The joy of every writer is to find an audience for their work. Having people read and enjoy a finished work does so much for a writer’s confidence.
It reaffirms them as a writer, calms them for further writing projects and reminds them that they can do it as long as they keep their head in the game.
Getting someone to publish a fledgling writer is another uphill task altogether. Many are the times writers have sent out their manuscripts only to be met with rejection or even silence.
It is important for writers to know that not all publishers accept unsolicited work from everyone. This single piece of information could save many writers the agony and time they would have spent sending out manuscripts to uninterested parties.
This begs the question, where then can writers send their work when the time comes? There are many UK fiction publishers accepting submissions from writers. This list features 21 UK publishing companies and offers a good place to start.
1. Legend Press
Tom Chalmers founded this fiction wing of Legend Times Group in 2005. It takes pure fiction works be it literary, crime, women’s or historical fiction and publishes about 30 titles per year. Captivating and authentic reads from this publisher like Beneath the Ashes by Jane Isaac and The Art Teacher by Paul Read have had audiences thrilled and going through an emotional rollercoaster with every page.
Every book published is an intensive journey with promotions and editorial support and because of this, this London-based publisher only considers complete manuscripts. Fiction writers can send in their manuscripts here but may have to wait over four months for a response owing to the huge number of submissions the publisher receives.
2. The Book Guild Ltd
This independent Leicester publisher has amassed over 30 years in the industry and built quite a reputation for itself while at it. This publishing powerhouse is co-owned by Jeremy Thompson and Jane Rowland after Troubador Publishing Ltd, established by Thompson, acquired it. It accepts all genres including fiction, non-fiction, children’s books, books on humour as well as those featuring animals as long as the book has a commercial future. They boast sizzling titles such as Rude Rousing Revenge by Robert Hobbs and rib-cracking tales like The Seven Pillars of Nonsense by Michael Roselaar.
The Book Guild publishes over 100 titles every year while ensuring top quality always. Authors can make their submissions using the details on this page and wait about two to three weeks for a reply.
3. Mills & Boon
The famous publisher of romance and fiction titles that have captivated audiences over the years actually accepts manuscripts. Its inception was in 1908 by Gerald Rusgrove Mills and Charles Boon but gained quite a following in the 1930s with bestselling romance titles. The Pregnancy Shock by Lynne Graham and The Bride’s Awakening by Kate Hewitt are recent titles. Its major focus is romance fiction in all its forms including modern romance, true love, historical, and even medical romance. Submissions can be made here complete with directions on how to frame the work.
4. Fairlight Books
Louise Boland started this literary fiction and short story publishing house barely a year ago in 2017. Her aim was to provide readers access to good quality fiction and writers with a home for their literary works. It worked and an example of a book published by Fairlight Books is The Tale of Senyor Rodriguez by Lou Gilmond.
They accept contemporary adult fiction and short stories, whether they had previously been self-published or not. Manuscript submission guidelines are available here for those looking to get published by this Oxford publisher. They also offer writing courses for those that may like to polish up this skill.
5. Myrmidon Books
Founded by Ed Handyside in 2006, this publisher is based in Newcastle upon Tyne. They focus on all kinds of quality fiction and one of their titles, The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twang Eng, has been nominated for an award. Readers continue to enjoy the imaginative, crisp and captivating storytelling in the Space Captain Smith series by Toby Frost with new instalments published often.
While they prefer literary fiction, they currently do not publish plays, children’s books or poetry. Writers can submit their work whether it is originally written in English or is translated from another language. Submission guidelines are available here.
6. Snowbooks
Emma Barnes sits as co-founder of Snowbooks. It was started in April 2003 in a spare room in Hackney and has grown tremendously since. They are now located in Thame. Their love for efficiency and improving the business side of publishing earned them the Nibbie Award for Small Publisher of the Year in 2006 and several other awards. With tens of thousands of its titles sold since it started, many of its published books have won awards such as Spring Heeled Jack by Mark Hodder. Submission guidelines are outlined here but writers may have to wait up to six months for a response.
7. Dedalus Books
It started out in 1983 with only three titles, and The Arabian Nightmare by Robert Irwin, which was among them, has been translated into 20 languages. Their titles include translated works of European fiction under the Decadence from Dedalus collection. Others are Dedalus Anthologies, Dedalus European Classics, Dedalus Euro Shorts and non-fiction work under the City Noir, Dark Master and Concept Book series.
This publishing house focuses on literary fiction and has created its own new genre that brings together the unusual, surreal, bizarre and grotesque into beautiful pieces fit for a worldwide audience. It is based in Sawtry and writers can submit their manuscripts using these guidelines.
8. Three Hares Publishing
With a lot of emphasis and focus on fiction, this publishing house is looking for exciting reads including crime and psychological thrillers. It is owned by the Independent Publishers Guild. They believe people choose books according to their mood and have devised an ingenious way to categorize their reads according to what readers may be feeling at that time. With titles such as The Power of Cake by Fran Smith and Eye of the Storm by Nick Cook, readers are always in for a treat. Writers can find out about submission details here and should give it up to 12 weeks.
9. Avon Books
It was established in 2007 as a division of HarperCollins. The parent company has built a name for itself over the years and Avon has continued the trend, focusing on crime and women’s fiction. It is home to bestselling authors such as C. L. Taylor and Scott Marian.
It is accepting submissions for digital-first publications with the submission guidelines outlined here.
