If you’re looking for a list of traditional book publishers in the UK, this post is for you. Below we’ve featured 19 of the best traditional publishing houses for your perusal.
1. Galley Beggar Press
Celebrating its 10 years of unbridled passion for storytelling this year, Galley Beggar Press is a humble yet illustrious, forward-thinking publisher based in Norwich, England. Sam Jordison and Eloise Millar, its co-founders, head the indie press at present in search of top-tier narrative nonfiction and literary fiction.
Despite its relatively small catalog, Galley Beggar Press is home to multiple award-winning and acclaimed titles. These include Lucy Ellmann’s epic and ingenious novel Ducks, Newburyport and Eimear McBride’s A Girl is A Half-Formed Thing.
While Galley Beggar Press isn’t open for submissions as of writing, they shared that authors and agents should check for updates in Spring. Also, you can send a complete manuscript regardless of your country of residence when they resume the submission window.
2. Bloomsbury
Headquartered in London, England, Bloomsbury has been around since 1986. Readers around the world recognize their name not only for its massive catalog but also for exceptionally reviewed works and the Harry Potter franchise.
Bloomsbury publishes fiction and nonfiction for both children and adults. From Jennifer Edmond’s The Trouble With Big Data to Laura Purcell’s decadent and eerie historical romance The Shape of Darkness, you’ll never run out of great reads.
The submission process depends on the division, imprint, or category. For example, Green Tree, Sigma, Shire, and Bloomsbury divisions such as Academic, Business, Sport, and Wildlife accept unsolicited or direct submissions from authors.
On the other hand, you’ll need a literary agent if you want to submit adult fiction or children’s literature. Carefully read the comprehensive submission page for more information.
3. Titan Books
Nick Landau and Vivian Cheung are the owners of Titan Entertain Group, an indie company to which Titan Books belongs. As for the London-based publisher itself, Titan Books had its origins at a small comics store called Forbidden Planet back in 1982. Today, it’s known for both pop culture tie-in books (especially in sci-fi & fantasy) and its own growing catalog of original fiction and nonfiction.
Apart from its stellar selection of comics, graphic novels, and books about the biggest films and series, Titan Books also has other amazing titles.
Antoinette Haselhorst’s Reflections on Nelson Mandela is a stunning portrait of the South African leader. If you prefer fiction, read best-selling author Christina Henry’s dark fantasy Near the Bone, which was just released earlier this year.
Nonfiction authors who are interested or already have experience in writing nonfiction about licensed publications about art, comics, film, and TV are free to submit a proposal. Titan Books is also looking for fiction writers who’d like to craft novels or short stories based on licensed fiction.
4. Penguin Random House
Penguin Random House has one of the oldest histories in the publishing industry. It all started in 1883 when George Palmer Putnam launched G.P. Putnam’s Sons. And with a staggering 300 imprints and an ever-growing international readership, this publisher—which has many offices in London, England—has truly come so far.
Penguin Random House has an ever-expanding portfolio to cater to readers of all ages. Just last year, it dominated bestseller lists with works like Andy Weir’s sci-fi novel Project Hail Mary and Kazuo Ishiguro’s Nobel Prize-winning Klara and the Sun.
In general, the publisher only accepts agented submissions. However, its digital imprints such as Hydra and Loveswept are open to unsolicited submissions. Schwartz & Wade and DAW also accept submissions of sci-fi & fantasy and children’s literature, respectively.
5. David Fickling Books
Situated in Oxford, England, this company has an unusual history, unlike the other entries. Rather than being an indie press that became part of a corporate publisher, David Fickling Books was already part of Scholastic and Random House as an imprint. But in 2013, it yearned for more autonomy and decided to be an independent publisher.
David Fickling Books has a lot of fiction and nonfiction for children and teens, but it also has some nice reads for adults.
Last year, the indie publisher launched Sophie Burrows’s Crushing, one of the best YA romance graphic novels you can find. Not to be outdone, its nonfiction section had Paul Nurse’s widely celebrated What is Life?, which beautifully covered the most essential concepts in biology and their significance at present.
Unfortunately, David Fickling Books is currently closed to direct submissions from authors and will only receive such from literary agents.
6. Yale University Press London
Yale University Press began in 1908 in the US and established its office in London, England, in 1961. In its first couple of decades, this UK division built a name for itself for publishing notable books in art history and architecture before taking on more subject areas.
With around 120 book releases annually, this university press offers many of the newest writings in fields such as social science, music, economics, current affairs, and medicine. Art history enthusiasts will enjoy Graham Bader’s Poisoned Abstraction while scholars focused on media studies should look for Sarah T. Roberts’s Behind the Screen.
