If you’re looking for a list of sustainability book publishers, the following selection has been put together especially for you.
1. Island Press
Located in Washington, D.C., in the United States, Island Press has been producing quality books on the environment and sustainability since it was founded in 1984. They are passionate about their platform and ability to spread knowledge in media that reaches readers and effects change in a positive way.
The award-winning publisher was responsible for publishing “Grain by Grain” by Bob Quinn and Liz Carlisle, which was awarded the Montana Book Award in 2019. Island Press was also shortlisted in 2020 for the TWS Wildlife Publication Awards Books that it has published include “Healing Grounds: Climate, Justice, and the Deep Roots of Regenerative Farming” by Liz Carlisle, “30 Animals That Made Us Smarter” by Patrick Aryee, and “Bet the Farm” by Beth Hoffman.
Those interested in publishing with Island Press should review their proposal guidelines carefully, which require information including an overview, author information and writing samples of other work by the author.
2. Chelsea Green Publishing
Chelsea Green Publishing is a publisher that is deliberate about producing books about natural building, animal husbandry, agricultural movements and food politics, among other topics that it focuses on. The publishing house was established in 1984 and continues to follow its mission statement towards being one of the country’s top publishers of books on sustainable living.
Chelsea Green Publishing is headquartered in White River Junction, in the state of Vermont, in the United States. Their portfolio includes titles like “The Orchard Book” by Wade Muggleton, “Green Mother” by Sarah Myhill and Michelle McCullagh and “Going to Seed” by Simon Fairlie.
Writers with manuscripts that align with Chelsea Green Publishing’s vision should provide the publisher with a cover letter about the book, two sample chapters, information about your ideal target market and information about the author.
3. Green Writers Press
Situated in Brattleboro, Vermont, in the United States, Green Writers Press is a publisher that has behind the release of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. The publishing house is proud to produce books that are not are only unequalled in terms of the quality of the text but also created sustainably with the love of the planet in mind.
Not only is Green Writers Press in the business of producing written text, but they’ve also produced an online blog and audiobooks as well. Check out some of the titles that they’ve produced, including “Farm Girl: A Memoir” by Megan Baxter, “Drunk in the Woods” by Tony Whedon, and “The Coffeehouse Resistance: Brewing Hope in Desperate Times” by Sariba Prabasi.
Green Writers Press is accepting submissions and would love to see what sort of book on sustainability you are working on! Send them your manuscript through the link on their website.
4. Mountaineers Books
Mountaineers Books was created in 1960 by a volunteer organization in Seattle, Washington, in the United States, aptly named the Mountaineers. Wanting to promote their love of nature and the wild, the group created Mountaineers Books as a way to publish books that would promote a responsible attitude towards nature.
Today, the group publishes books related to history, maps, nature, as well as sustainability and conservation. “Valley of Giants” by Lauran DeLaunay Miller, “The Skies Above – Storm Clouds, Blood Moons and Other Everyday Phenomena” by Dennis Mersereau, and “Orca – Shared Water, Shared Home” by Lynda V. Mapes are a number of titles that Mountaineers Books has helped release.
Submissions for new manuscripts are welcome for books on sustainable foods, organic gardening, urban farming and related topics. Writers should include a query letter, a market analysis and four sample chapters.
5. University of Virginia Press
Based in Charlottesville, Virginia, in the United States, the University of Virginia Press is a reputable publishing house. They have been active since opening their doors in 1963. Associated with the Association of University Presses, the University of Virginia Press is active in its publication of books on topics that it deems relevant to society, including ecocriticism, sustainability, and local nature in the Virginia area.
University of Virginia Press has long been proud of its diverse and open-minded attitude towards book publication. Books that the University of Virginia Press has been responsible for publishing include “George Washington: Pioneer Farmer” by Alan Fusonie, “Out of the Shadow: Ecopsychology, Story, and Encounters with the Land” by Rinda West, and “Mary’s Austin’s Regionalism: Reflections on Gender, Genre and Geography” by Heike Schaefer.
Authors with manuscripts that the University of Virginia Press would be interested in should follow the submission process indicated on their website, which begins with a questionnaire for the author to fill out.
6. Cornell University Press
Cornell University Press has the unique distinction of being known as the first American University Press. Founded back in 1869, Cornell University Press continues to operate out of its original location in Ithaca, New York, in the United States.
