If a search for ESL textbook publishers has brought you to this post, you’re at the right place. Below we’ve featured 10 top publishers that publish ESL textbooks.
1. New Readers Press
Situated in Syracuse, New York, New Readers Press is the publishing house of ProLiteracy, a company committed to promoting adult ESL education worldwide. The publisher has over 50 years of experience in delivering ESL materials including adult ESL textbooks, materials for test preparation and textbooks for English learners in the workforce.
The company continues to be a reliable resource for many companies and organizations looking to support their non-English speaking employees, friends, and students. New Readers Press has produced countless ESL books and book series, including the “English: No Problem!” book series, “Step Forward” by Jayme Adelson-Goldstein, and “From Home to School: Stories and Activities for Parents” by Ann Gianola.
Write working on a manuscript should contact New Readers Press through the editorial submissions link on their website, to start a conversation about your book.
2. Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press is a publisher situated in Oxford, in the United Kingdom, and associated with its famous namesake, Oxford University. In business for over 70 years, Oxford University Press has made it their life’s work to create reputable printed material to support educators in the arts, law, and the social sciences, among others.
Among their widely used publications are their ESL books, including handbooks, exercise books and reference material. Their portfolio includes “Doing Grammar” by Max Morenberg, “English Vocabulary Elements” by Keith Denning et al., and “Reading History: A Practical Guide to Improving Literacy” by Janet Allen.
Oxford University Press has a book submission process that asks for the author’s CV, a table of contents, and a synopsis of the book. Take a look at what else to include before submitting your manuscript!
3. Pearson
Founded in Yorkshire, in the United Kingdom, back in 1844, Pearson has become a worldwide presence that is ubiquitous with education. Today, it operates in over 70 countries, producing educational material in not only English but many other languages; its publications are used in over 7,000 schools around the world.
Pearson’s ESL books include a range of graded readers, textbooks and handbooks, targeted to children and adults at various levels of fluency. “99 Ideas and Activities for Teaching English Learners with the SIOP Model” by Mary Ellen Vogt, “Crosscultural, Language and Academic Development Handbook” by Lynne T. Diaz-Rico, and “Side by Side” by Bill Bliss and Steven J. Molinsky are a number of ESL books that Pearson has helped produce.
Pearson is eager to review any manuscripts you would like to publish through them. Their website makes it extremely simple to enter your information, including the book category, synopsis and manuscript status, whether it is completed or incomplete.
4. Pro Lingua Learning
In 2021, Pro Lingua Associates connected with Language Arts Press to create Pro Lingua Learning, an education-oriented book publisher delivering ELT and ESL materials made appropriate for different age groups and grade levels. Both original organizations were publishers in their own right, and through this union, they now have a wealth of resources at their disposal.
Under the current leadership of chief education officer Michael C. Berman, the company operates out of its offices in Rockville, Maryland, in the United States. They are behind the publishing of ESL books such as “The Grammar You Need” by Mark Alves, “A Phrasal Verb Affair” by Keith Kohnhorst, and “Writing Inspirations” by Arlene Marcus.
Writers with a book submission for Pro Lingua Learning to consider should email them directly with a query letter and a sample of your manuscript, if available.
5. University of Michigan Press
University of Michigan Press is a publishing house located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in the United States. An extension of the University of Michigan and its library, the University of Michigan Press publishes literature on a range of topics, from the humanities and social sciences to education and English learning.
The publisher has published countless books on ESL learning, handbooks for students and guides for teachers. “Argumentative Writing in a Second Language: Perspectives on Research and Pedagogy” edited by Alan Hirvela and Diane Belcher, and “Intercultural Skils in Action: An International Student’s Guide to College and University Life in the U.S.” by Darren LaScotte and Bethany Peters, and “Discovering American Culture” by Cheryl L. Delk are a few titles they have published.
Authors working on an ESL book that aligns with the standard and style of University of Michigan Press’s published works should communicate with the publisher having prepared your manuscript according to the guidelines set forth on their website.
