Independent publishing company
Thames & Hudson Publishing Ltd
Children's, Art and Photography, History
Published Updated Reviewed every month · next review November 2026
About Thames & Hudson
Thames & Hudson is open to unagented nonfiction proposals in its subject areas. Email a proposal with an overview, chapter outline and up to 6 sample images to submissions@thameshudson.co.uk, or post it to the London head office. It does not publish fiction or poetry.
Thames & Hudson Publishing Ltd is an independent publisher founded in 1949 and based in London. Its main areas are art, architecture, photography, design, fashion, popular culture, history and archaeology. It also publishes children’s books. It tends not to publish outside its existing subject areas, so a proposal has the best chance when it fits one of these lists.
Submissions are open, and you do not need an agent. You send a proposal by email, which the publisher prefers, or by post marked ‘Submissions’. Keep the email under 4MB in total and do not use file transfer links such as WeTransfer. Each proposal goes to the relevant commissioning team. If the team is interested, it replies within three months. No reply after three months means the proposal was unsuccessful.
What Thames & Hudson is looking for
- Art, architecture, photography, design and fashion
- Popular culture, history and archaeology
- Children's books, with the target age range stated in the proposal
- Projects that sit within its existing subject areas
Publishes
- Art and Photography
- Children's
- History
- Nonfiction
Readers
- Adult
How to submit to Thames & Hudson
From its own guidelines- Prepare an overview of up to 500 words, a chapter outline, your intended audience, a short bio and competing titles.
- Add up to 6 sample images at 72 or 150dpi and your contact details.
- Email it to submissions@thameshudson.co.uk, keeping the total under 4MB, or post it marked 'Submissions' to the head office.
- Wait up to three months; no reply after that means the proposal was unsuccessful.
Is Thames & Hudson right for your book?
A good fit if
This suits nonfiction authors with an illustrated book on art, design, culture, history or archaeology, plus children's authors who can name a clear age range.
Look elsewhere if
Look elsewhere if you write fiction or poetry, or want to offer photography or illustration services. Do not send sample books, prints or illustrations beyond what the guidelines ask, as they are not returned.
Questions about Thames & Hudson
Does Thames & Hudson accept unsolicited manuscripts?
Yes, Thames & Hudson accepts unsolicited proposals from authors without an agent, as long as the book fits its subject areas. It does not take fiction or poetry. Send a proposal rather than a full manuscript, and do not include sample books, prints or illustrations beyond what the guidelines ask, because unsolicited material of that kind is not returned.
How do I submit to Thames & Hudson?
Email a proposal to submissions@thameshudson.co.uk, which is the preferred route, or post it marked 'Submissions' to the London head office. Include an overview of up to 500 words, a chapter outline, your audience, a bio, competing titles, up to 6 sample images and your contact details. Keep the email under 4MB and do not send WeTransfer links.
How long does Thames & Hudson take to reply?
Thames & Hudson replies within three months if it is interested in your proposal. If you hear nothing after three months, treat the proposal as unsuccessful. The publisher passes each proposal to the relevant commissioning team, so any reply comes from the editors who handle your subject area rather than from a general inbox.
Listing history
- Checked on the publisher's own site
