Are you an author in Baltimore, Frederick, Annapolis, Bethesda, Rockville, or another city in Maryland?
Have you just written a book and are looking for a suitable book publisher?
Continue reading to learn about 16 top book publishing companies in Maryland.
1. Arrow Publications, LLC
Founded in 2003, Arrow Publications is an independent publishing company that specializes in publishing romance novels. Some of their titles include “In Pursuit of Miriam” by Helen A. Grant, “Beloved Rivals” by Cynthia White, and “Summer Love” by Liana Metal. The produce books primarily in ebook format, but can also publish in print, to better assist their authors in reaching a wider readership regardless of reading preference.
While they are currently not accepting submissions, they strongly encourage you to check back at a later time. If you’re an aspiring romance writer, Arrow Publication’s has a great deal of resources to help you start your career in the romance genre. If you have any general inquiries or questions, you can contact Arrow Publication’s editorial team via email or through their website’s online contact form.
2. Bancroft Press
Bancroft Press is an independent publishing company that publishes fiction, nonfiction, and even study guides for high school and college-level students. With over twenty years of experience in the publishing field, they know exactly how to guide their authors through the publishing process. Some of their recent titles include “Changing Michael” by Jeff Schilling, “The Salt Marsh King” by Drew Krepp, and “Contract City” by Mark Falkin.
They are currently accepting submissions and highly encourage you to first send a query letter. Due to the high volume of submissions that they receive, they ask that you allow up to six months for a response. If you’re submitting a work of fiction, they ask that you submit the entire manuscript, provide a cover letter with a synopsis, author bio, and information on your intended audience. If you’ve written a nonfiction project, they ask that you either submit your entire manuscript or the first five chapters for their consideration. You can send your submission via email or through their website’s online contact form.
3. Corn Crib Publishing
Corn Crib Publishing is a micro-publishing company that focusses on publishing high quality illustrated children’s books. Several of their publications have even gone on to win awards like the Indie Award for Excellence for Children’s Books and The Mom’s Choice Gold Book Award. Some of their titles include “The Sunflower Squirrel” by Laara C Oakes and “A Farmer’s Alphabet” by Charles Long.
If you’re interested in working with Corn Crib Publishing and believe that you have a project that would be well-suited for them, you can send a query letter via their website’s online contact form. Be sure to mention the title of your project, the approximate length, a brief author bio, attach any relevant illustrations, and a synopsis of your work. If they’re interested in your project, they should get back to you promptly.
4. MB Publishing
MB Publishing was founded in 2003 by Margie Blumberg in Bethesda, Maryland. This independent publishing house primarily publishes books for children, middle grade readers, and young adult fiction. Some of their titles include “A Gefilte Fishy Tale” by Allison and Wayne Marks, “The Secret of Haney Field” by R.M. Clark, and “Avram’s Gift” by Margie Blumberg.
They are currently accepting submissions and are actively looking for new writers with interesting and unique stories to tell. They ask that you include the first two chapters and the last chapter of your manuscript, attach any illustrations (if applicable), a synopsis of your story, a brief author bio, and comparable titles that you feel best demonstrates your books potential. You can use their online contact form to put through a submission.
5. Rosarium Publishing
Founded in 2013, Rosarium Publishing is a small publishing house that specializes in producing works of speculative fiction, comics, and crime fiction. Some of their recent titles include “Ink” by Sabrina Vourvoulias, “Exile” by Lisa M. Bradley, and “Taty Went West” by Nikhil Singh.
If you’re interested in working with Rosarium Publishing, you can send them a query letter via their online contact form. Be sure to provide a synopsis of your manuscript, provide your contact information, a brief author bio, and a few sample chapters of your work. If they’re interested in your project, they will reach out to you promptly. You can also use their online contact form to ask any general questions that you may have.
6. Rowman & Littlefield
Rowman & Littlefield is a publishing house that focuses on producing books about humanities and social studies, books about government and official data, as well as nonfiction educational works. Their titles include bestsellers like “The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy” by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko, as well as “The Only Astrology Book You’ll Ever Need” by Joanna Martine Woolfolk.
If you have a project that you believe would be a good fit with Rowman & Littlefield, they encourage you to first get in contact with the appropriate acquisitions editor via email. They require that you provide an annotated table of contents, your resume, one or two sample chapters, a list of potential peer reviewers, and any information you can provide about your social networking platform to assist in marketability. For more information about their submission guidelines, click here.
7. The Omnibus Publishing
Based out of Baltimore, Maryland and founded in 1998, The Omnibus Publishing specializes in publishing children’s picture books, middle grade fiction, and young adult fiction. Some of their titles include “The Pigs Did It!” by Candy Grant, “Sometimes Sleep” by Jon Nordstrom, and “Pumpkin Pie” by Katelyn Brawn.
The team at Omnibus Publishing is actively on the lookout for new authors and illustrators. If you have a manuscript ready for submission or a book proposal, they would love to hear from you! You can reach out with a query letter through their website’s online contact form. For those interested, they highly recommend that you review their submission guidelines before proceeding.
8. Ibex Publishers
Established in 1979, Ibex Publishers specializes in producing books that promote Persian language, literature, culture, and history. Some of their most recent titles include “Your Mother-in-Law Loves You” by Rebecca Joubin, “The Calling” by Hussein Ahdieh and Hillary Chapman, and “The Cannon” by Gholam-Hossein Sa’edi.
