If you’re looking for a comprehensive list of West Coast book publishers, the following compilation is especially for you.
1. Black Bed Sheet Books
Founded in Antelope, California in 2008, Black Bed Sheet Books is a small publishing house which provides professional book editing, cover design, printing, distribution, and other such services without requesting any fees from the authors. The only things that might require funding are book marks, pens, t-shirts, or similar items, although the founder believes they will be able to pay for them as well in the near future.
BBS Books is specialized in horror, science fiction, fiction, and nonfiction, and each of the genres is divided into several other subcategories on their website. For instance, in terms of horror, you can choose between medical terror, folklore & fairytales, poetry, psychological horror, thriller/suspense, crime, and many others.
If you want to become familiar with what they’re interested in, you can check out Dead Batteries by Rey Otis, Because the Night by Nicole Vlachos, or Morningstars by Nick Kisella. They are currently open for submissions, and they are particularly interested in works of horror. However, you can still send manuscripts of science fiction/fantasy and others as such. Regardless of the genre, you should be patient, as the response time is at least 6 months. To find out more, you can read their submission guidelines.
2. Angel City Press
Angel City Press was founded in 1992 in Santa Monica, California. Since they work with the best graphic artists in the state, they’re able to create books which illustrate modern design concepts, while also providing their audience with high-quality works depicting the cultural history of the West.
Among their most recent titles you will find An Architectural Guidebook to Los Angeles by David Gebhard and Robert Winter, Hollywood Chinese – The Chinese in American Feature Films by Arthur Dong, and After/Image – Los Angeles Outside the Frame by Lynell George.
Angel City Press does not publish poetry, children’s books, or how-to-books. Actually, they are looking for writings with a powerful historical/nostalgic perspective, which are ideally aimed at two niche markets – for instance, the West and American folklore. If you want to send a manuscript, make sure to read the submission guidelines first.
3. Chronicle Books
Based in San Francisco, California, Chronicle Books has been publishing high-quality writings since 1967. With an eye for detail, the company always makes sure that the books they sell are presented to the audience in their best version. They also have a home base in London, as well as several retail locations all around the world.
The genres featured on their website vary widely from fiction and humor to design and photography. A few of the titles you can check out in order to become more familiar with their interests are Between Heaven and Hell – The Story of My Stroke by David Talbot, The Secret Art of Being a Parent, written by Bridget Watson Payne and illustrated by Rachel Harrell, as well as Heroes by Stephen Fry.
Children’s books have different submission guidelines from adult books, so make sure to respect the appropriate requirements. If you want to learn more, click here.
4. Solano Press Books
Solano Press Books is based in Point Arena, California, and it is a publishing house which specializes in urban affairs, land use, environmental subjects, and planning law. Because of these areas of interest, their readers are usually ecologists, attorneys and judges, specialists in economic development, and many others of this sort.
Their list includes titles such as California Surface Mining Law by Derek P. Cole, The General Plan in California by David Early, and Navigating the California Coastal Act by Jana Zimmer. An e-books section is also available on their website.
Luckily, they are open for submissions – your proposal must contain a brief summary of the essence of your book (topics, character, its use, and so on), a table of contents, a market assessment, and your CV. However, before sending your work, make sure to read the full submission guidelines.
5. Write Bloody Publishing
Write Bloody is a publishing house established in Los Angeles, California. Since 2004 they have managed to produce 135 titles, as well as 85 e-books. Their belief is that poetry can change humanity for the better, which is why the company works with some of the best poets in the United States.
If you want to become accustomed to the types of poetry they’re interested in, make sure to check out Amulet by Jason Bayani, The Bones Below by Sierra DeMulder, and Bring Down the Chandeliers by Tara Hardy.
Unfortunately, they are currently closed to submissions. However, you can still refresh their page for any updates, as the 2020 official submission period should be announced soon.
6. No Starch Press
Currently based in San Francisco, California, No Starch Press was established by Bill Pollock in 1994. A top book provider in terms of geek entertainment, the company specializes in security, computer programming, hacking, STEM, LEGO, as well as in alternative operating systems. You will also find topics such as manga or art & design on their website.
