Have you written a novel with a setting in one of the southern states of the United States?
Are you now looking for a list of publishers to send your manuscript to?
Continue reading to learn about 17 top publishers of southern fiction.
1. TouchPoint Press
TouchPoint Press is a traditional independent publishing company that produces works of fiction and nonfiction. Their editorial team consists of many talented members who share experiences with publishing, editing, writing, marketing, and distribution to assist their authors. They’ve published many different southern fiction titles, including “Delta” by Tolar Miles, “The Willmakers” by Kent Breazeale, and “For No Apparent Reason” by S.K. Derban.
They are currently accepting unsolicited manuscripts, but ask that you review their submission guidelines before you send anything. You should only send a sample of your project, as the editorial team at TouchPoint Press will only request the full manuscript from projects of interest. Submissions can be sent via email. For more information or all other inquiries, you can contact the team at TouchPoint Press via email.
2. Milkweed Editions
Established in 1980, Milkweed Editions is a small publishing company that publishes works of literary fiction, nonfiction, and poetry collections. They’ve published a number of southern fiction titles, including the 2017 winner of the Southern Book prize “The Home Place” by J. Drew Lanham. Other titles that they’ve published include “If You Cross the River” by Geneviève Damas, and “A Year in the Wilderness” by Amy and Dave Freeman.
They are currently not accepting unsolicited submissions at this time, but strongly encourage you to send a query letter. Since Milkweed Editions is a small press, they only publish between 18 to 20 new titles every year, so the submission process is highly competitive. You’re strongly encouraged to review their submission guidelines before proceeding.
3. University of Georgia Press
The University of Georgia Press works to publish high-quality works of fiction and nonfiction about a wide variety of topics. They also happen to be very interested in publishing projects about southern studies and books about Georgia and the American South in general. Some of their titles include “Daughters of Time” by Lucinda H. MacKethan, and “The immoderate Past” by C. Hugh Holman.
They are currently accepting book proposals from both represented authors and independent writers. They ask that you review their submission guidelines before sending in a proposal, and strongly encourage you to browse their catalogue of existing titles to ensure that your project will be a good fit for the press. For more information or general inquiries, you can find a detailed employee directory here.
4. Brandylane Publishers
Established in 1985, Brandylane Publishers is an independent publishing company based out of Richmond, Virginia that produces a wide range of books of many different genres, including the subgenre of southern fiction. Some of their titles include” The Nature of Things: Stories from the Land” by Rex Alphin, “Uncle George and Me” by Bill Sizemore, and “Coyote Summer” by Margo Solod.
They are currently accepting unsolicited submissions and book proposals from both agented and independent authors. You’re strongly encouraged to review their submission guidelines before submitting. The editorial team at Brandylane Publishers works closely with their authors to edit and develop their manuscripts before publication, so if you’re project is accepted, you’ll be in good hands. For more information about their publication process, you can contact their publisher via email.
5. Canterbury House Publishing
Canterbury House Publishing is an independent publishing company established in 2009 that specializes in producing engaging fiction for a wide range of genres that have to do with southern regional settings and tales. Based out of Sarasota, Florida, Canterbury House Publishing has produced titles like “Wrongful Conviction” by Janet Heijens, “Madam’s Creek” by Betsy Reeder, and “No Choice But Freedom” by Pat Mattaini Mestern.
They are unfortunately not accepting unsolicited manuscripts or query letters at this time, as they are currently experiencing a high volume of backlogged submissions. They strongly encourage you to check back at a later date to see if they’ve reopened for submissions. For general inquiries or more information, you can contact them through their website’s online contact form.
6. Algonquin Books
Founded in 1983 as a bookstore, Algonquin Books expanded to step foot in the publishing world. They publish literary fiction and nonfiction, and are especially interested in discovering talented new writers –especially those from the American South who write southern fiction. They’ve published bestselling books like “Water for Elephants’ by Sara Gruen and “A Reliable Wife” by Robert Goolrick.
They are unfortunately not open for unsolicited manuscripts at this time, but you can still send a query letter to introduce your project. If their editorial team is interested, someone will reach out to you promptly with instructions on what to do next. You’re encouraged to review Algonquin Books’ submission guidelines and to check back at a later date to see if they’ve reopened to submissions. If you’re an author with literary representation, you can also have your agent submit a book proposal or query letter on your behalf.
7. Pen Name Publishing
Pen Name Publishing is an independent publishing company with an entire category in their catalogue dedicated to southern fiction titles. Some of their titles include “Scout’s Honor” by Dori Ann Dupré, “Eight Days” by Scott Thompson, and “Tobacco Sun” by Lorna Hollifield.
This small publishing company is currently accepting submissions. They’re especially interested in working with authors with unique voices who have unique perspectives and backgrounds. Pen Name Publishing produces their books in both print and ebook formats to assist their authors in reaching audiences world-wide. Submissions can be sent via email. Please allow up to four weeks for a reply. If you do not hear back within that time frame, Pen Name Publishing is unfortunately not interested in your project.
8. Dzanc Books
Founded in 2006, Dzanc Books is known for publishing award-winning literary fiction with an ever-growing catalogue of high-engaging and innovative stories. Some of their titles include “The Conviction of Cora Burns’ by Carolyn Kirby, “Darkansas” by Jarret Middleton, and “History of Cold Seasons” by Joshua Harmon. Dzang Books is unfortunately not accepting submissions at this time, but strongly encourages you to check back at a later date to see when they reopen.
