If you’re a first-time author in Scotland who has written your maiden book, or if you’re an established author in Scotland who has just completed another book, and in either case are looking for a publisher close by, this post is especially for you.
Below we’ve put together a list of 13 top Scottish publishers accepting submissions.
Continue reading to learn about who they are, the genres of books they publish and how you can submit your manuscript to them.
1. Luna Press Publishing
This is an independent press based in Edinburgh and founded in 2015 by author Francesca T. Barbini. They are a member of Publishing Scotland and have housed many top-sellers, like One Cog Turning by Anthony Laken and The Forever Man by Allen Stroud. They are looking for similar works of science fiction, fantasy and dark fantasy. They would also accept academic non-fiction on the subject.
They have plenty of contests and accept submissions year-round, and you can see which genres they are accepting submissions in at which time period here. Currently, they are closed for fiction submissions and are only accepting academic titles. For general submissions they ask you give them a paragraph about you and your writing experience, as well as your social websites. They would also like that you write the title of your work, how many words it has, and which of their projects you think your work is the best fit for. Send it all in the body of the email to: lunapress@outlook.com.
2. Canongate
Founded in 1973 and based in Edinburgh, Cannongate’s very beginnings were tied to one successful title – Lanark by Alasdair Gray. It was an early milestone for the company, and a renowned piece of prose, the kind that they are still looking to publish today. They have also housed a number of best-selling titles, like How Not To Be a Boy by Robert Webb, The Life of Pi by Yann Martel, and are a go-to publisher for many public personalities like presidents, comedians, politicians etc. Submissions require a synopsis, three sample chapters and a cover letter. However, do note that Canongate only accepts submissions from reputed literary agents.
3. Luath Press
Established in 1981 and based in Edinburgh, Luath Press is a project by Tom and Rene Atkinson. They are most known for Luath Guides Series, Mountain Days and Bothy Nights. They are a renowned name in descriptive guides through some of the most visited parts of Scotland. They are looking for a variety of genres, and are interested in anything well-written that is worth reading, but preferably in relation to Scotland. Send them a clear synopsis of up to 250 words ,which genres would you consider your work to be a mix of, sample chapters or manuscript, a short bio, and any other information you consider relevant. Send to: Luath Press Ltd. 543/2 Castlehill, The Royal Mile, Edinburgh, EH1 2ND, United Kingdom, or to: sales@luath.co.uk. Visit this page for more details about the submission process.
4. Black and White Publishing
Black & White Publishing was founded in 1999 by Campbell brown and Alison McBride It is based in Edinburgh, Scotland. They have housed some of the best books by some of the most well-known and brilliant writers, like Richard Gordon, James Robertson and Estelle Maskame. They are looking for titles in the vain of the aforementioned, in non-fiction, biography, humor and sport. The only fiction they will consider is young adult and children’s. They ask that you write them a covering letter with a little bit about yourself, and what makes your work special. Either send them the first three chapters, or 30 pages of your manuscript in this submissions form. For more details about the submission guidelines and accepted genres, visit this page.
5. Floris Books
Floris Books is an independent publishing company based in Edinburgh, Scotland and founded in 1976. They are the leading children’s publisher in Scotland, and have housed diverse authors like Elsa Beskow, Maria Thun and Astrid Lindgren to name a few. For their Kelpies imprint, Floris only accepts submissions from authors who belong to selected underrepresented communities. The company is also accepting titles that focuses on the works of Rudolf Steiner and anthroposophy or are dedicated to the Steiner-Waldorf community. For more details about the accepted communities and the submission process, check out this page.
6. Birlinn Ltd.
This company is based in Edinburgh and was founded in 1992 by Hugh Andrew. Today, it has many imprints under many names, but its most famous one, Birlinn, is your best bet as it accepts the widest variety of genres and titles. If you are wondering what they are looking for, your best bet is to refer to their titles: The Little Book of Scottish Rain by Tim Kirby and Ardnish Was Home by Angus MacDonald. Any quality works of fiction, non-fiction and/or poetry will be considered. Post a synopsis and three chapters of your manuscript or half a dozen of poems and mail it to: Submissions (Fiction), Submissions (Non-Fiction), OR Submissions (Poetry) Birlinn Ltd, West Newington House, 10 Newington Road, Edinburgh, EH9, 1QS. You can also refer to this link for a better idea about their submission guidelines.
7. Dunedin Academic Press Ltd
DAP is based in Edinburgh and was founded in 2000. It publishes academic titles across disciplines. They are a member of Publishers Scotland and Publishers Association. They have housed titles like: The Norns in Old Norse Mythology by Karen Bek-Pedersen, and A Systems Approach to Environmental Management: It’s not easy being Green by Tim O’Higgins and Mohammed Saif Al-Kalbani. It publishes authors and perspectives across the academic world, not just from Scotland. They are looking for works in the fields of geology, environmental sciences, Earth sciences and geography. If this is you, pitch them they need you to answer quite a lot of questions about yourself, the project, and the possible market. For their comprehensive set of demands visit their submissions guidelines, and follow them closely, as this is an academic publication.