To get a glimpse of what they’re looking for, you can check out Art of Debugging by Norman Matloff and Peter Jay Salzman, Math Adventures with Python by Peter Farrell, and Bitcoin for the Befuddled by Conrad Barski and Chris Wilmer.
If you would like to collaborate with them, make sure to send a summary of your book, an outline, some market assessment details (such as the intended audience), and information about yourself. All the requirements are available here, where you can also find a copy of their publishing agreement.
7. Story Bound Publishing
Located in San Diego, California, Story Bound Publishing is a traditional publisher which has embraced the benefits of e-books, thus managing to bring tales of ghosts, aliens, witches, and others as such to a wider audience.
If you enter their Book section, you will find titles such as The Soul Collector, Bound by Blood, and Immortal Kiss, all written by Laura Daleo. In order to become more familiar with their interests, you should check them out.
All authors can submit their work if they’re interested in collaborating with Story Bound Publishing, even if they are unrepresented. Only electronic submissions are accepted, and the manuscripts must be edited and at least 75,000 words long. To read the full guidelines, click here.
8. Brown Paper Press
Brown Paper Press is based in Long Beach, California, and it was founded by Jennifer Volland and Wendy Thomas Russell in 2014. Although it’s a small company, their standards are extremely high, as they aim to publish books which send powerful messages and take readers out of their comfort zones.
In short, Brown Paper Press wants to make contemporary culture accessible for their audience. Their passion for nonfiction is reflected in their book list, where you will find titles such as The Inheritance of Shame by Peter Gajdics, How To Be a Feminist (For Little Boys & Girls) by Maxine Russell, and I’m Dyin’ Here by Tim Grobaty.
Whether it’s memoir, creative nonfiction, sociology, humor, philosophy, pop culture, parenting, politics, or general nonfiction, you are welcome to send your manuscript. However, keep in mind that this company requires authors to have a budget prepared for creative marketing. For more information, check the submission guidelines.
9. Tavern Books
Founded in 2009 in Portland, Oregon, Tavern Books is a poetry publisher that supports the writings of young female authors and that brings high-quality works in translation to their English audience, along with poetry collections which have fallen out of print.
If you want to learn more about the poetry they’re interested in, you can look up Monochords by Yannis Ritsos, At the Devil’s Banquets by Anise Koltz, and My Blue Piano by Else Lasker-Schüler.
Luckily, they currently accept single-author poetry manuscripts in translation and single-author poetry reprints in English. If your work falls into the first category, you will have to send a cover letter, a 250-word author biography, a 250-word biography for each translator, a brief book description, as well as a few other things mentioned here.
10. Wipf and Stock Publishers
Located in Eugene, Oregon, Wipf and Stock Publishers is a team that focuses more on content merits and less on marketability when they choose books for publication. The company was founded in 2000, and they have managed to produce more than 500 titles per year under their 6 imprints.
Book categories vary widely on their website – autobiography, arts, bible study, education, ethics, hymns, hermeneutics, government, and liturgics are just a few of the genres you will find there. To become more familiar with their interests, make sure to check out Am I My Brother’s Keeper? by Mark W. Scarlata, A History of American Political Thought by A. J. Beitzinger, and Reading Paul by Michael J. Gorman.
If you want to collaborate with them, you can submit a book proposal according to the submission guidelines displayed here.
11. YesYes Books
Founded in 2011, the publishing company has numerous collections of poetry, experimental art, and fiction on their list. Their professionalism reflects in the prizes which their titles have won throughout their career, such as the Kate Tufts Discovery Award, the Eric Hoffer Award, and the Lambda Award for Gay Poetry.
If you want to learn more about their publications, you can access their Shop section – Salt Body Shimmer by Aricka Foreman, Helen or My Hunger by Gale Marie Thompson, and Forever War by Kate Gaskin.
Their open reading period for both poetry and fiction is between March 1 and May 15, 2020. Submissions are made using the Submittable system, and you will have to pay a $22 reading fee. To find out more, you can access their guidelines page.