10. Jo Fletcher Books
Jo Fletcher is part of Quercus Books, which was formed in 2004 by Mark Smith and Wayne Davies, and later acquired by Hodder and Stoughton in 2014. Science fiction, horror and fantasy make the bulk of this London publisher’s work and they strive to maintain high quality. Authors have submitted award-winning manuscripts that have received critical acclaim and awards such as Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop. They accept submissions that follow these guidelines and propose a waiting time of about three months.
11. Carina UK
A subsidiary of Harlequin UK, Carina UK is a digital imprint that was launched in 2013. It aims to publish books in digital format in every genre imaginable. All they ask for is passion, great writing and a compelling storyline for those readers that prefer to read from their devices. Featured titles include S is for Stranger by Louise Stone and The Lady Alkmene Mysteries by Vivian Conroy.
Writers can find manuscript submission guidelines here and should expect to wait for about three to five weeks for a response.
12. Dahlia Publishing
Small, independent and looking to champion both regional and diverse voices, this Leicester publisher was founded in 2010 by Farhana Shaikh. They accept both original and contemporary fiction. Books published include Finding Takri by Palo Stickland and When Ali Met Honour by Ruth Ahmed. Submissions need to be in line with these guidelines here.
13. Hot Key Books
Hot Key Books is based in London and is a Bonnier Zaffre imprint focusing on young adult fiction ranging from historical romance to sci-fi. Their target age group is nine to 19 years and maintains quality through all their publications. Titles include Spellslinger by Sebastien de Castell, Day 7 by Kerry Drewery and Aurabel by Laura Dockrill among many others. Manuscript subscription is simple and straightforward and is outlined here.
14. Skylight Press
The field of esoteric, extraterrestrial and occult fiction has very few on its radar but this Gloucestershire publisher is changing that a book at a time. Rebsie Fairholm and Daniel Staniforth founded it in 2010 to specifically cover this niche. Their focus is on how the story is written and what it contributes to the topic, and not how much profit the work will bring in.
If ritual magic, paganism, Western Esoteric Tradition, Arthurian or Grail traditions and Faery form the basis of your book then this is the place for it. It will sit among titles like Beyond the Sun by Nick Farrell and To think Without Fear by Anthony Duncan. Submission guidelines are available here.
15. Tartarus Press
This small publisher was established in 1990, is based in Yorkshire and is run by Rosalie Park and R.B. Russell. Their books take you back to the time when books were a rarity with their simple uniform cream covers. The contents are anything fiction ranging from strange, supernatural or horror fiction. Both hardbacks and paperbacks are available.
One title, The Loney by Andrew Michael Hurley, received applause from Stephen King who is known for his horror fiction tales. They are interested in short story collections and novels of the same genre and submission guidelines are available here.
16. Strident Publishing
This press was founded in 2005 by Keith A. Charters and is based in Glasgow. It focuses on fiction for children, young adults, and adults. The LEE series by Keith Charters continues to thrill and take children on adventures every time. Submission guidelines are available here.
17. Thunderpoint Publishing
March 2013 saw the first paperback and eBook published and traded by this publisher. This was Mule Train by Huw Francis. Thunderpoint Publishing has published several other fiction and non-fiction titles both in print and eBook. It is based in Scotland. Writers can submit their manuscripts here.
18. Yolk Books Ltd
James Hobbs and Carla Greco established Yolk Books to provide a platform where writers are allowed to take risks. It operates from Oxfordshire and takes in genres of all kinds even if authors present unusual concepts. Blood and Roses by Catherine Hokin looks at the life of Margaret of Anjou, the wife of Henry VI, from a new and feminist perspective. RHL, The Man in the Mirror by Jim Dales tells the compelling story of a miller’s son through the eyes of those around him. Writers can check out submission guidelines on this page.
19. PS Publishing
Established in 1999, PS Publishing focuses on signed limited editions in fantasy, science fiction and horror. With several awards and titles under their name, this publisher continues to entertain and scare in equal measure. It is based in Hornsea, East Yorkshire and boasts titles such as A Borrowed Man by Gene Wolfe and Six Scary Stories chosen by Stephen King. Submissions can be made here.
20. Holland Park Press
This publishing house takes in works from Dutch authors and brings it to the English market. As such, it accepts translations and has translators. It focuses on literary fiction and poetry that is bound to contribute to literature in a unique way. Younger readers enjoy the Toby of Endersley series by Ashley P. Martin. They accept novels, novellas, and collections of short stories and poems. Submission guidelines are available here.
21. Pure Indigo Publishing
Run by Dr. Nita Martin and Mr. Ashley Martin, Pure Indigo Publishing is a part of Pure Indigo Limited. It publishes both fiction and non-fiction and avails it in several formats as per the readers’ needs. They also produce relevant software. Titles like The Wrong Box by Andrew C. Ferguson and The Oystercatcher Girl by Gabrielle Barnby have proven both entertaining and thought provoking. They accept manuscript submissions to their Cambridge offices under the following conditions.
Whether you are starting out as a writer or looking for a new publisher for your work, take advantage of any of the available opportunities. Ensure that your manuscript meets the given requirements and that the publisher accepts your kind of writing. If everything is in order, go out boldly and submit your manuscript. Be persistent at it too. This could be the break you have been waiting for.
21 Top UK Fiction Publishers Accepting Submissions is an article from Writing Tips Oasis.
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[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://writingtipsoasis.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/kev.jpg[/author_image] [author_info] Kevinson Libama is a full-time non-fiction writer, proofreader, and editor. He’s currently accepting new clients who need help with their eBook proofreading and editing as well as blog writing. [/author_info] [/author]