If you’re looking for book publishing companies in Tennessee, you’ve come to the right place.
Below you’ll find 12 top book publishers in Tennessee. One if these might be the right publisher for you and your book.
1. Turner Publishing Company
Founded in 1984, Turner Publishing Company is an award-winning book publisher headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. They publish books in a variety of genres and categories, including general fiction, romance, science fiction, young adult fiction, biography, education, health and wellness, children’s books, self-help, business and economics, history, true crime, cookbooks, and women’s fiction, among others. Turner currently has around 5000 titles on their list, and their books are distributed in more than 50 countries around the world.
Turner accepts submissions of manuscripts and proposals. They welcome direct submissions from independent authors, as well as from literary agents. To have your work considered, you can send your proposal or manuscript to Turner Publishing via email. Due to the volume of submissions they receive, they might not be able to respond to all queries, but they will reach out to you if they are interested in publishing your work. For general inquiries and all other concerns, you can reach Turner Publishing here.
2. Thomas Nelson
Also headquartered in Nashville, Thomas Nelson is a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing and one of the world’s leading publishers of Christian content. They were originally founded in 1798 as a secondhand bookstore with the goal of making the Bible and other important texts accessible to more people, and since then, they have remained dedicated to informing, inspiring, and transforming the lives of their readers.
Thomas Nelson publishes Bibles, devotionals, reference books, children’s books, gift books, and Christian fiction. Some of their bestselling titles include The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines, Hope for Each Day by Billy Graham, The Total Money Makeover: Classic Edition by Dave Ramsey, and Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent.
At the moment, Thomas Nelson does not accept unsolicited submissions. If you have any general inquiries for the Thomas Nelson team, you can get in touch with them here.
3. C&R Press
Based in Chattanooga, C&R Press was founded in 2006 as a small literary press focused on publishing books of poetry by emerging poets whose work might otherwise go unnoticed by major publishing companies. Since then, they have expanded their catalog and now also publish fiction and creative non-fiction. They have published more than 60 books, as well as a dozen chapbooks, and are eager to publish more. Some of the authors and poets they have published over the years include Sybil Baker, An Tran, Stacey Lynn Brown, Kristina Marie Darling, and more.
C&R Press welcomes submissions and are currently interested in novels, short story collections, poetry collections, memoirs, essays, creative non-fiction, and hybrid work. Submissions from LGBTQ, female, minority, immigrant, and progressive poets and authors are particularly encouraged. They also have several contests open at the moment. To learn more about their submission guidelines and to submit your work, you can visit their Submittable page.
4. Randall House Publications
Randall House is a Nashville-based Christian publisher dedicated to promoting discipleship and service by organizing events, developing family-aligned curriculum, and publishing books and other Bible-based products. As a book publisher, their areas of interest are family ministry, leadership, marriage, theology, parenting, hymnals, and life issues. Feel free to browse their online store to see the kinds of books they usually publish.
Randall House is currently accepting submissions in the form of book proposals. They are interested in Christian-based books in various genres, including fiction, academic, reference, children’s books, inspirational, biographies, and more. If you are interested in submitting a proposal, it is recommended that you check out their book proposal guide for tips on creating the best proposal possible.
Once your proposal is ready, you can send it to Randall House via email. It usually takes them a little under 12 weeks to respond to submissions. You can also contact Randall House should you have any additional questions or concerns.
5. Iris Press
Iris Press is a small publishing company that was established in 1975 with the mission of giving underappreciated writers the chance to tell their stories to a wider audience. Among their first releases were The Broken Juke by Don Revell and New and Selected Poems by George Scarbrough, both of which were received extremely well, paving the way for the subsequent development of the press. Originally founded in New York, Iris Press moved to Tennessee after a change in ownership in 1980.
Iris Press publishes fiction, non-fiction, and poetry, and they are always interested in collaborating with new poets and authors. If you have a manuscript or book proposal you’d like to submit to Iris Press, you can contact them to request a copy of their submission guidelines.
6. Vanderbilt University Press
Founded in 1940, Vanderbilt University Press is the publishing arm of Vanderbilt University, one of the leading research universities in the country. VU Press specializes in scholarly texts, particularly in the areas of the humanities and social sciences; US politics and policy; race, class, and gender studies; health and caregiving; human and civil rights; history, sociology, and anthropology. They also publish regional books about Tennessee and the South. They do not publish poetry or fiction.
VU Press publishes an average of 25 new titles each year, and they always welcome submissions from prospective authors. All submissions must include at least one sample chapter and a cover letter describing the book’s topic and purpose. Submissions may be sent digitally or by mail. In addition to being evaluated by the staff and editorial committee, all submissions are subject to an external peer review.
If you are interested in submitting your work to VU Press, make sure you check out their submission guidelines here. For any other inquiries, you can reach VU Press via email.