12. Harvest House Publishers
Bob Hawkins, Sr. founded Harvest House Publishers in 1974 in Eugene, Oregon. By the late 1980s, the company had already become one of the top ten Christian literature publishers. At present, Harvest House produces over 150 titles per year, while their backlist provides more than 1,200 books.
They are interested in a wide range of genres, which includes fiction, nonfiction, children’s books, and bibles/bible studies. On their website, each genre is divided into several subcategories – for instance, fiction includes Amish, romance, contemporary, western, and historical, among others. If you want to see some of their titles, make sure to check out This Outside Life by Laurie Ostby Kehler and Pray Every Day by Mary E. DeMuth.
Although they do not accept unsolicited manuscripts, they have several recommendations in terms of parties to which you could send your work. To find out more, click here.
13. Deep River Books
A Christian publishing company based in Sisters, Oregon, Deep River Books is a member of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association and a partner of the best resources in the country, among which we can name Barnes & Noble and Amazon.
Some of their preferred genres are fiction, nonfiction, children’s books, and memoir. In terms of fiction, they have already published titles in the areas of romance, youth fiction, general fiction, mystery/suspense, and others. Beautiful Interference by Tim Hall, The Unexpected Power of Home by Nancie Carmichael, and Kingdom Chaos by Jeff Dixon are just three of the titles worth looking up, if you want to learn more about their interests.
When it comes to submissions, you don’t have to send them the full manuscript – submitting a synopsis, an outline, and a few sample chapters is enough. However, before doing so, make sure to read the complete guidelines.
14. Orca Book Publishers
Orca Book Publishers is an award-winning children’s book publisher with headquarters in both Custer, Washington, and in Victoria, British Columbia.
Their books are divided into several categories, respectively pre-school, elementary, middle school, high school, adult, and other languages. If you’re interested in the adult section, you will have to choose between rapid reads and nonfiction – 100 minutes by Lisa Donohue, Breathe, Stretch, Write by Sheree Fitch, and Dramathemes by Larry Swartz are three titles that you might enjoy.
Although they are open to submissions, keep in mind that they only publish Canadian authors. To find out more, check their full guidelines.
15. Lexham Press
Situated in Bellingham, Washington, Lexham Press is a Christian book publisher that aims to increase biblical literacy through a range of scholarly works, Bible study materials, and pastoral resources.
To learn about their preferences, you can browse their book catalog – Daniel: Evangelical Exegetical Commentary (EEC) by J. Paul Tanner and Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament (3 vols.) by Douglas Mangum are just two titles included in their backlist.
If you feel like your work suits their purpose, you can send them a brief summary of your project, your qualifications and passions, your intended audience, a list of popular competing works, two or more paragraphs from the manuscript, and your CV. You can find the full submission guidelines here.
16. University of Washington Press
Based in Seattle, Washington, UWP has been publishing scholarly works and general interest books for almost a century now. Through their activity, they try to promote justice, equity, and inclusion, which is probably why some of their titles have had a global impact.
The subjects they’re interested in are rather numerous, as they include law, literary studies, archaeology, architecture, travel, sports, visual studies, Asian studies, natural history, health, performing arts, and countless others – The Propeller under the Bed by Eileen A. Bjorkman and Walking the High Desert by Ellen Waterston are just two of the titles worth checking out.
If you want to work with them, you can send them a book proposal containing all the information listed here.
17. Copper Canyon Press
Copper Canyon Press is a poetry publisher founded in 1972 in Port Townsend, Washington. It has produced more than 400 titles, including writings of Pablo Neruda, Octavio Paz, and Theodore Roethke.
If you want to learn more about their publications, you can look up Travelers Leaving for the City by Ed Skoog, Come the Slumberless to the Land of Nod by Traci Brimhall, and 13th Balloon by Mark Bibbins.
Their next reading period is between June 1st and June 30, 2020, so you can prepare your manuscript until then. To find out more about their submission guidelines, click here.
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