8. Kitchen Press
Do you love writing about food and recipes? If yes, Kitchen Press is just the right publisher for you. The company was established in 2011 to create and disseminate quality cookbooks written by chefs and restaurateurs. Over the last 8 years, they’ve published some award-winning cookbooks written by both emerging and established chefs. Some of their popular titles include Spirit and Spice by Ghillie Basan, Brick Lane Cookbook by Dina Begum, and The Mountain Café Cookbook by Kirsten Gilmour. If you are a chef or work in a leading restaurant, reach out to Kitchen Press with your manuscripts on this page.
9. Scotland Street Press
Scotland Street Press is an independent publishing house based in Edinburgh that publishes imaginative, unique, and beautifully written titles for readers across the globe. Established in 2014 by Jean Findlay, this publishing house is driven to offer emerging authors an opportunity to establish their presence. The press also offers underrepresented women an opportunity to showcase their creative voice. Some of their best titles include Mrs Winchester’s Bun Club by Douglas Bruton, Aspects of Edinburgh by Stewart Conn and John Knight, and Aboard the Bulger by Ann-Scott Moncrieff. Scotland street Press is currently accepting submissions and can be reached out on this page.
10. Strident Publishing
This book publisher was founded in 2005 and is based in Glasgow. They gained recognition soon after their conception, when they published two titles: Lee and the Consul Mutants and Lee Goes For Gold, both by a Keith A Charters, which won the first and fourth place on the children’s best-seller list. They are looking for similar titles to publish, either illustrated or no=illustrated fiction for children ages 5-8, and fiction for ages 8-12. Fiction for ages 7-10. They can be illustrated or non-illustrated. They will also take up YA, similar to Kirkland Ciccone‘s Endless Empress, Janne Teller‘s Nothing and Gillian Philip‘s Bad Faith.
Send them a submission to: submissions@stridentpublishing.co.uk. State the genre, the age range, why you think it will stand out, what are some other similar titles, possibly by them, your version of the book blurb and the word count. Do look carefully at this link for more details about their submission policies.
11. Edinburgh University Press
One of the leading University presses across the United Kingdom, Edinburgh University Press was established in the early 1940s. Eventually, it came to be known as a fully owned subsidiary of Edinburgh University in 1992. This publishing house collaborates with authors across the globe to publish ground-breaking titles in academia and non-fiction. Like most other UK based academic publishers, they also have a journal. Over the last few decades, Edinburgh University Press has published best-selling titles in classics, ancient history, film studies, and history to name a few. Some of their notable titles include Volpone’s Bastards by Isaac Hui, The American Short Story Cycle by Jennifer J. Smith and The Life Intense by Tristan Garcia. The publishing house is currently accepting submissions for textbooks, scholarly monographs, reference works, and edited collections of essays. You can find more details about their submissions process here.
12. Sandstone Press
Founded in 2002 by Robert Davidson and based in Dingwall, Sandstone Press is an independent publisher with a taste for international and diverse perspectives, and is looking fisrt and foremost for innovation. This is a number one thing they want from their authors. They have housed many literary works that gained them esteem, like The Tyranny of Lost Things by Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett, Goldstein by Volker Kutscher and Celestial Bodies by Jokha Alharthi – Winner of the 2010 Best Omani Novel Award. If you believe that your work would fit in well with these literary giants, query them at submissions@sandstonepress.com.
Make sure to include a short cover email to introduce yourself and the work you are pitching. They ask that you attach the submission form, a synopsis, and no more than 5,000 words of the manuscript as a Word document. The manuscript sample must contain your first chapter. All attachments should be renamed so that they contain the title of your work, and also make sure to mention which genre you are submitting in. Currently, Sandstone press is only accepting submissions for non-fiction and academic titles. You can find more details about the submissions process here.
13. Ringwood Publishing
Ringwood Publishing is based in Glasgow and is focused on putting out quality works of Scottish fiction and non-fiction, and they especially like it if the themes of their titles are around football, religion, money, sex and crime – things they consider to be specifically Scottish. Some of their most famous titles include The Full Bhoona –or, as it’s subtitled: History, Recipes, Memories from the Koh-I-Noor. This masterpiece was penned down by Amy Glasgow, and Jinx Dogs Burns Now Flu – a title by Alex Gordon. They are looking for both fiction and non-fiction similar to the aforementioned titles, so long as they find it has that Scottish spirit in it. In fact, in order to make sure that your work really does have that Scottish spark, they require all their authors be Scottish, either by birth, heritage or spirit !
If you think your manuscript could find a home with Ringwood Publishing, they require you pitch them by sending a cover letter, details on how to contact you (preferably contained within the cover letter), your full name, address, phone, email, and, of course, a brief synopsis or a sample chapter. You should send it all to: submissions@ringwoodpublishing.com. Feel free to review their submissions guidelines for more details on what they’re looking for, how to submit, and what to do to better your chances of acceptance (and lower the chances of ending up in spam).
Do you know of any other Scottish publishers accepting submissions? Please tell us about them in the comments box below!
Sara is a freelance writer with an aspiring author with years of experience under her belt and two or three words of wisdom to share. She blogs at https://sistermantis.wordpress.com/