Are you looking for a list of book publishers in the North of England?
Below, we’ve featured 17 top publishing houses based in Northern England.
1. And Other Stories
Founded in 2009, And Other Stories is an independent book publisher located in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. They are known for being the first literary fiction publisher in the UK to offer subscriptions for books in advance of publication. Books they have published include Down the Rabbit Hole by Juan Pablo Villalobos, All the Lights by Clemens Myers, Swimming Home by Deborah Levy, and Lightning Rods by Helen DeWitt, among others.
And Other Stories is temporarily closed for submissions at the moment, but they will reopen in February of 2020. In the meantime, you can check out their submission guidelines here. You can also subscribe to their newsletter to get notified as soon as submissions reopen. To get a better idea of the kind of books they are interested in, read the 11 Commandments of Book Selection posted on their website. Feel free to send them an email should you have any general inquiries.
2. Dead Ink Books
Dead Ink Books is an experimental literary publisher located in Liverpool. They are part of the Northern Fiction Alliance, a publishing collective that aims to showcase the diversity and creativity of publishing houses in the North of England. Dead Ink Books was founded in 2011, and since then, they have built a reputation for taking literary risks and nurturing the careers of new and emerging authors. They have published the works of Naomi Booth, Lee Rourke, Karen Havelin, Lucie McKnight Hardy, and many others.
Dead Ink Books periodically accepts submissions. If you’d like to get notified about their future submission periods, you can join their mailing list. You can also get in touch with them through their online contact form for any additional questions.
3. Carnacet Press
Carnacet Press is an independent literary publisher based in Manchester. Originally founded as a literary magazine in 1962, they have since grown into one of the leading publishers in the UK. Although they mainly publish poetry, they also publish fiction, literary criticism, and other genres through their various imprints. Their imprints include Carnacet Poetry, Carnacet Classics, Carnacet Fiction, Carnacet Film, Lives and Letters, Northern House, and several others.
Carnacet Press has an annual submissions period which takes place in July of each year. Submissions sent outside that period will not be considered for publication. You can learn more by checking out their submission guidelines here. For general inquiries, you can reach Carnacet Press via email.
4. Peepal Tree Press
Founded in 1985, Peepal Tree Press is an independent publisher based in Leeds. They are also a member of the Northern Fiction Alliance, publishing fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. Since their establishment, they have produced more than 300 titles, and around 20 new ones are added to their list each year. They mainly publish Caribbean writing, as well as works written by Black British authors. Their most recent releases include The Frequency of Magic by Anthony Joseph, Tangling with the Epic by Kwame Dawes, A Portable Paradise by Roger Robinson, and Unknown Soldier by Seni Seneviratne.
Peepal Tree Press is always open for submissions. If you feel like your work fits Peepal Tree’s publishing scope, you can check out their guidelines and submit your manuscript through their Submittable page. Should you have any other questions, you can reach the Peepal Tree Press team through their contact form.
5. Bluemoose Books
Founded in 2006, Bluemoose Books is an independent publisher based in West Yorkshire. They are also a part of the Northern Fiction Alliance, and they primarily publish fiction written for adults. Many of their books have won or been shortlisted for a number of literary awards, including the Walter Scott Prize, the Portico Literature Prize, the Tom Gallon Prize, and more.
Bluemoose Books always welcomes submissions from authors. Please note, however, that they are not interested in poetry, children’s books, or young adult fiction. If you would like to submit your work, you can email them the first three chapters of your manuscript along with a synopsis. For general inquiries, you can use the contact form on their website.
6. Bloodaxe Books
Located in Northumberland, Bloodaxe Books is a UK publisher that has been revolutionizing the world of poetry publishing for more than 40 years. The books they have published over the decades have gone on to win nearly every literary prize for poetry, including the T.S. Eliot Prize, the Pulitzer Prize, and the Nobel Prize. Some of their most notable publications include the Bloodaxe Book of Contemporary Women Poets, Hinterland by E.A. Markham, Staying Alive: Real Poems for Unreal Times, and Strong Words: Modern Poets on Modern Poetry.
Bloodaxe Books does accept submissions, but they are only interested in submissions from poets whose poems have previously been published in reputable literary magazines. For more information about submitting your work to Bloodaxe Books, you can check out their submission guidelines here.
7. Comma Press
Comma Press is a Manchester-based publishing house and another member of the Northern Fiction Alliance. The press specializes in producing short story anthologies, as well as single-author collections, in both digital and print formats. They also publish translated works from around the world. Their bestselling titles include In Another Country: Selected Stories, Protest: Stories of Resistance, and Refugee Tales, among others.
Comma Press is currently closed for submissions of single-author collections, but they do run an annual short fiction contest. They also post occasional calls for submissions for their anthologies. For more information, you can take a look at their submission guidelines here. You can also contact them via email should you have any other questions.
8. Valley Press
Founded in 2008, Valley Press is an independent publisher located in North Yorkshire. In the 11 years they have been operating, they have worked with hundreds of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry writers, not just from Yorkshire and the UK, but from all over the world. Their latest releases include Sky Light Rain by Judy Darley, Remarkable Occurrences by Patrick Lodge, Darwin’s Microscope by Kelley Swain, and The Beneficiaries by Sarah Penny, among others.
Valley Press is not open for submissions at the moment. Should you have any questions for the Valley Press team, you can get in touch with them through their online contact form.