Producing both journal articles and full-length books, Cornell University Press has published books about military history, political science, nature, science and the environment, among other subject matters. Look at some of their past published books, like “The Plastic Turn” by Ranjan Ghosh, “Pocket Guide to the Mammals of Costa Rica” by Fiona A. Reid and Gianfranco Gomez Zamora, and “The Paradise Notebooks: 90 Miles across the Sierra Nevada” by Richard J. Nevle, et al.
Interested authors should submit their manuscripts as an electronic Word document file, with a completed permissions log and questionnaire. The manuscript should be formatted according to the instructions indicated on the Cornell University Press website.
7. University of Washington Press
Working out of Seattle, Washington, in the USA, the University of Washington Press published well-written books about the environment, art history, anthropology, women’s studies, and other topics for over 100 years. A member of the Association of University Presses, the University of Washington Press continues to look for written material that challenges the mind and educates on the relevant subject matter of the current times.
The University of Washington Press continues to pride itself in its position as a publishing house that prioritizes quality and consistency as its guiding principles. Some of the books that it has produced include “The Grizzly in the Driveway: The Return of Bears to a Crowded American West” by Robert Chaney, “Seeds of Control: Japan’s Empire of Forestry in Colonial Korea” by David Fedman, and “Cherokee Earth Dwellers: Stories and Teachings of the Natural World” by Christopher B. Teuton and Hastings Shade.
Writers with potential manuscripts should include a cover letter, description of your book and a sample chapter to the University of Washington Press’ by email or hard copy.
8. University of Nebraska Press
University of Nebraska Press was created in 1941 in Lincoln, Nebraska, in the United States, where it continues to be located and operates to this day. Through its multiple imprints, such as Nebraska, Bison Books and Potomac Books, the University of Nebraska Press continues to publish valuable reading material in hardcover and paperback format, as well as digitally as ebooks.
The University of Nebraska Press’s published books cover a range of highly relevant non-fiction topics, ranging from military history and media studies to the environment and books on Nebraska and the Great Plains. Check out “Troubling the Water: A Dying Lake and a Vanishing World in Cambodia” by Abby Seiff, “Ogallala: Water for a Dry Land” by John Opie, et al., and “Paradise Destroyed” by Christopher M. Church.
Manuscripts that meet the University of Nebraska Press’s guidelines for quality are more than welcome. Authors should include a completed submission package with a query letter, sample chapter and author information, as well as information about the intended audience of your book.
9. Edward Elgar Publishing
Operating from Northampton, Massachusetts, in the United States, as well as offices in the United Kingdom, Edward Elgar Publishing is an award-winning publisher with a track record of producing well-written, engaging literature. They publish academic texts, for use in the classroom and in research-based discussions on topics including law and public policy, geography, technology, international development and the environment.
With comprehensive coverage of environmental topics like energy policy, environmental economics and law, and research methods in the environment, there’s room for any researcher and writer to speak to Edward Elgar Publishing about publishing their manuscript with them. Their portfolio includes books like “Handbook of Accounting and Sustainability” edited by Carol A. Adams, Rethinking Environmental Security by Simon Dalby, and “Climate in Court” by Pau de Vilchez Moragues.
Edward Elgar Publishing is happy to consider any manuscripts that you might have interest in submitting for publication. A proposal form, downloadable from their website, should be included along with a copy of your manuscript and other relevant information.
10. New Society Publishers
New Society Publishers is a Canadian publisher located in Gabriola Island, British Columbia. At the helm is publisher Julie Raddysh who has years of experience working in publishing in the Canadian market. She continues to push the work that New Society Publishers has been doing since new owners Chris Plant, Judith Plant and Carol Newell re-established the company in 2013.
Since its establishment, New Society Publishers has focused its efforts on publishing books that are positive, promote equity and diversity, and encourage sustainable practices and better living choices. Their published books include “Engage, Connect, Protect” by Angelou Ezeilo, “The Color of Good” by Natasha Bowens, and “Making Shift Happen” by Nya Van Leuvan, et al.
New Society Publishers is excited to consider submissions of manuscripts that present new, exciting ideas and are aligned with their voice and vision. Send them a sample chapter, table of contents and a proposal that completely answers a number of questions they have for writers.