Canadian Book Publishers Accepting Submissions
Every Canadian 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
Canadian publishing companies open to authors
Houses that read work sent directly by authors.
- 1
House of Anansi
Fiction and nonfiction through its portal; prioritizes Canadian and Indigenous writers.
Reply: 16 to 24 weeks
- 2
ECW Press
Nonfiction from anyone; fiction and poetry from Canadians only.
Reply: About 16 weeks
- 3
Dundurn Press
Nonfiction, literary fiction and mystery; prioritizes Canadian authors.
Reply: Not stated
- 4
Arsenal Pulp Press
Literary and LGBTQ books by post, with no citizenship rule.
Reply: About 24 weeks
- 5
Coach House Books
Innovative poetry and literary fiction, mainly by Canadians.
Reply: Not stated
- 6
Annick Press
Children's books from toddlers to young adults, by email.
Reply: Not stated
- 7
Sutherland House
Narrative nonfiction from new and experienced authors in Toronto.
Reply: Not stated
All Canadian 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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Small pressArsenal Pulp PressChildren's, Art and Photography, ComicsVancouver, CanadaOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Arsenal Pulp Press reads unsolicited submissions by post only. Send a synopsis, a chapter outline for nonfiction, your credentials, a 50-page excerpt and a marketing analysis; it requests the full manuscript if interested. Replies take up to six months, and simultaneous submissions are fine. It does not take poetry or genre fiction.No agent neededSend: Synopsis, credentials, 50 pages and marketing notes by postPost+1 more24 wks replyView profile →
Small pressCoach House BooksFiction, Diverse and BIPOC voices, Literary fictionToronto, CanadaOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Coach House Books reads poetry, literary fiction and select nonfiction by email, mostly from Canadian authors. Fiction and poetry send the complete manuscript with a letter comparing it to two Coach House titles; nonfiction sends a proposal and outline. Drama is closed, and it does not publish genre fiction or cookbooks.No agent neededSend: Full manuscript or nonfiction proposal, with literary CVEmail+1 moreReply time not statedest. 1965View profile →Independent publishing companyDundurn PressFiction, Business, HistoryToronto, CanadaOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Dundurn Press is open to nonfiction, literary fiction and mystery or thriller submissions by email, prioritizing Canadian authors. Nonfiction sends a proposal with two or three chapters; fiction sends the full manuscript, a literary CV and a one-page synopsis. It does not take graphic novels, children's, YA or poetry right now.No agent neededSend: Nonfiction proposal or full fiction manuscriptEmailReply time not statedest. 1972View profile →
Independent publishing companyECW PressFiction, Diverse and BIPOC voices, IndependentToronto, CanadaOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026ECW Press is open to submissions by email, with no agent needed. Fiction and poetry are for Canadian authors only; nonfiction is open to writers of any citizenship. Send a cover letter, brief bio and a 15 to 25 page sample, plus an outline for nonfiction. No reply within four months means no.No agent neededSend: Cover letter, bio and 15 to 25 page sampleEmail16 wks replyest. 1974View profile →Independent publishing companyGoose Lane EditionsFiction, Art and Photography, IndependentFredericton, CanadaOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Goose Lane Editions is open to fiction and nonfiction through its website form, mainly from Canadian writers. Send one file with a cover letter, previous publications, a synopsis and a 30 to 50 page sample. Replies take 6 to 8 months. Its icehouse poetry imprint reads Canadian poets from April 1 to June 30.No agent neededSend: Cover letter, credits, synopsis and 30 to 50 pagesOnline form+1 more24 to 32 wks replyest. 1954View profile →
Small pressHancock HouseNonfiction, HistorySurrey, CanadaOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Hancock House Publishers takes email queries at submissions@hancockhouse.com. Send an annotated table of contents, three sample chapters, a 250 to 300 word synopsis and the details its guidelines list. Proposals are normally answered within one to two weeks. It does not normally publish fiction.Send: Annotated TOC + 3 chapters + synopsis + detailsEmail1 to 2 wks replyest. 1971View profile →
Independent publishing companyHouse of AnansiFiction, Independent, Literary fictionToronto, CanadaOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026House of Anansi is open to unagented fiction and nonfiction through its online portal, prioritizing Canadian citizens, residents and eligible Indigenous writers. Send a pitch letter, a synopsis of up to 250 words, a CV and the manuscript or proposal. Replies take 4 to 6 months. Poetry is full until 2030 and memoir is paused.No agent neededSend: Pitch letter, synopsis, CV and manuscript or proposalOnline form+1 more16 to 24 wks replyest. 1967View profile →
Small pressSecond Story PressChildren's, Diverse and BIPOC voices, FictionToronto, CanadaOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Second Story Press is open to submissions from Canadian citizens and permanent residents living in Canada, with no agent needed. Send a query letter, CV, synopsis of up to 500 words and the first three chapters; picture books send the whole manuscript. Replies take 7 to 10 months, and simultaneous submissions are allowed.No agent neededSend: Query, CV, synopsis and first three chaptersEmail, Post+1 more28 to 40 wks replyest. 1988View profile →
