Academic Book Publishers Accepting Submissions
Every academic publishing house below was checked on its own website in October 2026: who is open, who needs an agent, what to send and how long replies take.
Published Updated Reviewed every month · next review November 2026
Academic publishers worth pitching first
These houses read proposals from authors directly and say how to reach them.
- 1
Routledge
Commissions textbooks, research monographs and practitioner books by subject. Email the right commissioning editor; standard publication has no author fee.
Reply: Not stated
- 2
McFarland
Academic and general-interest nonfiction with a strong popular culture list. Email a query or proposal; it says publishing with it costs nothing.
Reply: About 4 weeks
- 3
Human Kinetics
Textbooks and professional books in physical activity, sport and health. Send a short inquiry first; a full proposal comes only on request.
Reply: Not stated
- 4
Wiley
Business and professional trade books through an online idea form to its editors. For Dummies titles do not take unsolicited proposals.
Reply: Not stated
- 5
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Nonfiction for professionals and families. Apply through its Submittable form and expect an answer in about 8 weeks.
Reply: About 8 weeks
- 6
Crown House Publishing
Education, coaching, therapy and business titles. Email a pitch of up to 300 words.
Reply: Not stated
- 7
Hurst
Serious nonfiction on current affairs, history, politics and Islamic studies. Email a proposal of at least 1,500 words.
Reply: Not stated
- 8
Casemate
Military history proposals through an online form, with an update within two months.
Reply: About 8 weeks
- 9
Zondervan
Zondervan Academic reads unsolicited proposals for textbooks, reference and scholarly books by email.
Reply: About 6 weeks
All Academic publishers
Filter by what you write and how you want to submit. Open publishers come first; every card shows when we last checked it.
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Mid-sizeAugsburg FortressChristian, Academic, Children'sMinneapolis, Minnesota, USOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Augsburg Fortress, the publisher of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, reads direct proposals for its core line, Fortress Press and Broadleaf Books. Its children's imprint, Beaming Books, takes agented work only.Some imprints unagentedSend: Inquiry, proposal or manuscript by emailEmail, Through an agent8 wks replyView profile →Independent publishing companyBirlinnChildren's, Academic, FictionEdinburgh, Scotland, UKOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Birlinn takes nonfiction, sport, children's and academic proposals from authors without an agent, by email. Its Polygon fiction imprint is closed to unsolicited work. Replies take up to three months.Some imprints unagentedSend: A synopsis and sample material by emailEmail12 wks replyest. 1992View profile →
Major publishing houseBrillAcademic, NonfictionBerlin, GermanyOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Brill, now part of De Gruyter Brill, is open to academic book proposals from authors without an agent. Send a proposal with your name, proposed title, aim and scope, estimated length and timeline to the acquisitions editor for your subject, or use the online form. Open access is optional and carries a fee from about 7,000 euros.No agent neededSend: Proposal: title, aim and scope, length, timelineOnline form, EmailReply time not statedView profile →University pressBristol University PressAcademic, Business, NonfictionBristol, UKOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Bristol University Press and its Policy Press imprint welcome book proposals from experienced and first-time authors. Send a proposal using the press guidelines, a chapter plan, CVs and sample chapters if available to the editor for your subject. Standard publication has no stated fee; open access is optional.No agent neededSend: Proposal, chapter plan, CVs and samplesPays an advanceReply time not statedest. 2017View profile →University pressCambridge University PressAcademic, NonfictionCambridge, UKOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Cambridge University Press reads book proposals by email to one subject commissioning editor, with an executive summary in the body and about 10 pages of proposal or draft material. Do not send a full manuscript unless asked. Peer review normally takes 4 to 12 months. Open access is optional, with a standard charge of £6,500.No agent neededSend: Email summary + about 10 pages to one editorEmail+1 moreReply time not statedest. 1534View profile →