Before preparing your proposal, look at the book categories and most recent publications to get a better idea of what Yale University Press London is interested in. Likewise, check the areas of interest of their acquisitions editors.
7. Flying Eye Books
Are you a children’s book writer? If so, this should be your go-to publisher. Situated in London, England, Flying Eye Books has only been around since 2013 but has already turned heads with its acclaimed titles and consistently stunning book covers and illustrations.
From Luke Pearson’s Hilda and The Mountain King—which recently had a Netflix movie adaptation—to Joe Todd-Stanton’s Leo and the Gorgon’s Curse, kids and kids at heart will undoubtedly admire both the fantastical covers and the stories contained in Flying Eye Books publications.
If you have a children’s graphic novel, picture book, or illustrated nonfiction in mind, feel free to submit your manuscript online. Remember to include a summary and to keep your email size to no more than 5 megabytes.
8. Peepal Tree Press
Peepal Tree Press has undergone several significant changes since its inception in 1985, but its purpose has remained the same. Essentially, the independent company based in Leeds, England, hopes to be the platform from which writers—in the UK, the Caribbean, or any part of the world where the people of the Caribbean have since settled in—can publish their stories for the world to see.
With its morally upright, socio-cultural mission, Peepal Tree Press offers many eye-opening reads. Shara McCallum’s poetry collection No Ruined Stone takes you across history, nations, and social issues while Angel Barry’s novel The Drowned Forest examines stratification and colonialism, among others.
Peepal Tree Press launches just 15 books each year, more or less. Still, writers from and outside the UK are welcome to submit their manuscripts in poetry, fiction, or nonfiction.
9. Hachette UK
Like Penguin Random House, Hachette UK has a global following and is a household name. Beginning with the John Murray publishing house in 1867, it’s now headquartered in London, England, and has a multitude of established publishing divisions — each with its own set of imprints.
Hachette UK has an incredible portfolio that combines commercial viability with unconstrained creativity in storytelling. Chris Hammer’s Opal Country is a new novel that’s already making waves among fans of crime and mysteries. Similarly, you’ll like Niklas Natt och Dag’s 1793: The Wolf and The Watchman if you want historical thrillers.
As of writing, the publisher is only open to agented submissions. Go to the submissions page for help in finding a reputable agent.
10. Fledgling Press
Writers in Edinburgh, Scotland, can always rely on Fledgling Press for publishing opportunities in the field of life stories, adult fiction, and YA fiction. Its innovative marketing and distribution in both the realm of physical books and ebooks ensure that your work is accessible to as many potential readers as possible.
One of the most celebrated titles from Fledgling Press is Andrew James Greig’s mystery fiction Whirligig. Consequently, Philip Caveney’s The Sins of Allie Lawrence is a fine new addition to the publisher’s teen fiction catalog.
Fledgling Press accepts manuscript submissions in the aforementioned categories — and it will pay close attention to stories that specifically belong in literary fiction, crime fiction, or historical fiction.
11. Simon & Schuster
The founders of Simon & Schuster—namely, Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster—probably didn’t expect how far their company would come when they launched it in 1924. After all, the first publication was a simple collection of crossword puzzles. But nearly a century later, this London-based publisher has everything from award-winning ebooks to audiobooks and beloved hardcovers in fiction and nonfiction.
If you need specific examples of its diverse portfolio, you should know that Simon & Schuster published not only Tom King’s well-reviewed contemporary literary novel A Once Crowded Sky but also David M. Rubenstein’s best-selling political work The American Experiment.
Authors who want to be a part of Simon & Schuster should look for a literary agent to represent them as they only review agented submissions.
12. Grimbold Books
Led by Sammy Smith and Zoë Harris, Grimbold Books is located in Banbury, England, and is the home of two imprints: Kristell Ink and Tenebris Books. The team is relatively small, but their love and dedication to discovering and sharing exciting genre fiction are unquestionable.
As a haven for exciting dark fiction, sci-fi, and fantasy, the publisher and its imprints have a lot to offer. Lindsey Duncan’s novel Scylla & Charybdis has elements of space opera and genetic engineering while Tom Lloyd’s Fear the Reaper is a fantasy novella that’s hard to put down.
Sadly, Grimbold Books isn’t currently open to new direct submissions. On the bright side, you can check the submission guidelines page at a future date for updates. Once they resume the submission window, authors can send everything from short stories to novels and novellas.
13. Oxford University Press
As one of the biggest publishers in Oxford, England, this university press had its beginnings in 1478 when Oxford University published its first title. By 1586, the esteemed research and educational institution got the rights from the Decree of Star Chamber to formally establish the printing press.
Whether in the field of medicine, social science, law, or the arts & humanities, this widely revered press unsurprisingly has a ridiculous number of invaluable texts.
