Are you a children’s writer based in New Zealand?
Do you need a list of children’s book publishers? Here are 19.
On the hand, if you’re a poet who has written a collection of poetry and want to get it published, below you’ll find 14 top New Zealand poetry publishers.
1. Auckland University Press
Working in conjunction with Auckland University, Auckland University Press is one of New Zealand’s leading publishers of history and politics, art and architecture, literature and poetry, Māori, Pacific and Asian Studies. They have published poetry by famed New Zealand poets like Allen Curnow, Kendrick Smithyman, and Fiona Ferrell. Some of their poetry titles include “Nowhere Nearer” by Alice Miller, “Pasture and Flock: New and Selected Poems” by Anna Jackson, and “Vanishing Points” by Michele Leggott.
They are currently accepting book proposals via email or regular post. You’re asked to include a synopsis of your project, a table of contents (if applicable), information about the author, as well as details as to your intended market, competing or comparable books, as well as an estimated project completion date. Auckland University Press only publishes about 25 books a year, so it’s imperative that your submission meets all of their minimum requirements for consideration. For more information or general inquiries, you can reach out to the press via email or call +64 9 373 7528.
2. Mākaro Press
Established in 2013, Mākaro Press is an independent press in Wellington, New Zealand. They specialize in publishing works of New Zealander-written fiction, poetry, and children’s literature. Their imprint HOOPLA is primarily focused on the publication of New Zealand poetry. They’ve produced titles like “This Thin Now” by Jo Thorpe, “Her Limitless Her” by Reihana Robinson, and “Over There a Mountain” by Elizabeth Welsh.
The team at Mākaro Press is currently accepting proposals via email. You’re strongly encouraged to browse through their existing catalogue of titles to make sure that your work is a good fit with the press. You should include with your proposal a synopsis in the body of your email, along with up to six poems in PDF or Word format for consideration. For more information, please review their submission guidelines.
3. Steele Roberts Publishing
Steele Roberts Publishing is a small independent press that focuses on the publication of high-quality nonfiction and poetry. Established in 1996, and based out of Petone, New Zealand, the team at Steele Roberts loves to work with New Zealander authors and poets. Some of their published poetry collections includes “Keeping a Grip” by Kevin Ireland, “The Only Time” by John Downie, and “then the wind came” by Iona Winter.
They are currently accepting manuscript submissions both via email and regular post. They ask that if you send your manuscript by mail that you do not send your original copy. You should include a cover letter that provides your contact information, a brief author bio, any previous publication credits that you may have, as well as a short synopsis of your poetry collection. If interested in your project, a member of their editorial team should reach out to you promptly to further discuss your work.
4. Victoria University Press
Established in 1970, Victoria University Press is one of New Zealand’s leading publishers of new fiction and poetry. They love projects that explore themes of New Zealand history, biography, and essays. With over 600 titles currently in their catalogue, Victoria University Press publishes over 35 new books every year. They have worked with award-winning poets like Jenny Bornholdt, James Brown, Dinah Hawken, and Vincent O’Sullivan. A few of their poetry collections include “Selected Poems” by Brian Turner, “Collected Poems” by Fleur Adcock, and “Tell Me My Name” by Bill Manhire.
They are currently accepting manuscript submissions via email or regular post (although they prefer to correspond electronically). They are always on the lookout for content suitable primarily for the New Zealand readers. For more information, please be sure to review their submission guidelines before sending anything in. If you happen to have any questions, you can reach out to the team at Victoria University Press via email or call +64 4 463 6580.
5. Brief Magazine
Brief is an independent print journal that publishes issues biannually. Founded in 1995, Brief’s main purpose has been to provide a platform to discover talented New Zealander authors and poets to enrich their culture and expand the country’s literary world. They are an excellent poetry publisher to consider if you’re a poet just starting out and hoping to build up your publication credits.
They are always welcoming of previously unpublished poetry, prose, essays, art, and other hybrid forms throughout the year. If you’re interested in submitting your work, you can do so via email. They ask that you include a short author biography to introduce yourself. Alternatively, you can also submit a copy of your poetry through regular post. While the deadline for their current call for submissions is now over, you’re strongly encouraged to check back at a later date to get a better sense of the next issue’s theme. In the meantime, you can further review their submission guidelines to prepare your work for review.
6. Takahē Magazine
Takahē Magazine was founded in 1989 with the express purpose of sharing literature and art from Aotearoa New Zealand with the rest of the world. Based out of Christchurch, they publish works of short stories, poetry, art, essays, interviews, and book reviews. They strive to discover and promote New Zealander authors, artists, and poets, and publish issues three times a year.
They are currently hosting the 2019 Takahē Monica Taylor Poetry Prize, with a first prize of $300 and a second prize of $150. The deadline to submit is August 31st, 2019. You’re strongly encouraged to review the contest’s entry form and guidelines prior to submitting your poetry. Poetry submissions must be sent via email to be considered. They also have general submissions all year long. The next deadline for issue submissions is August 31st for their December print issue. They ask that you only send up to four poems for consideration via email.