Independent publishing companyCasemateNonfiction, Academic, HistoryPennsylvania, USOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Casemate Publishers takes military history proposals from authors without an agent through an online form. It does not want full manuscripts or modern fiction, and it aims to update you within two months.No agent neededSend: A proposal through its online form; no full manuscriptOnline form8 wks replyest. 2001View profile →
Mid-sizeConcordia Publishing HouseChristian, Academic, Children'sSt. Louis, Missouri, USOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Concordia Publishing House is the publisher of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. It reads proposals from authors without an agent through an online form: upload its proposal form, a writing sample and an outline. If it is interested, it replies within about 12 weeks.No agent neededSend: CPH proposal form, writing sample and outline, uploaded onlineOnline form12 wks replyest. 1869View profile →
Mid-sizeCrosswayChristian, Academic, NonfictionWheaton, Illinois, USOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Crossway is open to book proposals from authors without an agent. It wants evangelical Christian nonfiction, takes proposals through an online form and gets in touch within 8 weeks only if it is interested.No agent neededSend: Book proposal through its online formOnline form8 wks replyest. 1938View profile →
Independent publishing companyCrown House PublishingNonfiction, Academic, BusinessCarmarthen, UKOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Crown House Publishing takes book ideas from authors without an agent: email a pitch of up to 300 words. It publishes education, coaching, therapy, business and personal growth titles and tells unsuccessful authors.No agent neededSend: A pitch of up to 300 words by emailEmailReply time not statedView profile →
University pressEdinburgh University PressAcademic, NonfictionEdinburgh, Scotland, UKOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Edinburgh University Press is open to academic book and series proposals. Send your proposal and sample material as Word files to the commissioning editor for your subject. It asks for sole consideration while it reviews and usually replies within about six weeks. Open access is optional.No agent neededSend: Proposal and samples in Word to the subject editorEmail6 wks replyView profile →
Mid-sizeHuman KineticsHealth, Academic, NonfictionChampaign, Illinois, USOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Human Kinetics takes book ideas from authors in two steps. First send a short inquiry with a summary, table of contents and intended audience to acquisitions@hkusa.com or by post. If the editors are interested, they ask for a full proposal. Do not send a full manuscript first.No agent neededSend: Inquiry first; full proposal only on requestEmail, PostReply time not statedest. 1974View profile →
Independent publishing companyHurstNonfiction, Academic, HistoryLondon, UKOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Hurst Publishers takes proposals for serious adult nonfiction straight from authors by email. It specialises in current affairs, history, politics, Islamic studies and conflict, and asks for a proposal of at least 1,500 words.No agent neededSend: A proposal of at least 1,500 words with sample chaptersEmailReply time not statedest. 1969View profile →Independent publishing companyIntellectAcademic, Art and Photography, ComicsBristol, UKOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Intellect Books, an independent academic publisher in Bristol, reads proposals on its Author Questionnaire, with an Editor Questionnaire for edited collections. It is best known for the visual and performing arts and media studies. Gold open access is an option with a fee; its HammerOn Press imprint reads radical nonfiction by email.No agent neededSend: Completed Author or Editor QuestionnaireReply time not statedest. 1984View profile →Major publishing houseJessica Kingsley PublishersChildren's, Academic, Diverse and BIPOC voicesUKOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Jessica Kingsley Publishers is open to nonfiction proposals from authors without an agent. Fill in its form on Submittable and expect an answer within about 8 weeks. It pays royalties but no advance as standard.No agent neededSend: Proposal form on Submittable; sample chapter optionalSubmittable+1 more8 wks replyest. 1987View profile →Mid-sizeLiturgical PressChristian, Academic, CatholicCollegeville, Minnesota, USOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Liturgical Press is open to book proposals from authors without an agent through its online form. Attach a 100-word summary, word count, bio, outline and the manuscript or sample pages. It acknowledges every proposal within six weeks. Authors must confirm no part of the work was created with generative AI.No agent neededSend: Online form: summary, outline, bio, sample pagesOnline form6 wks replyest. 1926View profile →
