If a search for feminist book publishers has brought you here, you’ve come to the right place! Below we’ve featured 19 top publishers of feminist literature.
1. BLF Press
Founded by Stephanie Andrea Allen in 2014, BLF Press is a black feminist publisher currently located in Bloomington, Indiana.
The company’s goal is that of promoting the works of talented black women and of women of color in the USA, with the hope of creating a space for female creativity. Such works are A Failure to Communicate: Stories, by S. Andrea Allen, and God’s Will and Other Lies, by Penny Mickelbury.
Although their submission guidelines mention a particular interest in short story collections and in literary fiction when it comes to black women authors, they won’t accept any unsolicited manuscripts before January 2nd, 2021, so these preferences may change. To learn more, click here.
2. Caitlin Press Inc.
A feminist literary press, Caitlin Press Inc. was founded by Carolyn Zonailo in 1977 and it is currently based in Halfmoon Bay, British Columbia. Besides sticking to its initial purpose, the publisher also promotes the cultural and historical diversity of the province.
Their backlist includes works which fit the standards of arts, adventure, memoir, nonfiction, poetry, short fiction, women’s studies, and more. Forbidden Mountains, by Vivien Lougheed, and Winter’s Cold Girls, by Lisa Baird are two titles worth checking out, if you want to become accustomed with their publications.
Stories by and about Canadian women, LGBTQ+ voices, and topics regarding British Columbia are of interest. If you are a Canadian author, you are welcome to send them your work. To learn more, click here.
3. The Feminist Press
Founded in 1970 by Florence Howe, a leader of the modern feminism movement, The Feminist Press has headquarters in New York.
As their main interest is that of determining social transformation, the range of genres featured on their website is rather wide. Education, history, law, sexuality, feminist theory, nonfiction, and graphic novels are just a few worth mentioning. To become familiar with their interests, you should check out Ain’t I a Diva?, by Kevin Allred, and Grieving, by Cristina Rivera Garza.
If you feel like they are a fit for your project, make sure to send them a synopsis, three sample chapters, a short author bio, and a marketing plan regarding your work. The guidelines can be found here.
4. Inanna Publications and Education Inc.
Based in Toronto, Ontario, Inanna Publications was established 1978 with the purpose of making works on various feminist topics accessible for as many readers as possible.
At present, they publish fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry by and about women, as well as nonfiction that can pave the way for a better future. To exemplify, Tamarind Sky, by Thelma Wheatley, and The Talking Drum, by Lisa Braxton are two titles included on their backlist.
If you want to send them your work, it will have to be complete, paginated, no less than 10pt, and double spaced. To learn more, you can read the full guidelines here.
5. Shade Mountain Press
Shade Mountain is a feminist press located in Albany, New York. Its purpose is that of publishing engaging literature written by women, especially if the authors are members of underrepresented groups (such as LGBTQ women).
Their backlist includes works of fiction and short story collections, among which we can name The House of Erzulie, by Kirsten Imani Kasai, and Tonic and Balm, by Stephanie Allen.
Although they are currently closed to submissions, you can still check their page for updates.
6. Bywater Books
The Bywater Books team consists of strong representatives of queer literature, as the company’s main goal is that of providing high-quality contemporary lesbian writing.
When it comes to interests, narrative nonfiction and lesbian and feminist fiction are mentioned on their website. Aftermath, by Ann McMan, and As If Death Summoned, by Alan Rose are two titles worth looking up, if you want to learn more about their preferences.
Their target audience consists of lesbian readers – if your work fits the standards of romance, general fiction, cross-genre, essay, or memoir (but not exclusively), you can send it according to the guidelines displayed here.
7. Aunt Lute
Based in San Francisco, California, Aunt Lute Books is a multicultural women’s press with over 30 years of experience in the field. After having published numerous feminist and lesbian authors, their main goal still remains that of promoting talented women from all communities.
They are particularly interested in works written by women of color, but any other woman, whether she is cisgender or transgender, is welcome to send them her manuscript. Both fiction and nonfiction writings are accepted, but poetry will be reviewed only if you send an edited anthology or a larger body of work. To learn more about their guidelines, click here.
8. Belladonna*
Established by Rachel Levitsky in 1999, Belladonna* is a feminist avant-garde collective which aims to promote feminist writers and women who are experimental, multicultural, multi-gendered, and who have a fresh, powerful voice. They are currently based in Brooklyn, New York.
In terms of genres, they have so far published works of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. If you want to learn more about their interests, you can look up The Putterers Notebook, by Akilah Oliver, and Landia, by Celina Su.
Unfortunately, they are unable to receive any unsolicited manuscripts at the moment – even so, you can still check their page for updates.
9. Boudicca Press
Located in England, UK, Boudicca Press is an independent publisher with a feminist outlook when it comes to choosing works for publication – this is because their purpose is to celebrate, through their activity, the literary abilities of talented women.
Weird fiction, literary fiction, and nonfiction are the genres they’re interested in. However, they are currently closed for submissions until further notice. Since their guidelines haven’t been updated in quite a while now, it would be best to try and reach them on social media to find out more.
10. Kore Press Institute
With over 25 years of experience in the publishing field, Kore Press is an intersectional-feminist, literary arts organization that fights against discrimination of all kinds, from racism to transphobia.