9. Scratching Shed Publishing
Also based in Yorkshire, Scratching Shed Publishing is an independent publisher that was established in 2008. One of their main goals is to produce books inspired by Northern English culture, but in recent years, they have widened their scope to include books written by national and international authors. They publish both fiction and non-fiction on a range of topics, including local history, current affairs, biography, travel, politics, music, performing arts, sports, and more.
Scratching Shed Publishing happily accepts submissions directly from authors. However, they ask that you introduce your idea via email before sending a copy of your manuscript. Learn more about their submission guidelines here. If you have any additional questions, you can contact them through the form on their website.
10. Saraband
Saraband is an independent publisher located in Salford. They are home to books that are best described as offbeat and imaginative, and they take pride in providing a platform for underrepresented voices and emerging writers. Saraband specializes in literary fiction, historical fiction, and non-fiction about history, nature, and the environment. Through their crime imprint, Contraband, they publish fiction in the following genres: crime, mystery, dystopia, and transgressive voices.
Saraband does accept unsolicited submissions, but they cannot guarantee that every submission will be responded to. If you would like to submit your work, you can send them a proposal including a synopsis, a sample chapter, and a brief author bio. Submissions and other inquiries may be sent to them via email.
11. Myrmidon Books
Founded in 2006, Myrmidon Books is a UK publishing house based in Newcastle upon Tyne. They specialize in publishing literary and genre fiction, and their catalogue features a broad range of styles—from comedic science fiction to high literature. Books they have published include The Horse Changer by Craig Smith, The Spy Who Came for Christmas by David Morrell, and A Game of Battleships by Toby Frost, among others.
Should you be interested in submitting your work to Myrmidon Books, you can read their submission guidelines here. They welcome submissions from both agents and authors. For general inquiries and other concerns, you can reach Myrmidon Books through their contact form.
12. Tartarus Press
Based in Yorkshire, Tartarus Press is an independent book publisher that specializes in strange and macabre fiction. Their catalogue includes classic works by authors such as Oliver Onions, Hugh Walpole, Arthur Machen, and Nugent Barker, as well as works by contemporary authors such as Reggie Oliver, Mark Valentine, Angela Slatter, and Andrew Michael Hurley.
At the moment, Tartarus Press is interested in reading submissions of novels and short story collections. You can learn more about the kind of books they are looking for by checking out their submission guidelines. You can also contact them via email.
13. Wrecking Ball Press
Wrecking Ball Press is a small independent publishing company located in East Riding of Yorkshire. They were founded in 1997, and since then, they have been publishing innovative poetry and prose, as well as a regular anthology called The Reater. They take pride in discovering and nurturing new talent. In fact, they helped launch the careers of several award-winning authors, including Tony O’Neil, Ben Myers, and Matthew Caley.
Wrecking Ball Press is always open for submissions, and they will happily read anything from a single story to a full-length novel. You can send them your work and any other questions you might have via email. If you’d rather send them your manuscript by post, you can find their mailing address here.
14. Mayfly Press
Mayfly Press is a UK publisher partially owned and operated by New Writing North, a reading and writing development agency serving the North of England. Mayfly Press was originally founded in 2012 as Moth Publishing and was launched alongside the 2012 Northern Crime Competition. In 2015, Mayfly Press was born, and Moth Publishing became their crime imprint. Today, Mayfly Press publishes literary fiction and crime fiction from the North of England.
Mayfly Press is not accepting submissions at this time, but you can get in touch with them via email for any inquiries.
15. Vertebrate Publishing
Based in Sheffield, Vertebrate Publishing is an award-winning publisher specializing in books about the outdoors, including some of the UK’s most comprehensive mountain biking guidebooks. They also publish books on climbing, cycling, running, and walking, as well as adventure-themed narrative non-fiction.
If you have a manuscript or book idea you think Vertebrate Publishing might be interested in, you can send them a proposal via email or post. For more information, check out their submission guidelines here. For general inquiries, you can contact Vertebrate Publishing through their online contact form.
16. Blossom Spring Publishing
Based in North Yorkshire, Blossom Spring Publishing is an independent publishing house that specializes in both fiction and non-fiction. They also publish illustrated children’s books. Titles on their list include A Jar Full of Angel Feathers by Susan Russell, Death in Sepia by Peter Townsend, Count on the Farm by Maureen Crofts, and Closing Shop by Darren Walker, among others.
Blossom Spring is currently open for submissions. In fiction, they are most interested in children’s fiction, psychological thrillers, commercial women’s fiction, and mystery. In non-fiction, they are looking for books on health and well-being, food and drink, and humor. Learn more by checking out their submission guidelines here. If you have any additional questions, you can reach them through their online contact form.
17. Armley Press
Armley Press is an independent publishing company proudly based in Leeds. They mainly publish books that challenge the status quo, particularly works that might be too gritty for mainstream publishers. Some of the authors they have published include Samantha Priestly, Ray Brown, K.D. Thomas, and Nathan O’Hagan.
Armley Press is always interested in hearing new ideas. Although they are open to pretty much anything, they are most interested in works inspired by Leeds culture, as well as works that feature diverse and unorthodox voices. If you have an idea you’d like to pitch to the Armley Press team, you can get in touch with them through the contact form on their website.
Are there any other book publishers in the North of England that should be on this list? Please tell us about them in the comments box below!
Hiten Vyas is the Founder and Managing Editor of Writing Tips Oasis.