Small pressLuna PressFiction, Academic, Fantasy and Sci-FiEdinburgh, Scotland, UKOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Luna Press Publishing, in Edinburgh, has closed its fiction submissions, but its academic imprint, Academia Lunare, reads proposals all year. Academic authors email a proposal saying whether the book is written yet and its rough word count. Luna publishes only speculative fiction and scholarship about it.No agent neededSend: Academic proposal with rough word countEmailReply time not statedest. 2015View profile →
Independent publishing companyMcFarlandNonfiction, Academic, HistoryJefferson, North Carolina, USOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026McFarland is open to queries, proposals and finished manuscripts from authors, with no agent needed and no cost to publish. Email proposals@mcfarlandpub.com or send by post. Queries are usually answered within days and full proposals within about a month. It does not publish children's books or cookbooks.No agent neededSend: Query, proposal with 1 or 2 chapters, or manuscriptEmail, Post4 wks replyest. 1979View profile →
University pressNorthwestern University PressAcademic, Fiction, NonfictionEvanston, Illinois, USOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Northwestern University Press is open to proposals by email to the right acquiring editor. Scholarly books need a proposal, CV and sample chapters; trade fiction and creative nonfiction need a cover letter, bio and a 10 to 30 page excerpt; poetry needs the full manuscript. It does not take phone or postal submissions.No agent neededSend: Varies: proposal, excerpt or full poetry manuscriptEmailReply time not statedest. 1893View profile →Independent publishing companyOneworldChildren's, Academic, FictionLondon, UKOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Oneworld Publications is open to nonfiction proposals from authors without an agent. Fill in its nonfiction form and email it to submissions@oneworld-publications.com. All fiction, including its Point Blank, Magpie and Rock the Boat lists, is closed for now.No agent neededSend: Nonfiction proposal form by emailEmailReply time not statedest. 1986View profile →
Independent publishing companyOrbis BooksChristian, Academic, CatholicMaryknoll, New York, USOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Orbis Books is open to proposals from authors without an agent, by email or post. Send a cover letter, a sample chapter and table of contents if available, and your CV, and disclose any use of generative AI. Do not send a full manuscript unless asked. Replies take 6 to 8 weeks.No agent neededSend: Cover letter + sample chapter + TOC + CVEmail, Post6 to 8 wks replyest. 1970View profile →Mid-sizePaulist PressChristian, Academic, CatholicMahwah, New Jersey, USOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Paulist Press is open to proposals from authors without an agent, by email or post. Send a cover letter, a sample chapter, the table of contents, word count, completion date and your CV; send a full manuscript only on request. Children's books need the whole manuscript. Replies take 6 to 8 weeks. It does not publish dissertations.No agent neededSend: Cover letter + sample chapter + TOC + CVEmail, Post6 to 8 wks replyest. 1865View profile →
Small pressPentecostal Publishing HouseChristian, Academic, Children'sWeldon Spring, Missouri, USOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Pentecostal Publishing House, through Word Aflame Press, takes manuscripts from authors through an online form. It wants Apostolic nonfiction, pays all publishing costs and pays a 10 percent royalty. Authors do not need to be ministers.No agent neededSend: Manuscript through its online formOnline form8 to 12 wks replyView profile →
Independent publishing companyPluto PressNonfiction, Academic, HistoryLondon, UKOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Pluto Press is open to nonfiction proposals by email at submissions@plutobooks.com, following the proposal guidelines on its submissions page. The independent, worker-led London publisher replies within up to two months. It does not publish novels or poetry.No agent neededSend: Proposal following its guidelines, by emailEmail8 wks replyest. 1969View profile →Small pressRedleaf PressNonfiction, AcademicSt. Paul, Minnesota, USOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Redleaf Press is open to proposals for early childhood professional books by email. Send a cover letter describing the idea, an outline or table of contents, a writing sample and a resume. It decides about every quarter and replies only if interested. It is not accepting unsolicited children's manuscripts.No agent neededSend: Cover letter, outline, writing sample and resumeEmailReply time not statedest. 1973View profile →
