Independent publishing company
Mountaineers Books (publishing division of The Mountaineers)
Nonfiction, Art and Photography, Cookbook
Published Updated Reviewed every month · next review November 2026
About Mountaineers Books
Mountaineers Books is open to proposals from unagented writers for outdoor recreation, adventure travel and conservation nonfiction. Send a full proposal by email or mail, or email a query letter first if you are unsure about fit. It replies within about three months, and there is no fee to submit.
Mountaineers Books is the publishing division of The Mountaineers, based at 1001 SW Klickitat Way in Seattle, Washington. It was founded in 1960. It describes itself as an independent, nonprofit publisher of outdoor recreation, lifestyle and conservation books, with more than 700 titles in print. Its list covers adventure travel, biking, camping, climbing and conservation. Its Skipstone imprint covers sustainable foods, foraging and gardening.
Submissions are open today, and you do not need an agent. If you are unsure whether your idea fits, email a query letter only. Otherwise send a full proposal with a cover letter, synopsis, outline or chapter summaries, market analysis, four sample chapters (or about 10 sample routes for regional guidebooks), artwork if applicable and a bio. By email, the reading text goes in a single Word file. The press responds within three months of receipt.
What Mountaineers Books is looking for
- Books that explore, preserve and celebrate the outdoors
- Adventure travel, biking, camping, climbing and conservation topics
- Regional guidebooks built around sample routes
- Skipstone titles on sustainable foods, foraging and gardening
Publishes
- Art and Photography
- Cookbook
- Independent
- Nonfiction
- Travel
Readers
- Adult
How to submit to Mountaineers Books
From its own guidelines- If you are unsure about fit, email a query letter only.
- Otherwise prepare a full proposal with cover letter, synopsis, outline, market analysis, sample chapters or routes, artwork if applicable and bio.
- By email, put all reading text into a single Word file; by mail, do not send originals.
- Allow up to three months for a response.
Is Mountaineers Books right for your book?
A good fit if
This press suits nonfiction writers focused on outdoor recreation, climbing, conservation or regional guidebooks. It also fits authors writing about sustainable food, foraging or gardening for the Skipstone list.
Look elsewhere if
Look elsewhere if you write fiction or general tourist and travel guides. The press also does not publish guides on hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, horseback riding or organized spectator sports.
Mountaineers Books imprints
Which take submissions| Imprint | Direct submissions | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mountaineers Books | Yes | Outdoor recreation, adventure travel, climbing, conservation |
| Skipstone | Not stated | Outdoor lifestyle, sustainable foods, foraging, gardening; mentioned on submissions page |
| Braided River | Not stated | Conservation imprint using photography and stories |
Questions about Mountaineers Books
Does Mountaineers Books accept unsolicited manuscripts?
Yes, in proposal form. Mountaineers Books accepts unsolicited proposals from writers without agents for books that explore, preserve and celebrate the outdoors. If you are unsure your idea fits, you can email a query letter first. It does not publish fiction, general tourist guides or guides on hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, horseback riding or organized spectator sports, so check your topic before you send anything.
How do I submit to Mountaineers Books?
Send a full proposal by email or mail. Include a brief cover letter, synopsis, outline or chapter summaries, market analysis, four sample chapters (or about 10 sample routes for a regional guidebook), artwork if applicable and a bio. By email, put all reading text into one Microsoft Word file. By mail, do not send originals, disks or handwritten materials. Phone queries and walk-ins are not accepted.
How long does Mountaineers Books take to reply?
Mountaineers Books responds within about three months of receiving your submission. That timeline applies to both emailed and mailed proposals. Since the press does not take phone queries or walk-ins, plan to wait out the full three months before you follow up. There is no fee to submit, so the only cost to you is the time it takes to prepare a full proposal.
Listing history
- Checked on the publisher's own site
- Checked on the publisher's own site