6. Cambridge University Press
With roots that go as far back as 1534, to the time of Henry VIII, Cambridge University Press is a proud institution that is located in Cambridge, in the United Kingdom. Their publications include academic books in science and the arts, religious texts, and books for English education like ESL materials.
From textbooks for students and handbooks explaining grammatical functions to test preparation for different licensing and proficiency tests, students can rely on Cambridge University Press for their well-made ESL books. Check out “Cambridge Global English”, “Cambridge Grammar and Writing Skills” and “Developing Summary and Note-taking Skills” by Marian Barry for a few examples of their work.
For writers who have a manuscript that they’d like Cambridge University Press to consider publishing, they should submit a package that includes a chapter breakdown, a description of the intended target group, and how they feel the book fits into the collection of books already available through the publishing house.
7. Columbia University Press
Led by director Jennifer Crewe and editorial director Eric Schwartz, Columbia University Press is a publisher that was established back in 1893. Today, it continues to build on its impressive portfolio of fiction and non-fiction books published on topics like language studies, including books on ESL and about ESL study, as well as social sciences, business and other topics.
The ESL books available through Columbia University Press are original, intended to challenge learners, but also present ESL and English language study in a new light. “Articles in English as a Second Language” by Justyna Lesniewska, “The Language of English Studies: A Handbook for Advanced Students of English” by John Dent-Young, and “New Perspectives in English and American Studies” edited by Michael Cloinski and Malgorzata Cierpisz.
Columbia University Press is interested in any ESL book manuscripts that you are working on. Provide them with a proposal that includes a table of contents, the book’s focus or intention, as well as information about the author.
8. Taylor & Francis
When Taylor & Francis, already a renowned publisher out of London, in the United Kingdom, acquired the publisher Routledge in 1998, they extended their influence as one of the world’s top publishing houses in non-fiction literature. Since then they put on reading material in a range of subjects, including science, technology, medicine, social sciences, and engineering.
One of the categories of books Taylor & Francis has continued to actively publish is education, including books with a focus on ESL child and adult education. “Teaching ESL/EFL Reading and Writing” by I.S.P Nation and John Macalister, “ESL Readers and Writers in Higher Education” by Norman W. Evans et al., and “Strategic Journeys for Building Logical Reasoning” by Tammy Jones and Leslie Texas.
As part of their book submission process, authors should approach the appropriate editor with your book idea. In the case of ESL books, that would be Amy Laurens, publisher of applied linguistics and English language books. After connecting with her, you’ll need to prepare the rest of your manuscript, along with supporting details such as table contents and the author’s bio.
9. McGraw Hill
Well-known for their published books in business, business, computing, and ESL education, among other topics, McGraw Hill continues to set the standard for educational material in their field. The company was established in 1917 in New York, in the United States and continues to run its company from that location.
CEO Simon Allen leads a team of motivated and ambitious individuals who continue to look for different ways of reinventing and reapproaching ESL and educational material. Take a look at some of their ESL books like “Perfect Phrases for ESL: Conversation Skills” by Diane Engelhardt, “Must Know High School Vocabulary” by Jane R. Burstein, and “Practice Makes Perfect: English Vocabulary for Beginning ESL Learners” by Jean Yates.
McGraw Hill is interested in books that would add to its collection of valuable ESL books. They request a completed submission package from interested writers, which includes information about your target market, a competition comparison, and information regarding the intent of your book.
10. Second Story Press
Based in Toronto, Canada, Second Story Press is a publishing house that was founded in 1988 by Margie Wolfe. They focus on creating books that are feminist in nature and promote an agenda of equality and education for all. Today, the publisher’s books, including fiction and non-fiction books for adults and children, have been read and used all over the world.
With books conveniently organized into categories for ESL education in Canada and the USA, Second Story Press’s offerings include picture books, ESL books on topical issues like the Holocaust and women’s issues, and graded readers by language proficiency. Look into “Maggie and the Chocolate War” and Severn and the Day She Silenced the World” by Helen Wolfe, and “The Secret of Gabi’s Desser” by Kathy Kacer as examples of some of the ESL books Second Story Press has produced.
The company asks for manuscripts for consideration to be submitted via email attachment, and that the submission package be complete with a query letter and your author CV.