7. Poetry New Zealand
Founded in 1951, Poetry New Zealand is one of the leading print journals dedicated to poetry and the art of poetics. It is also New Zealand’s oldest poetry magazine. They love to discover and promote the works of its country’s residents, and is an excellent avenue to consider if you’re hoping to gain publishing experience as a new poet. Based out of Auckland, the team at Poetry New Zealand has worked with poets like Alistair Paterson, John Allisson, Joy Blair, and David Eggleton.
They are always open to accepting poetry submissions concerning any theme, in any style. If you’re interested in publishing your work with this literary journal, you can submit up to five previously unpublished poems per one submission via email or through regular post. For more information, please review their submission guidelines to ensure you meet all minimum requirements. Due to the high volume of submissions that they receive, it can take up to three months to receive a response. They ask you to be patient and not enquire about your submission prior to this time frame.
8. Otago University Press
Otago University Press specializes in publishing books of scholarly and cultural significance to New Zealand society. While they specialize in nonfiction, they also produce works of biography, creative writing, poetry, and even publishing Landfall, one of New Zealand’s longest-running journals of new writing and art. Based out of Dunedin, New Zealand, Otago University Press has produced works of poetry like “A Wind Harp” by Cilla McQueen, “Feeding the Dogs” by Kay McKenzie Cooke, and “Nothing for it but to Sing” by Michael Harlow.
Due to an overwhelming number of submissions, the team at Otago University Press is unfortunately closed to poetry submissions until July 2019. You’re strongly encouraged to check back at a later date when they reopen. In the meantime, you can review their submission guidelines and prepare your poetry for consideration. For more information or general inquiries, you can reach out via email or call +64 3 479 4155.
9. Seraph Press
Founded in 2004, Seraph Press is a literary publishing press based out of Wellington, New Zealand. They’re a specialist when it comes to the realm of quality poetry, and they love to work with talented and budding New Zealander poets. They’ve produced works like “The Grieve Almanac: A Sequel” by Vana Manasiadis, “Dear Tombs, Dear Horizon” by Anna Jackson, and “Maukatere: Floating Mountain” by Bernadette Hall, with drawings by Rachel O’Neill.
Due to a significant backlog, Seraph Press is currently closed to poetry submissions at this time. If you’re incredibly interested in working with this press, you can still send them a query letter expressing your interest via email. For more information, you can also call +64 4 385 7119.
10. Catalyst
Catalyst is a literary arts journal based in Christchurch, New Zealand. Founded in 2003, they strive to publish all types of creative writing, inclusive of poetry. Not only do they publish high-quality issues, but they also host a variety of slam poetry events to promote creativity in their community. Submissions are now closed, but will reopen at a later date when they are ready to produce their next journal issue. In the meantime, you’re welcome to review their submission guidelines to prepare your poetry for review. They ask that you submit no more than five poems, along with a short poet bio via email.
11. Deep South Journal
Founded in 1995 by graduates of the University of Otago English and Linguistics department, Deep South Journal is a literary journal dedicated to the publication of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, scholarly debate, and review articles written by and intended for New Zealanders. They’re operated entirely online, providing high-quality and engaging new creative works to not just residents of New Zealand, but the entire world. Based out of Dunedin, Deep South Journal is unfortunately not considering submissions at this time, but will advertise when they reopen for submissions on their Facebook page. For more information, you can also reach the editorial team via email.
12. Starling Magazine
Starling Magazine was founded by Louise Wallace, a New Zealander poet who’s earned an MA in Creative Writing from Victoria University of Wellington. She founded Starling Magazine in order to provide a space for young New Zealanders (writers under the age of 25) to promote their creative writing skills with their peers and the rest of the world. In their latest Summer 2019 issue, Starling Magazine has published works by young poets like Mel Ansell, E Wen Wong, and Rhys Feeney.
The magazine publishers twice a year in January and July. To be considered for their winter issue, you should submit up to six poems prior to October 20th, 2019 via email. All work should be attached in a single Word document or PDF attachment. For more information, please review their submission guidelines to ensure you meet all minimum requirements for editorial consideration.
13. Turbine | Kaphohau
Turbine | Kaphohau is an online literary journal published by the International Institute of Modern Letters at the Victoria University of Wellington. Founded in 2001, this journal hopes to present works of creative writing like poetry and fiction from both emerging and established New Zealander writers. Their most recent issue was published December 12th, 2018, with a new issue scheduled to be released in December of 2019.
If you’re interested in publishing your work with Turbine | Kaphohau, you must submit your work prior to July 1st, 2019. You’re allowed to send up to five previously unpublished poems via email, either in the body of said email or as attachments. Be sure to include your contact information, along with a contributor’s note for inclusion if your work is accepted. Be sure to review their submission guidelines for more information.
14. Trout
Based out of Auckland, New Zealand, Trout is an annual literary publication whose main purpose is to provide a forum for New Zealand and Pacific writers and artists to share their poetry, prose, reviews, interviews, photography, and artwork. They’ve featured works by writers like Kelly Ana Morey, Frankie McMillan, and Elizabeth Caffin.
They are continuously accepting submissions for poetry, which should be submitted via email. For more information, please be sure to review their submission guidelines and reach out to the appropriate editor. You should include your contact information, a brief author bio, any previously published works, and a little bit about your external writing interests.
Are there any other New Zealand poetry publishers that should be on this list? Tell us about them in the comments box below!
K. Z. Kwan is a freelance writer based out of Halifax, Canada.