In present-day publishing, academic publications are as rife as esoteric erotic romances.
Lost in a genre somewhere in-between is the modern writer and their manuscript.
Inside each of us is a story. A story that screams to be told, yet within the resounding effects of making your idea known comes a string of necessary consequences. Yet these repercussions at the same time become easier to manage and become great assets if a bit of guidance is given.
For those publishing in the New Jersey area, or in actuality anywhere in the globe, here is a comprehensive list of 16 top book publishing companies in New Jersey.
1. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Headquartered in Hoboken, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., otherwise known as Wiley, is a well-known publishing company which specializes in learning and education based books. Famous for the “For Dummies” series, the company was founded by Charles Wiley in 1807, however it expanded to business education in 1982. Ever since, Wiley has lead the way for instructional, self-help writing and amassed numerous accolades such as is references by over 450 Nobel laureates across every category. Submissions are divided and available for global education (the sciences, maths, engineering and accounting), professional development and global research (reference works, journals, and electronic books). Wiley is a large publisher with many specialized branches. Be sure to check their guidelines to their different business types before submitting a proposal and manuscript.
2. Princeton University Press
Princeton University Press is a renowned academic publisher who carries a precise set of proposal guidelines for submissions; however given the long lineage of thriving publications since its founding by Whitney Darrow in 1905, the formality is well-worth the effort. Carrying Nobel Prize winning authors such as J.M. Coetzee for “Lives of Animals” & “Landscape with Rovers” and Mario Vargas Llosa for “The Temptation of the Impossible”, the success of Princeton University Press is undeniable. Science, philosophy, political theory, ancient history, archaeology, anthropology, religion, finance, biology, neuroscience, mathematics, natural history, field guides, art, technology and global development are the primary categories of interest. Submit your proposal via any of the contacts found here, but be sure to take note of the guidelines.
3. Whiskey Creek Press
Whiskey Creek Press is based in Jersey City and is a publisher of fiction in both print and eBook formats. As an imprint of Start Publishing with a focus on romance, general literature and fantasy, many successful authors are carried by this publishing house. Authors such as Kai Strand with her popular titles for teens such as “Finding Thor” and “Polar Opposites”, and CR Daems, author of “The Riss Series”, make for prime examples of the genre-challenging fiction which has been popularized by this publisher. The guideline for submissions via email can be found here. Whiskey Creek Press also has an imprint called Torrid Books that focuses upon the publishing of sensual and erotic romance stories. Be sure to give it a look as well.
4. Rutgers University Press
Situated in South Orange, New Jersey, is Rutgers University Press. As a leading academic publisher, Rutgers accepts manuscripts across most scholarly fields. This includes work concerning film and media, Latino and American studies, social sciences, regional discourses, criminology, health & medicine, anthropology, human-rights, Jewish studies and gender-related works. While fiction and poetry is no longer published, the university press is renowned for both its print and electronic editions of a range of books. Non-fiction titles such as Eric Weinberg and Donna Shaw’s “Blood on Their Hands”, divulging the insider information in the battle against blood-clotting aids medicine, are great examples of the style best suited to Rutgers. Feel free to submit your work via this page, while a full F.A.Q. is given here.
5. Markus Wiener Publishers
Markus Wiener Publishers is an independent publishing house located in Princeton, New Jersey. As a premier publisher of academic and trade books, as well as some of the most important books concerning Caribbean, African and Middle Eastern history, Markus Wiener accepts submissions of manuscripts concerning these fields. While the before-mentioned are preferred, all non-fiction subjects relating to world history in general are considered. Prime examples of their publishing preference can be found across their extensive catalogue. Titles such as “Jihad: A History in Documents” from the University of Amsterdam’s Rudolph F. Peters and “African Slavery, Past and Present” by Alice Bellagamba, Sandra E. Green and Martin Klein serve as great examples. Feel free to submit the title of your proposed book along-with a one-page description and a brief author biography to Markus Wiener Publishers via email, or visit their contact us page.
6. Plexus Publishing
If you are looking for a publisher who specializes in novels taking place along the Jersey Shore, then look no further than Plexus Publishing. Established in 1977 and operating from Medford, New Jersey, Plexus specializes in biology and ecology, yet carries a range of books concerning life sciences of all forms. The only fiction published are the Jersey Shore novels such as “Adventures Along the Jersey Shore” by Dave Hart and John Calu, and “The Last Newspaperman” by Mark Di Ionno, an author well known as foremost tabloid authority in the Jersey Shore area revealing the ruthless nature of modern media. Printed proposals and printed book submissions are preferred with full details regarding the process being provided here. As with many publishers, only the first three chapters of your manuscript are requested.
7. Career Press
Career Press is a leading publisher and distributor of non-fiction books concerning practical self-improvement. Situated in Wayne, New Jersey, and founded in 1985, Career Press has an extensive backlist carrying over one-thousand titles. Categories include books covering business & career topics, small business strategies, study aids, parenting, spirituality and any discourse aimed at informing, advising and educating the reader. Best sellers include titles such as “Secrets of Power Negotiating” by Roger Dawson, which delves into negotiations, gambits, body language and more, while “Thriving in the Gig Economy” by Marion McGovern, is a prime example of their preferred out-the-box thinking. Full details concerning submissions can be found here, alternatively Career Press can also be contacted via the details on this page.