7. University of Tennessee Press
Located in Knoxville, the University of Tennessee Press is a scholarly publisher associated with the University of Tennessee. They were founded by university trustees in 1940 and have since earned a reputation for publishing outstanding work in the following fields: Southern history, African American studies, Appalachian studies, literary studies, and material culture. They also publish regional books for general readers. Some of their most important publications include The Southeastern Indians by Charles Hudson, Intellectual Life in the Colonial South by Richard Beale Davis, and The Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Women Who Started It by Jo Ann Gibson Robinson.
The University of Tennessee Press is open for submissions. If you would like to submit your work for consideration, you can find their submission guidelines here. You can also check out their staff list to see their current areas of specialization. For general inquiries, you can get in touch with the University of Tennessee Press via email.
8. Abingdon Press
Established by the Methodist Church more than 200 years ago, Abingdon Press publishes inspiring and thought-provoking books that cross denominational boundaries. They also publish curriculum resources and church resources, both digitally and in print. Their areas of interest include Christian fiction, religion and science, family and relationships, biblical criticism and interpretation, Christian ministry, comparative religion, philosophy, Christian practice and rituals, prayer books, and more.
If you have written a manuscript you think Abingdon Press might be interested in, you can send them a proposal. Your proposal should include a brief author’s bio, short summary, chapter outline, and a few sample chapters. Check out Abingdon’s submission guidelines for more information. Once you are ready, you can submit your proposal through their Submittable page. You can also contact Abingdon Press via email for any additional inquiries.
9. Post Hill Press
Founded in 2013, Post Hill Press is a publishing company located in Brentwood, Tennessee. Since their establishment, they have published a range of books on various topics, including pop culture, health, self-help, current events, business, true crime, and fiction, among others. Their books have appeared on several bestsellers lists such as USA Today, The New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and The Wall Street Journal. Among their bestselling titles are Brittani Louise Taylor’s A Sucky Love Story, Jonathan T. Gilliam’s Sheep No More, Deborah Goodrich Royce’s Finding Mrs. Ford, and Dave Mellor’s One Base at a Time.
If you’d like to submit your work to Post Hill Press, you can do so by sending them a proposal via email. Make sure you use the phrase “Manuscript Submission” in the subject of your email. Learn more about submitting a proposal here.
10. Zondervan
Founded in 1931, Zondervan is a Christian publisher headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee with an operations base in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They publish around 300 new titles each year, specializing in Bible study aids, reference books, devotionals, gift books, children’s books, fiction, and non-fiction. They have published the work of many notable authors such as Ann Voskamp, Rick Warren, Lee Strobel, and Christine Caine, to name a few.
At the moment, Zondervan only accepts submissions for two of their imprints: Zondervan Academic and Zondervan Reflective. For Zondervan Academic, they seek scholarly monographs, reference books, and textbooks—all in the theological and biblical disciplines. For Zondervan Reflective, they are after books that engage and inspire readers. Topics include ministry, leadership, theological perspectives on contemporary issues, and the intersection of culture and faith.
You can send a proposal to the Zondervan team via email. In the subject line, indicate which imprint you are submitting to. Your proposal must include a short description of your book, why you think it must be published, the table of contents, and information about your background and qualifications. You can learn more about submitting a proposal here.
11. B&H Publishing Group
B&H Publishing Group is a non-profit publisher headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee and a division of LifeWay Christian Resources. Originally founded as a publisher of Bibles, reference books, and textbooks, B&H Publishing has since expanded their focus and now publishes books in various categories such as fiction, Christian living, children’s books, and more. Over the years, they have worked with some of the most talented writers of religious literature, including Matt Chandler, Angie Smith, Priscilla Shirer, Dan Miller, and Beth Moore.
B&H Publishing does not accept unsolicited submissions at the moment, but if you’d like to reach out to them for any reason, you can find their contact information here.
12. SynergEbooks
Founded by Debra Staples in 1999, SynergEbooks is a publishing company located in Central Tennessee. When they were first founded, they primarily focused on publishing e-books, but they have since expanded their operations and now publish in print format as well. SynergEbooks’ genres include general fiction and non-fiction, young adult fiction, romance, erotica, true crime, horror, science fiction, spirituality, self-help, humor, poetry, children’s literature, and more.
SynergEbooks currently welcomes submissions in all available genres, but at the moment, they are particularly interested in the following genres: non-fiction, self-help, Native American, paranormal, spirituality, and magic. If you have a manuscript you think might be a good fit for SynergEbooks, check out their submission guidelines here. For questions about their submission process, you can get in touch with the SynergEbooks team here.
Do you know of any other book publishing companies in Tennessee? Please tell us about them in the comments box below!
Hiten Vyas is the Founder and Managing Editor of Writing Tips Oasis.