9. NewSouth Books
NewSouth Books is an independent publishing company that publishes books American Southern regional books marketed toward a national audience. Based in Alabama, NewSouth Books was founded in 1984 as a publisher of southern fiction, nonfiction, poetry collections, and folklore. Some of their titles include “The Creek Captives” by Helen Blackshear, “Go South to Freedom” by Frye Gaillard, and “In the Company of Owls’ by Peter Huggins.
They are currently not accepting unsolicited manuscripts at this time due to the high volume of submissions they’ve received. They encourage you to check back at a later date to see when they’ve reopened. In the meantime, you can review their submission guidelines and browse through their catalogue of existing titles to see if your project would be a good fit with NewSouth Books.
10. Southern Yellow Pine Publishing
Southern Yellow Pine (SYP) Publishing is an independent publishing company that aims to promote southern authors of fiction and nonfiction. Some of their titles include “Alligator Stew” by C.D. Mitchell, “Apalachicola Gold” by Michael Kinnett, and “Chita Quest” by Brinn Colenda.
They are currently accepting unsolicited submissions for fictional novels, including southern fiction. SYP Publishing produces books in print and ebook formats to assist their authors in reaching an audience world-wide. If you’re interested in working with SYP Publishing, you can send your submission via email for consideration. Be sure to include a short author bio to introduce yourself, along with information on your intended audience. For more information, you can review their submission guidelines.
11. Neverland Publishing
Neverland Publishing is an independent publishing company based out of Miami, Florida. They have several imprints under their name, including Foreshadow, Sandman Books, Book Rats, and The Hippocrene Society. The team at Neverland Publishing strives to work with new and independent writers with unique concepts and interesting stories to tell. Some of their titles include “The Church of Wolves” by Barry Kukovich, “The Forbidden” by Sarah McDonald, and “Nola Gals” by Barbara J. Rebbeck.
Neverland Publishing is currently accepting unsolicited submissions for fiction novels, including the subgenre of southern fiction. You’re strongly encouraged to review their submission guidelines before sending in a query letter. Submissions can be sent via regular mail or via email. Due to the high volume of submissions that they receive, they ask that you allow between two to six weeks to hear back from their editorial team. If you do not hear back within that time, they are unfortunately going to pass on your project.
12. Hub City Press
Hub City Press was founded in 1995 with the express purpose of promoting and discovering talented new writers. Based in Spartanburg, South Carolina, they publish works of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry collections. Some of their southern fiction titles include “Minnow” by James E. McTeer II, “Pasture Art” by Marlin Barton, and “Punch” by Ray McManus.
Hub City Press is open for submissions twice a year between March/April and September/October. They accept query letters and book proposals about your manuscript. If interested, a member of their editorial team will contact you about sending your entire manuscript for consideration at a later date. You can review their submission guidelines for more details. They’re especially interested in working with authors from the American South with stories with distinct regional flare.
13. Tin House Books
Established initially as a magazine in 1999, Tin House Books has now expanded to publish works of literary fiction. In 2002, they became an imprint of Bloomsbury, utilizing their marketing and distribution channels to help their authors reach a global audience. They’ve published books like “A Key to Treehouse Living” by Elliot Reed, “The Changeling” by Joy Williams, and “Freebird” by Jon Raymond.
They are unfortunately no open for submission at this time for books and note that their magazine division will be closing. They encourage you to check back at a later date to see when they reopen for submissions.
14. Grand Central Publishing
Grand Central Publishing is an imprint of Hachette Book Group that’s known for publishing books like “The Notebook” by Nicholas Sparks, “Eat, Drink, and Be From Mississippi” by Nanci Kincaid, and “The Curing Season” by Leslie Wells.
If you’re an author with literary representation, it’s highly recommended that you have your agent submit a query letter or book proposal on your behalf to the editorial team at Grand Central Publishing. Due to the high volume of submissions that they receive, they unfortunately do not have the time or manpower to consider unsolicited manuscripts.
15. Tyndale House Publishers
Tyndale House Publishers is a publishing company based out of Carol Stream, Illinois that was founded in 1962. They have published several high-quality and engaging southern fiction novels, including “Under a Cloudless Sky” by Chris Fabry, and “Man in the Blue Moon” by Michael Morris. Their primary aim is to publish books that foster and meet the spiritual needs of its readers through stories that uphold biblical teachings and principles.
While they do not accept unsolicited manuscripts, they’re happy to receive query letters and book proposals through literary agents. If you’re an independent author interested in working with Tyndale House, you’re strongly encouraged to solicit the assistance of a literary agent first.
16. Gallery Books
Gallery Books is an imprint of Simon & Schuster, known for publishing best-selling books like “Lying in Wait” by Liz Nugent, “The Silhouette Girl” by V.C. Andrews, and “Paradox” by Catherine Coulter. Unfortunately, Simon & Shuster –along with all of their imprints– are unable to accept or consider unsolicited material. If you’re interested in working with Gallery Books, it’s highly recommended that you seek literary representation. If you’re an author with a literary agent, you can have them submit a query letter or book proposal on your behalf.
17. Blair Publishing
Blair Publishing is an independent non-profit publishing company that strives to promote books with distinct southern voices and perspectives. Founded in 1976 with the express purpose of publishing books for and by writers of North Carolina and the South, they’ve published books like “Any Other Place” by Michael Croley, “Witness to Change” by Sybil Haydel Morial, and “Backcountry Fury” by Tony Zeiss.
They are currently accepting unsolicited submissions for fiction and memoir via email. Both agented and independent authors can submit book proposals via email. Blair Publishing also strongly encourages you to check out the writing contests that they host for the chance to win great prizes and accolades. For more information, you can visit their submission guidelines page.
Are there any other publishers of southern fiction that should be on this list? Please tell us about them in the comments box below!
K. Z. Kwan is a freelance writer based out of Halifax, Canada.