Ibex Publishers is always on the look out for new talent and are always open to receiving book proposals. They ask that you send a book prospectus for review, a description of the project, a table of contents, two sample chapters of your manuscript, a resume, and any information about your related interests and expertise. You can submit a book proposal via email. If they’re interested in your project, you should hear back shortly.
9. Apprentice House Press
Apprentice House Press works closely with Loyola University based out of Baltimore, Maryland. They produce works of fiction and nonfiction. Some of their titles include “Float Plan” by Rob Hiaasen, “Behind Silent Smiles” by Tanya J. Peterson, and “L’Amérique” by Thierry Sagnier. Because Apprentice House Press works closely with Loyola University’s creative writing program, their editorial team can help aspiring authors with every step of the publishing process.
They are currently accepting manuscripts about travel, memoirs, supernatural events or folklore, local history, and stories about current affairs and political issues. If you think that your project would be a good fit with Apprentice House, you can submit your manuscript via email. They ask that you review their submission guidelines before proceeding and fill out their Q&A document to be attached to your submission.
10. Black Classic Press
Founded in 1978, Black Classic Press helps publish and promote works by authors who identify as African. The produce books both fiction and nonfiction work, with special interest in biographies and memoirs. Some of their titles include “Early Negro Writing” by Dorothy Porter, “When We Ruled” By Robin Walker, and “Garvey & Garveyism” by Amy Jacques Garvey.
Black Classic Press is currently accepting manuscripts, but only for authors hoping to use their books for classroom/academic studies. They ask that you send a synopsis of your manuscript, an annotated table of contents, the first chapter, and what you consider your best chapter. For more information about their submission policies, click here.
11. Phoenix Pick
Phoenix Pick is an imprint of ARC Manor Publishers that specializes in producing speculative fiction. Founded in 2006 and based out of Rockville, Maryland, Phoenix Pick has a wide collection of science fiction and fantasy published in their catalogue. Some of their titles include “Humanity 2.0” edited by Alex Shvartsman, “Tucker’s Grove” by Kevin J. Anderson, and “The Burning Bridge” by Poul Anderson.
If you’re interested in working with this publishing company, you can send a query letter via email or regular mail. Be sure to mention the genre of your manuscript, as well as its length, provide a brief synopsis of your story, your contact information, provide a short author bio, and the first three chapters of your manuscript for consideration. If the editorial team at Phoenix Pick is interested, they should be in contact with you shortly to discuss the next steps in your publishing journey.
12. Wildside Press
Wildside Press specializes in publishing ebooks, but are also able to publish in print, as well. Some of their titles include “Sherlock Holmes: Found Dead” by Lyn McConchie, “School for Sleuths” by Dan Andriacco, and “Showdown at Gila Bend” by Kingsley West. They publish books about a variety of topics, including pulp fiction, games and gaming, crime anthologies, history, and Victorian mysteries.
They are currently closed to submissions, but encourage you to check back at a later date to see when they reopen. Should you have any general questions, you can still contact the team at Wildside Press via their website’s online contact form.
13. Brick House Books
Brick House Books is Maryland’s oldest small publishing press. Originally founded in 1970, Brick House publishes works of poetry, fiction, drama, and artistic nonfiction. Some of their titles include “Daingerfield Island” by John Adam Wasowicz, “What the Waking See” by J. Tarwood, and “In Gray” by Aaron Axhoj.
They are currently looking for submissions and are especially interested in working with authors who have a unique voice and writing style. Due to the high level of submissions that they receive, they ask that you allow up to six months for a response. They highly encourage you to review their submission guidelines before proceeding. They do not accept queries or submissions via regular mail.
14. Flying Frog Publishing
Flying Frog Publishing is a small independent publishing house that specializes in producing illustrated and interactive children’s books. They love to work with authors who have books that are colorful, engaging, and will help educate young readers. With over twenty-five years of experience publishing books for children, they primarily target to readers between the ages of 0 to 12. They are currently not open for unsolicited manuscript submissions, but you’re more than welcome to get in contact with their editorial team via email to submit a book proposal.
15. Mascot Books
Founded in 2003, Mascot Books specializes in publishing nonfiction books concerning a wide variety of topics including business, memoirs, self-help guides, politics and current affairs, sports, and cookbooks. They have also recently branched out into trade fiction, with titles like “The Death of Dulgath” by Michael J. Sullivan and “Zosma” by Jason Michael Primrose.
The team at Mascot Books is incredibly involved with every step of the publishing process and will assist their authors with editing, writing, cover design, production, and distribution. They are always looking for new book ideas and encourage new writers to reach out via their website’s online contact form to submit a book proposal or manuscript.
16. Heritage Books
Heritage Books is known for their works of local history and genealogy all throughout the USA. Their detail-oriented focus on preserving history and family connections is what helps the publishing house strive. If you’re an author with a particular interest in either of these subjects, the editorial team at Heritage Books is more than happy to hear from you. You can contact them via email or regular mail. For more information on their submission guidelines, click here.
Are there any other book publishing companies in Maryland that need to be on this list? Please tell us about them in the comments box below!
K. Z. Kwan is a freelance writer based out of Halifax, Canada.