Major publishing houseRoutledgeAcademic, NonfictionUKOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Routledge is open to book proposals from authors, and no agent is needed. Send your proposal by email to the commissioning editor for your subject, found through the Taylor & Francis editorial contacts. Standard publication has no author fee; open access is optional and carries a book publishing charge.No agent neededSend: Book proposal to the subject commissioning editorEmailReply time not statedView profile →
Major publishing houseSpringerAcademic, NonfictionHeidelberg, GermanyOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Springer, part of Springer Nature, is open to book proposals from authors without an agent. Submit your idea through its online book proposal form or contact a Springer editor. Books can be paid-for, open access or hybrid; open access is optional and carries a book processing charge from 12,905 euros for a monograph.No agent neededSend: Book proposal through the online form or to an editorOnline formReply time not statedView profile →
Mid-sizeUnited Methodist Publishing HouseChristian, Academic, NonfictionNashville, Tennessee, USOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026The United Methodist Publishing House publishes books through Abingdon Press and takes proposals from any author through Submittable. It wants nonfiction for ministry and faith and does not take fiction, memoir, poetry or children's books.No agent neededSend: Proposal and 1 to 2 sample chaptersSubmittableReply time not statedest. 1789View profile →
University pressUniversity of Chicago PressAcademic, Nonfiction, PoetryChicago, Illinois, USOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026The University of Chicago Press is open to scholarly book proposals by email, sent to one acquisitions editor in your field. A proposal is usually 5 to 15 single-spaced pages. It aims to reply in 3 to 4 weeks and allows simultaneous submissions. It does not publish original fiction; poetry comes only through its Phoenix Poets series in October.No agent neededSend: Proposal of 5 to 15 pages to one editorEmail+1 more3 to 4 wks replyView profile →
University pressUniversity of Minnesota PressChildren's, Academic, Art and PhotographyMinneapolis, Minnesota, USOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026The University of Minnesota Press reads book proposals from authors without an agent. Send a prospectus with an overview, chapter summaries, at least two sample chapters and a current CV. Replies take four to six weeks, and simultaneous submissions are considered in some cases.No agent neededSend: Prospectus, chapter summaries, two chapters and CVPost+1 more4 to 6 wks replyest. 1925View profile →
Major publishing houseWileyBusiness, Academic, NonfictionHoboken, New Jersey, USOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Wiley invites book ideas through an online form on its business trade books page, and no agent is needed for that route. Your idea goes to one of its editors. Its For Dummies series does not take unsolicited proposals; authors there send credentials or work through an agent.Some imprints unagentedSend: Book idea through the online form to an editorOnline formReply time not statedView profile →
Big 5 publishing houseZondervanChristian, Academic, Children'sGrand Rapids, Michigan, USOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Zondervan reads unsolicited proposals only for Zondervan Academic: textbooks, reference and scholarly books. Its other imprints work through literary agents. Academic proposals go by email, and silence after 6 weeks means no.Some imprints unagentedSend: Academic: proposal of up to 5 pagesEmail6 wks replyest. 1931View profile →
Major publishing houseB&H PublishingChristian, Academic, Children'sBrentwood, Tennessee, USAgent submissions onlyChecked Oct 2026B&H Publishing, home of Holman Bible Publishers, takes book proposals only from literary agents. It is part of Lifeway Christian Resources and publishes trade, church and academic books plus the Christian Standard Bible.Send: Proposal, sent by your literary agentThrough an agentReply time not statedView profile →
Mid-sizeInterVarsity PressChristian, Academic, Children'sLisle, Illinois, USClosed nowChecked Oct 2026InterVarsity Press does not review unsolicited proposals, manuscripts or self-published books. Authors can email a proposal only after direct contact with an IVP editor, who then supplies the guidelines. The Christian publisher is now based in Lisle, Illinois.Send: Proposal only after contact with an IVP editorEmailNo reopening date givenReply time not statedest. 1947View profile → What do Open, Closed and Agent needed mean?
- Open now: the publisher's own site says it is reading submissions today, in at least one genre listed.
- Closed: not reading new submissions right now. We show the reopening date when the publisher gives one.
- Agent needed: it only reads manuscripts sent by a literary agent.
