Press is open for submissions and offers professional publishing help throughout the entire process. More information about submitting a manuscript can be found in their Writer’s Guidelines.
3. Great American Publishers
This Lena-based independent publisher also specialises in cookbooks, always ensuring they’re the ones to be used and enjoyed, not just serving a decorative purpose. With their focus on practicality, Great American publish home cooking recipe books, regional series, as well as travel cookbook-guide hybrids that come in handy when exploring new cuisines and restaurants, perhaps while doing the typical, American road trip. Preserving traditions through cooking is of great value for this small publishing company, so all recipes are passed on through generations of passionate cooks. The approach to writing cookbooks is also very authentic – instead of bombarding the reader with exotic ingredients that are hard to get one’s hands on, it is preferred that they are simple and found ‘right on the doorstep.’
At the moment, manuscript submissions to Great American are welcomed and carefully reviewed in a relatively short space of time (4-6 weeks). To know more, read the information on Manuscript Submission on their website.
4. Sartoris Literary Group
If you’re looking for a publisher that appreciates tradition, but also recognises the need to move with the times, Sartoris Literary Group is the company for you. By publishing both in print and e-book form, they are definitely well equipped for the future. The scope of genres published by Sartoris is also impressive, with both fiction and non-fiction titles that include contemporary short story anthologies, young adult novels, as well as memoir and guides touching all sort of subjects – health, wellness and travel to name a few. In comparison to major publishing houses, Sartoris offer better financial prospects and are not afraid to take on books that may be a bit controversial or too concerned with regionality and the South. A recent publication concerns one of the most iconic musicians, Elvis Presley, as it’s a biography of his lifelong manager. The book has already been praised, which surely is down to the author, but also the dedicated publisher.
In regards to submissions, Sartoris have a convenient online form you can fill out with a summary or brief details about your book. The publisher is always on the lookout for new talents, however those who already published with Sartoris are prioritised.
Do you know any other book publishers in Mississippi? 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.