If you’re looking for a list of publishers of leadership books, we’ve featured 15 of the best below for your convenience.
1. Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Established by Steve Piersanti in 1992, Berrett-Koehler Publishers is a company based in Oakland, California. Their main goal is to generate positive change in the lives of their readers, as well as in the communities and organizations which benefit from their ideas.
Among the subjects featured in their backlist you will find leadership, business development, equality, social change, human resources, collaboration, and sustainability. A few leadership titles worth checking out are “Collaborating with the Enemy”, by Adam Kahane, “Communicate Like a Leader”, by Dianna Booher, and “Two Birds in a Tree”, by Ram Nidumolu.
Interested in working with them? Luckily, they are currently open to submissions, so you can send a book proposal containing the purpose of your project, the intended audience, an outline, the word count, and several other requirements listed here.
2. McGraw-Hill Professional
A division of McGraw-Hill Education, McGraw-Hill Professional is located in New York, NY, and it specializes in providing materials for a wide range of professionals, as well as for preK–12 and higher education students.
Business, computing, and medicine are three of the main categories they feature on the website, but they are interested in many more genres – international marine, careers, general & self-help, and aviation are just a few examples. When it comes to business books, management & leadership is a rather popular choice. “All The Leader You Can Be”, by Suzanne Bates, and “Real Leadership: 9 Simple Practices For Leading And Living With Purpose”, by John Addison and John David Mann are two titles worth looking up.
If you’re interested in submitting a manuscript, make sure to check out the complete guidelines first.
3. SAGE Publishing
With offices in 6 different cities, among which we can name Los Angeles and London, SAGE Publishing was founded by Sara Miller in 1965, and is now a world-renowned academic publisher that produces around 900 titles per year.
They have a broad range of interests, which includes arts & humanities, criminology & criminal justice, counseling & psychotherapy, and business & management. The latter is divided into over 10 subject categories, such as management skills or organizational behavior. “Introduction to Leadership”, by Peter G. Northouse, “Meeting the Ethical Challenges of Leadership”, by Craig E. Johnson are two of their best leadership-related titles.
If you’re interested in working with them, make sure to choose the right acquisitions editor and to send them some details about your project.
4. Simon & Schuster
Established by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster in 1924, Simon & Schuster is a globally-renowned publisher with headquarters in New York, NY. They publish around 2500 new titles on a yearly basis.
In terms of genres, cooking, design, children’s fiction, education, family & relationships, and business & economics are just a few examples of what they’re interested in. The latter includes some of the best leadership books, such as “12 Lessons in Business Leadership”, by Kevin Daum and Anne Mary Ciminelli, “Leadership Mastery”, by Dale Carnegie Training, and “The Everything Leadership Book”, by Eric Yaverbaum and Erik Sherman.
Although they don’t accept unsolicited manuscripts, you can still send the Simon & Schuster team your work through a professional literary agent. Details are available here.
5. Harvard Business Publishing
With headquarters in Brighton, Massachusetts, Harvard Business Publishing is a branch of Harvard University, and it was established in 1994. Their main purpose is that of bettering the management skills of their audience, which is divided into three markets: corporate, academic, and individual managers.
Some of their favorite topics are leadership, technology, productivity, organizational culture, strategy, and work-life balance. However, they also publish works on financial markets, branding, budgeting, shared value, recession, diversity, and more. To learn about their preferences, you should look up “Becoming a Manager: How New Managers Master the Challenges of Leadership”, by Linda A. Hill, and “The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience, and Leadership in the Most Male-Dominated Organization in the World”, by Shannon H. Polson.
If you would like to work with them, keep in mind that they exclusively review submissions containing a brief pitch only. Since their standards are very high, your work should be extremely well-written and original – however, even though they might not want to publish your book, they could suggest another format (such as a podcast or an article).
6. Harper Business
With headquarters in New York, NY, Harper Business entered the publishing industry more than 70 years ago, as an imprint of Harper Collins. As they specialize in leadership, growth, and work, their books aim to take the business field one step further.
Some of the subjects included in their backlist are innovation, marketing, management, history, and money. If you’re interested in their leadership titles, you should check out “Human Hacking”, by Christopher Hadnagy and Seth Schulman, “Making Conversation”, by Fred Dust, and “Zconomy”, by Jason R. Dorsey and Denise Villa.
As they do not accept unsolicited proposals or manuscripts, you will have to collaborate with a literary agent to send Harper Business your book.
7. Maven House
Located in Lambertville, New Jersey, Maven House was established by Jim Pennypacker in 2012. Their aim is to provide the audience with thought-provoking ideas, and to help their readers improve their skills.
Some of their favorite subjects are servant leadership, social entrepreneurship, transparency/accountability, careers/social impact, and organizational culture. In order to learn more about what they like, make sure to check out “Twisted Leadership”, by Charles C. Manz, Ph.D. and Craig L. Pearce, Ph.D., and “Bravespace Workplace”, by Moe Carrick.
Do you feel like Maven House would be an appropriate choice for your project? If so, you can send them a book proposal containing your title, book description, genre, table of contents, approximate length, delivery date, graphics, and a sample chapter. However, make sure to read the full submission guidelines first.
8. Columbia University Press
Established in 1893 as the University’s scholarly publisher, Columbia University Press is an international publisher based in New York, NY, and it produces works written by top intellectuals.