Independent publishing companySutherland HouseNonfiction, Business, HistoryToronto, CanadaOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Sutherland House Books is open to nonfiction proposals and manuscripts from new and experienced authors, and an agent is not required. Submit through the web form, by email or by post. Its affiliated hybrid press, Sutherland House Experts, asks authors to share costs and is not part of this listing.No agent neededSend: Nonfiction proposal or manuscriptOnline form, Email, PostReply time not statedView profile →
Independent publishing companyNew Society PublishersNonfiction, IndependentGabriola Island, CanadaClosed nowChecked Oct 2026New Society Publishers is not accepting unsolicited submissions at this time. Its submissions page gives no reopen date, so check it before sending anything. The press publishes nonfiction about building an ecologically sustainable and fair society.Send: Closed to unsolicited submissionsNo reopening date givenReply time not statedView profile →
Independent publishing companyOrca BooksChildren's, Comics, Diverse and BIPOC voicesVictoria, CanadaClosed nowChecked Oct 2026Orca Book Publishers is closed to submissions as of October 2026. Its last window ran until the end of August 2026. It publishes children's and teen books by Canadian citizens and permanent residents only, through CanSubmit.No agent neededSend: Depends on the series; through CanSubmit during the windowOnline form+1 moreNo reopening date given16 wks replyest. 1984View 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.
Canadian publishers are some of the most open in the world to authors without an agent, though many give priority to Canadian writers. We list 12 Canadian book publishers, and 10 of them are open to submissions today. Every listing was checked on the publisher's own site and shows whether you need an agent, any citizenship rule, what to send and how long a reply takes. Use the filters to find book publishers in Canada reading now. Each profile also shows the date we last checked the publisher's own page, so you can see how current the rules are.
Book publishers in Canada that read unagented work
Most book publishers in Canada on this page read submissions sent directly by authors. House of Anansi, Dundurn and ECW Press read fiction and nonfiction, Arsenal Pulp Press reads literary and LGBTQ books by post and Coach House reads innovative poetry and fiction. For children’s books, Annick Press and Second Story Press read work directly.
Citizenship rules at Canadian publishers
Many Canadian publishing companies give priority to Canadian writers, often because of grant rules. ECW accepts fiction and poetry from Canadians only but nonfiction from anyone. Second Story Press takes only citizens or permanent residents living in Canada. Anansi, Dundurn and Coach House prioritize Canadians without barring others, and Arsenal Pulp sets no citizenship rule at all.
Who are the Big 5 publishers in Canada?
The Big Five groups are Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Hachette and Macmillan, and most have Canadian operations. This page focuses on Canadian publishers we have verified, which are mostly independent. Our Big Five profiles, such as Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster, show they read mainly agented work.
Canadian book publishers by region
Toronto is home to many houses on this page, including House of Anansi, ECW, Dundurn, Coach House, Annick and Second Story. Arsenal Pulp Press publishes from Vancouver, Goose Lane Editions from Fredericton and Hancock House from British Columbia. Read each profile for local focus and rules.
How we check these listings
Every publisher on this page was checked on its own website, and we review each listing every month. We list only traditional publishers, which pay authors and do not charge them to publish. If a house adds fees, packages or a paid route, we say so on its profile or leave it out of the directory.
Book publishers Canada writers should know
When you compare book publishers Canada has to offer, look at grant rules, regional focus and reply times as well as genre. Second Story takes 7 to 10 months to reply, ECW treats four months of silence as a no and House of Anansi takes 4 to 6 months. Plan your submissions around those timelines.
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Questions authors ask
Answers use the live data on this page.
Do Canadian publishers accept unagented submissions?
Most on this page do. House of Anansi, ECW, Dundurn, Arsenal Pulp, Coach House, Goose Lane, Annick, Second Story and Sutherland House all read work sent directly by authors. Each profile shows what to send, how to send it and how long a reply takes.
Do I need to be Canadian to submit to a Canadian publisher?
It depends on the house. Second Story takes only citizens or permanent residents living in Canada, and ECW takes fiction and poetry from Canadians only. Anansi, Dundurn and Coach House prioritize Canadians without barring others, and Arsenal Pulp sets no citizenship rule.
Who are the Big 5 publishers in Canada?
The Big Five groups are Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Hachette and Macmillan, and most operate in Canada. They read mainly agented work. Canadian independents such as House of Anansi, ECW and Dundurn are usually a better first route for unagented writers.
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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.