8. P&R Publishing
P&R Publishing, or Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, is a publishing company founded in 1930 which is dedicated to the publication of books promoting biblical understanding and general religious topics. If you are a writer who seeks to publish a religious work in accordance with the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms, then this is the perfect publisher for you. They not only cover non-fiction, but also books concerning youth development, gospel-driven fiction, Christian lifestyle topics and apologetics. For a perfect example of the preferred style of this publisher, one can look at “Revelation” by Richard D. Phillips. Discussing and interpreting the Book of Revelation, this is a good reference to their preferred non-fiction style, while books such as “The Dark Harvest Trilogy” exhibit Christian fantasy as preferred by P&R. A full guide to the P&R Publishing submission process is available on their site, while you can download the submission form itself here.
9. Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing Group
Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing Group is a publisher based in Montclair who specializes in books pertaining to the performing arts and music. Since its founding in 1947, this publisher makes a part of Amadeus Press who publishes a full range of books concerning classic music and opera, while submissions of theatre, cinema related books, biographies, play scripts, monologues and discourses on film and theatre history are also welcomed. Notable works include books such as “Leading Tones” by Leonard Slatkin, looking at the world of a music conductor, and the visionary “The Storyteller’s Dilemma”, discussing the pitfalls plaguing modern media creators in the digital age. Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing Group is a top choice for any music writer looking to be published. Submit your manuscript here, or feel free to contact them via this form.
10. Lethe Press
Lethe Press is an independent publishing company, based in Maple Shade, with a specialization in speculative fiction, and works concerning alternative cultures, lifestyles and sexual-orientation. From adaptations such as “Bear City – The Novel” by Lawrence Ferber, depicting Doug Langway’s screenplay, a satirical tale of an urban, upbeat gay community of men referring to themselves as ‘Bears’, to the “Tincture” range of books catering to the LGBT community, Lethe Press covers many fringe genres. Headed up by Steve Berman, full submission details are available on their website here.
11. Behrman House
If you are a writer who specialises in Jewish writing, then Behrman House in Springfield should be a definite consideration for your publishing. Established in 1883 by Louis Behrman, this Jewish book house has been a leading publisher of Jewish educational material, academic books, children’s stories and fiction for many years. One had just look at “Bible Stories for Little Children” by Linda Motzkin and “Finding Each Other in Judaism” written by Harold M. Schulweis, to get a clear idea of the range which is preferred by Behrman House. Today the company is headed up by David Behrman, son of Louis, and the company continues to supply countless institutions with educational materials, resulting in numerous accolades including the 2016 award for New Jersey Family Business of the Year. Digital submissions are preferred with all books of a Jewish nature being eligible for publication. You can access their submission guidelines via their homepage, or alternatively use the contact details provided here.
12. Silicon Press
Silicon Press is a publisher of not only books, but audio cd’s, technology briefs and technology reports as well. Operating from Summit, New Jersey, Silicon Press is a publishing company which specializes in books pertaining to technology. Both fiction and non-fiction are permissible, with non-fiction titles covering programming, software, networking, database development and all other technical subjects being preferred. For a reference to their style, in regards to technical non-fiction it is open-ended, while “Fifty-Fifty” by Robbie Clipper Sethi shows fiction that integrates travel, globalization and communications. If you are a technology writer or a writer with a manuscript concerning technology in any way, you can find their submission guidelines here, with contact possible via email.
13. Just Us Books, Inc.
Just Us Books, Inc. in Newark, is one of the USA’s leading independent publishers of black-interest children’s books. Headed up by Wade and Cheryl Hudson and started in 1987, Just Us Books began by publishing manuscripts aimed to teach the alphabet using themes which resonate with a black audience. Today they carry a diverse range of fiction and non-fiction. Biographies, picture books, children’s books, conventional fiction, and chapter-books concerning black interests are eligible for publication. New releases include the “Book of Black Heroes” by Gilbert L. Robertson and Derrick Barnes’s “We Could Be Brothers”, great examples of non-fiction and fiction consecutively. While submissions are possible under the guidelines provided on their contact page, unsolicited submissions should be avoided.
14. Echoic Mobile Press
As a relatively new book publishing company, Echoic Mobile Press was established in 2015 and operates out of New Jersey. With a specialization in technology, comics, graphic novels and multiple path stories, Echoic Mobile Press publishers primarily through digital platforms. Interactive stories are the primary medium which is preferred by Echoic Mobile Press. If you are a writer who focuses on interactive storyline-based novels, be sure to make a submission via email after reviewing the submission guide here.
15. Wahida Clark Publishing
Wahida Clark Publishing is a publishing company operating out of East Orange, New Jersey which is a rapidly growing urban independent publishing house with a vision to support new, upbeat writers. Founded by the author of “The Golden Hustla” anthology, and the “Thug” series, Wahida Clark has no less than two bestselling novels and has been featured in the New York Times, Essence and USA Today. Numerous writers across a variety of fiction and non-fiction genres are currently published, however Wahida Clark Publishing no longer accepts submissions for poetry. Submit your qualifications, connections and summary or outline here, or feel free to contact Wahida for any further information.
16. Transaction Publishers
Transaction Publishers, which is today part of Routledge, an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, is a company which specialises in books concerning social sciences. Operating out of Piscataway, New Jersey, since 1962, Transaction currently has over 6000 titles in their range, with over 90% of these still being actively in print. With multiple editors across the globe, each handling their own unique specialization within publication, the merge with Routledge has opened up their accepted submissions immensely. Within their range are numerous notable authors including people such as Andrius Bielskis with his excellent philosophy books including 2017’s “Existing, Meaning, Excellence”, while the publisher is also famous for its Irving Louis Horowitz Archives which has established itself as a premier authority of global social science. Full author guidelines, submission notes, text preparation and more can be found here, while more information concerning the new scope of Transaction Publishers is available at this page from Routledge.
16 Top Book Publishing Companies in New Jersey is an article from Writing Tips Oasis.
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