For one, Anthony Pagden’s The Pursuit of Europe is a comprehensive history book. On the other hand, William H. Calvin’s A Brief History of the Mind succinctly explains neuroscience and evolutionary biology.
The Oxford University Press has a handy list of editors. This includes their contact link, department, and a list of all their disciplines. Thus, you should view the editor page before reading the guidelines on how to directly send proposals for your nonfiction project.
14. And Other Stories
If you’re in Sheffield, England, look for And Other Stories, which is renowned for its catalog of literary fiction and narrative nonfiction. From a small group of people searching for audacious contemporary writings to publish (and translate if needed) in 2010, it’s now an award-winning press with similarly acclaimed titles.
And Other Stories recently published Robert Aickman’s Go Back at Once, an LGBTQ+ literary novel that was written in 1975 but never got the attention and distribution it deserved in the UK. One other solid new release is Paulo Scott’s Phenotypes, which highlights the difficulty of solving systemic social issues.
Due to the pandemic, the company doesn’t have the resources to accept direct manuscript submissions from authors. Once the situation gets better, you just have to follow the instructions on their website.
15. Elsevier
Elsevier has a corporate office in London, England, today, but it was actually launched in The Netherlands in 1880. Furthermore, its shift into becoming one of the world’s leading publishers of science, medicine, engineering, and other scholarly fields began in 1930 when Director J. P. Klautz sought a solution to the company’s growing depth and dismal sales.
Similar to the Oxford University Press, Elsevier is a treasure trove for researchers, academicians, and any reader who wants to expand their knowledge in many fields such as nursing, psychology, toxicology, and computer science.
For example, John W. Bennett’s The Ecological Transition is just as relevant today as it was back in 1976. Likewise, Arvind Kumar’s Ecosystem-Based Adaptation should help everyone to better understand the concept of sustainable development.
If your work fits in one or more of the publisher’s general subject areas, check the page for book authors to learn about using inclusive language in your project and how you can send your book proposal online.
16. HarperCollins UK
James and John Harper established J. and J. Harper in the early 19th century. However, this company in New York City would only become HarperCollins after it took ownership of William Collins & Sons, which was based in Glasgow, Scotland. It’s no wonder then that HarperCollins UK has offices in not just London, England, but also in Glasgow.
As one of the biggest publishers in the region, HarperCollins UK has a fantastic and abundant catalog of fiction and nonfiction. You’ll discover practical cookbooks like Suzanne Mulholland’s The Batch Lady and humorous contemporary novels like Katherine Heiny’s Early Morning Riser.
HarperCollins UK is mostly open only to agented submissions. Thankfully, several of its imprints such as HarperNorth, HQ CIL, Mills & Boon, and Avon are willing to accept direct submissions in various fiction and nonfiction categories.
17. Bonnier Books UK
Situated in London, England, Bonnier Books UK is part of the larger Bonnier Books, which has a legacy dating to 1837 and remains in Stockholm, Sweden, to this day. This publisher honors its long history by honing authors, embracing technological breakthroughs to remain competitive, and supporting stories that make the world a better place.
Some best-selling titles from Bonnier Books UK are Robert Peston’s political thriller The Whistleblower and Garth Nix’s YA fantasy romance novel Terciel & Elinor.
Authors hoping to get published under Bonnier Books UK should seek a literary agent who will contact Bonnier Books to vouch for their manuscripts.
18. Wiley
Wiley is a veteran publisher of scholarly writing and has offices in both Chichester and Oxford, England. With two centuries of experience in the industry, it constantly finds ways to help both institutions and individuals in reaching their goals, especially ones relating to scientific progress and the betterment of society.
From Jean-Claude Amiard’s book on radioecology titled Management of Radioactive Waste to Diana Sidtis’s Foundations of Familiar Language, Wiley is an indispensable source of knowledge in arts and sciences.
Interested writers should first head to the author resources page for book authors. There, you’ll discover all the information you need about direct submissions of proposals and manuscripts.
19. Joffe Books
Jasper Joffe launched Joffe Books in London, England, in 2014. He hoped that he and his team could help new and underrated writers alike to attain successful, long-lasting careers — and Joffe Books did exactly that. Now, it’s praised for its treatment of authors, agents, and readers, so much so that the British Book Awards recognized Joffe Books as one of the best indie publishers in the UK for the past two years.
Joffe Books has a knack for discovering authors who craft highly entertaining tales. Aside from Nicholas Rhea’s Constable in the Country—part of a mystery franchise spanning over 30 titles—the indie publisher also has Joy Ellis’s Secrets on the Fens.
Authors can directly submit their complete manuscripts. Generally, Joffe Books focuses on fiction genres like mysteries, crime, and thrillers, but it’s also open to romance and historical novels.