Submit with confidence
Four checks before you send anything to a publisher, whichever list you use.
Check it on their own site
Guidelines change. Read the publisher's own submissions page on the day you send.
Never pay to be published
A traditional publisher pays you. If a company asks for money, it is a paid service.
Send exactly what they ask
Query, proposal or sample chapters: follow the format and word count to the letter.
Track every submission
Note the date, the reply time and whether no reply means no before you follow up.
Our list of academic publishers covers 33 houses that publish textbooks, research and professional books, and 31 of them are open to proposals today. Each listing was checked on the publisher's own site and shows what to send, whether you need an agent and how long a reply takes. Most academic book publishers read proposals straight from authors, so a clear plan, a table of contents and a sample chapter matter more than an agent. Filter by country or status to find your best fit.
How academic publishing companies choose books
Academic publishing companies buy books on the strength of a proposal, not a finished manuscript. Editors want to know who will read the book, which courses or professionals will use it and how it differs from what is already in print. That is why most houses on this page ask for a proposal, an outline and one or two sample chapters rather than the whole text.
Unlike trade fiction, you rarely need an agent here. Routledge, McFarland and Hurst all read proposals sent straight by authors. The work is in matching your subject to the right editor: Routledge commissions by subject, while McFarland asks you to send a proposal to one editor only.
Textbook publishers and educational publishers
Textbook publishers want a book that fits a real course. Show the level, the course it supports and the competing titles instructors use now. Among textbook publishing companies on this page, Routledge publishes textbooks for higher education, and Human Kinetics covers textbooks for preK to 12 and college markets in physical activity and health. If you are looking for school textbook publishers or K-12 textbook publishers in that field, start there.
Educational publishers and education publishers on this page also include faith-based houses, such as Concordia, Crossway and Augsburg Fortress. If you write for churches or seminaries, compare them with Zondervan Academic, which reads unsolicited textbook and reference proposals, before you send anything.
College textbook publishers and higher education publishers
College textbook publishers and higher education publishers look for authors who teach the subject. Your proposal should name the course, the student level and the adoption market. Educational book publishers and educational publishing companies judge a proposal on its classroom use, so say what teaching material you can supply. School book publishers and education publishing companies at the K-12 level follow the same logic, with state standards in place of course codes.
Fees and open access
Traditional academic book publishers pay royalties and do not charge authors to publish a standard book. Some offer open access as an option, which usually carries a book publishing charge that a funder or institution can help cover. Routledge, for example, quotes open access charges from US$14,850 for a monograph, but its standard route has no fee. Treat any house that charges for a normal print book as a paid service, not a traditional publisher.
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Questions authors ask
Answers use the live data on this page.
Do academic publishers need a literary agent?
Usually not. Most academic publishers on this page read proposals sent straight from authors. Routledge, McFarland, Hurst, Human Kinetics and Casemate all say how to send a proposal yourself. What they want is a strong proposal: the audience, the course or market, competing titles, a table of contents and one or two sample chapters.
Do textbook publishers charge authors?
Traditional textbook publishers do not charge authors to publish a standard book; they pay royalties. Some academic houses offer open access as an option, and that route usually carries a book publishing charge that a funder can help cover. If a publisher asks you to pay for an ordinary print edition, it is a paid service rather than a traditional publisher.
How long do academic book publishers take to reply?
It varies by house. McFarland usually answers queries within days and full proposals within about a month. Jessica Kingsley Publishers says about 8 weeks, and Casemate aims to update you within two months. Check each profile on this page for the stated reply time before you follow up.
What should an academic book proposal include?
Most houses ask for a description of the book, the intended readers or course, a detailed table of contents, competing titles, your qualifications and one or two sample chapters. Some, like Human Kinetics, want a short inquiry first and a full proposal only if they ask. Follow each publisher's own guidelines exactly.
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How we verify listings. We list traditional publishers only: no hybrid, vanity or paid self-publishing companies. Every listing is checked on the publisher's own website and rechecked every month. This page was last updated 25 Oct 2026; next review November 2026. Spotted a change? Tell us.