Their genres of choice are investment & finance, political science, social work, Middle East studies, science, philosophy, and business, to give a few examples. The latter is divided into five categories, among which we can name management & leadership. Three titles which will help you understand their standards are “Positioning for Advantage”, by Kimberly A. Whitler, “Hire Purpose”, by Deanna Mulligan with Greg Shaw, and “Common Sense”, by Joel Greenblatt.
Luckily, they are currently open for submissions. You can send them a book proposal containing a short book description, an author bio, a table of contents, a market analysis, and a literature review. To learn more about the guidelines, click here.
9. Mango Publishing
Located in Miami, Florida, Mango Publishing was founded approximately six years ago, and it is an international, independent publishing house in search for talented authors who can provide their audience with fresh ideas.
In terms of genres, their backlist includes health, LGBTQ+, film & entertainment, self-help, true stories, and personal finance & business, which encompasses some great leadership titles. Three of these titles are “Your Leadership Moment”, by Eric R. Martin, “The Burger King”, by Jim McLamore, and “The Illusion of Invincibility”, by Paul Williams and Andreas Krebs.
Interested in working with them? If so, feel free to send them a proposal including a 1-page cover letter, an outline, a sample chapter, a market analysis, your author bio, and a few more requirements listed here.
10. Kogan Page
Based in London, UK, Kogan Page is an international publisher established in 1967. They specialize in business books, and, as they are industry leaders, they work with successful business professionals.
Their main areas of interest are business & management, human resources, learning & development, risk & compliance, and marketing & communications, to give a few examples. When it comes to business & management, they have a vast list of leadership titles – “Demanding More”, by Sheree Atcheson, “The Infinite Leader”, by Chris Lewis and Pippa Malmgren, and “You Lead”, by Minter Dial are just three worth mentioning.
If you’d like to submit a book proposal, make sure to include your title, a short author bio, a brief summary, a table of contents, your target audience, and a few more details listed in the full submission guidelines.
11. Jossey-Bass
Jossey-Bass is a publisher based in Hoboken, New Jersey, and established in 1965 by Allen Jossey-Bass. After having been acquired by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., it is presently an imprint of Wiley.
As their main goal is that of providing guidance in both K- 12 education and in business, their backlist includes subjects such as leadership, teamwork, educational technology, teaching & teacher development, early childhood education, and organizational health. A few titles worth checking out are “Lead Fearlessly, Love Hard”, by Linda Cliatt-Wayman, “Mapping Leadership”, by Richard Halverson and Carolyn Kelley, and “Leading in a Culture of Change Personal Action Guide and Workbook”, by Michael Fullan.
If you want to send them a book proposal, make sure to include your author bio, a book description, your target audience, and several other requirements specified in the guidelines.
12. Crown Publishing
Located in New York City, NY, Crown Publishing is an imprint of Penguin Random House. It was founded in 1933, and it has so far published the works of Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, George W. Bush, and Susan Cain, to name a few authors.
Since their range of interests is rather wide, their backlist includes genres such as biography & memoir, gardening, politics, self-help, art, and business. When it comes to the latter, “Leading Without Authority”, by Keith Ferrazzi and Noel Weyrich, “Great Leaders Have No Rules”, by Kevin Kruse, and “The Heart-Led Leader”, by Tommy Spaulding.
Although they don’t mention anything about submission guidelines on their website, keep in mind that Penguin Random House does not accept unsolicited manuscripts – only a few of their imprints do, and Crown Publishing is not mentioned as one of them. To learn more, you should contact them here.
13. BenBella Books
Located in Dallas, Texas, BenBella Books was established in 2001 by Glenn Yeffeth. They specialize in nonfiction books, but they occasionally publish fiction as well. Given the fact that their backlist includes 14 New York Times bestsellers, they are very careful when choosing the authors they work with.
Some of their preferred genres are business, health & nutrition, cooking, humor, politics, science, religion, and self-help & advice. If you’re interested in their leadership titles, make sure to check out “Lead with Hospitality”, by Taylor Scott, “Honest to Greatness”, by Peter Kozodoy, and “Lead with Heart”, by Tom Gartland and Patrick Sweeney.
Interested in working with them? Complete this form and, if they think your project would be a good fit for their publishing program, they will request more information.
14. University of Toronto Press
University of Toronto Press is a top Canadian publisher based in Toronto, Ontario. Founded in 1901, this press is renowned for their business, social sciences, and humanities titles.
Other genres you will find in their backlist are biography, criminology, history, psychology, languages, social work, and geography, to give some examples. When it comes to leadership books, make sure to look up “Leadership in the Eye of the Storm”, by Bill Tibbo, “Design Works”, by Heather M.A. Fraser, and “Leadership is Half the Story”, by Marc Hurwitz and Samantha Hurwitz.
If you decide to send them a book proposal, don’t forget to include a title, an overview, your target audience, project details, a table of contents, and a few other requirements listed here.
15. Allworth Press
Allworth Press was founded in 1989 and is located in New York City, NY. It is an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing and publishes approximately 20-25 titles on a yearly basis, with their books reaching a global audience.
In terms of genres, they’re interested in graphic design, performing arts, theater, web design, and business, to give a few examples. Their backlist includes several leadership titles, among which we can name “Effective Leadership for Nonprofit Organizations”, by Thomas Wolf, “Intentional Leadership”, by Jane A. G. Kise, and “Leadership in the Performing Arts”, by Tobie S. Stein and Robert L. Lynch.
All submissions should be sent to allworthsubmissions@skyhorsepublishing.com. Make sure your proposal includes a short cover letter, a synopsis, a chapter outline, a market analysis, and a few other requirements listed here.
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