Their website includes works of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, with a separate section for limited editions, where you can find audio and chapbooks, among others. A Parallel Life, by Mary Byrne, and Dead Meander: Essays, by Adria Bernardi are two titles included on their backlist.
Kore Press is currently closed to submissions, but you can still check this page from time to time, in case they’re going to post any updates.
11. Second Story Press
Based in Toronto, Ontario, Second Story Press was established by Margie Wolfe and three other women in 1988. Their aim was (and still is) to publish feminist-inspired books, which have been translated in over 50 languages and sold worldwide.
For a book to be taken into consideration by them, it should tackle topics such as equality, human rights, and social justice. Ideally, it would also feature strong female characters. Their list consists of children’s, YA, and adult fiction and nonfiction, and of picture books.
If you want to collaborate with them, you should know that they’re open to unsolicited manuscripts – however, you should only send a sample. Also, only Canadian authors will have their works reviewed. Before submitting, make sure to read the complete guidelines.
12. Virago
Located in London, United Kingdom, Virago is a publisher of women’s books that was founded by Dame Carmen Callil in 1973. The company’s initial purpose of providing visibility for women and their stories is still their only interest today.
With books available for both adults and children, their backlist includes works of fiction and nonfiction. Some recent titles worth checking out are The Street, by Anne Petry, and Eva’s Man, by Gayl Jones.
Although they do not accept unsolicited manuscripts, you can still send yours via an agent. To learn more, make sure to access their submissions page.
13. Yellow Arrow Publishing
Founded in 2016 by Gwen Van Velsor, Yellow Arrow Publishing is based in Baltimore, Maryland. Gwen’s aim is that of supporting all people who identify as women when it comes to participating in the literary arts, in the hope that social norms will inevitably start to change for the better.
Since they haven’t been in the industry for long, their backlist is rather short. For future reference, though, you can look up Prayers for Woodlawn, by Gwen Van Velsor.
Before the pandemic, creative nonfiction and poetry chapbooks were the genres they were looking to publish. However, they are currently closed for submissions, but you can still check their page for updates.
14. Demeter Press
Based in Bradford, Ontario, Demeter is an independent feminist press founded in 2006. Currently partnered with the Journal of the Motherhood Initiative, the press gets its name from the Greek goddess Demeter, whose figure is meant to inspire feminist mothering.
In terms of genres, they are interested in scholarly work, poetry, and fiction, as well as in creative nonfiction on sexuality, family, mothering, and reproduction. If you want to learn more, check out Not Your Penance, by Rebecca Bromwich, and Not Exactly As Planned, by Linda Rosenbaum.
If you’d like to collaborate with Demeter Press, you can complete the form displayed here to get more information on how to proceed.
15. Women’s Press
A leading feminist publisher based in Toronto, Ontario, Women’s Press has been a part of the industry since 1972, as a space for sexuality, gender, and women’s studies in higher education was deemed necessary.
The subjects featured on the website are motherhood and parenting, woman abuse, work and labor, health and wellness, as well as a few others. To make sure you understand what kind of books they’re looking for, you can look up Scratching the Surface, by Enakshi Dua and Angela Robertson, and Motherhood – Power and Oppression, by Andrea O’Reilly, Marie Porter, and Patricia Short.
Their publications are mostly used as texts in post-secondary courses – if you think your project would be a good fit, read the guidelines and submit your work.
16. Bedazzled Ink Publishing
Established in 2004, Bedazzled Ink is a traditional publisher based in Fairfield, California. Their feminist outlook has had a great impact on their backlist from the very beginning, as all of their publications celebrate and promote stories of strong women.
In terms of genres, they prefer fiction, nonfiction, YA books, and poetry. If you would like to become familiar with their preferences, make sure to check out Other Girls Like Me by Stephanie Davies and The Liberation of Ivy Bottini by Judith V. Branzburg.
Bedazzled is currently closed to submissions and advises to come back to their website in September 2022 to check for updates.
17. Seal Press
Based in New York, Seal Press is a feminist publishing house which was founded in 1976, only to later join Hachette Book Group. This publisher was a result of the 1970’s women’s movement, which is why their aim has remained that of promoting radical and inspiring books.
As it seems from their main page, they are mainly interested in works of nonfiction. For future reference, you can read about Whipping Girl, by Julia Serano, and A History of U.S. Feminisms, by Rory Dicker.
Unfortunately, Seal Press, like most other publishers in the Hachette Group, cannot receive unsolicited manuscripts or queries. Because of this, the only option would be to send your work via an agent. You can learn more here.
18. Switchback Books
Located in Denver, Colorado, Switchback Books is a feminist publisher that permanently challenges gender discrimination through the publication of female-written books of poetry.
If you’re interested in collaborating with them, you should first get an idea of what they’ve already published – in order to do so, you can check out Other People’s Comfort Keeps Me Up At Night, by Morgan Parker, and Reversible, by Marisa Crawford.
The submission’s page still displays the guidelines of their annual competition, so you can either wait and see if they update it, or you can try to reach them online.
19. Linen Press
Based in London, United Kingdom, Linen is an independent women’s press which focuses on female empowerment and on the publication of works written by and for women.
They are currently interested in short story collections and in poetry, but only if they are submitted by already published authors. Children’s books, science fiction, horror, chick lit, and other such genres will not be taken into consideration. Before sending your work, make sure to check if it would fit their backlist.
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