Independent publishing company
Turner Publishing Company
Fiction, Business, Fantasy and Sci-Fi
Published Updated Reviewed every month · next review November 2026
About Turner Publishing
Turner Publishing is open to adult fiction and nonfiction through its QueryTracker form. Send a query, synopsis and full manuscript or proposal. The Nashville publisher pays advances, never charges authors and replies only if interested.
Turner Publishing is an independent publisher headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, publishing since 1984. Its list covers fiction such as thrillers, mystery, romance and horror, plus nonfiction in business, health, history and more. Imprints include Keylight Books, West Margin Press, Jewish Lights and Cumberland House. Turner says it pays advances on new titles and never asks authors for money.
Turner is currently accepting fiction and nonfiction through its QueryTracker form. Send a query letter, a synopsis, author details and marketing notes, plus the full manuscript for fiction or a detailed proposal for nonfiction. It does not take children’s books, novellas or story collections. Turner replies only if it is interested and is not affiliated with Turner Book Writers.
What Turner Publishing is looking for
- Nonfiction in history, current events, business and economics, psychology and science or medicine
- Contemporary romance, upmarket fiction and romantasy
- Fantasy, science fiction and dystopian fiction
- Thrillers and horror
- Agented or unagented authors with a clear audience and sales angle
Publishes
- Business
- Fantasy and Sci-Fi
- Fiction
- History
- Horror
- Independent
- Mystery and Thriller
- Nonfiction
- Romance
Readers
- Adult
How to submit to Turner Publishing
From its own guidelines- Check that your book is adult fiction or nonfiction in a category Turner lists.
- Prepare a query letter, a synopsis, your author details and notes on audience and sales angle.
- For fiction, attach the complete manuscript; for nonfiction, attach a detailed proposal with word count and completion date.
- Submit through Turner's QueryTracker form, not by post.
- Wait to hear back, since Turner contacts only writers whose work interests it.
Is Turner Publishing right for your book?
A good fit if
Turner suits adult fiction and nonfiction writers, with or without an agent, who can pitch a clear audience for their book.
Look elsewhere if
Look elsewhere for picture books, children's or middle grade books, novellas, short story collections and fiction anthologies.
Turner Publishing imprints
Which take submissions| Imprint | Direct submissions | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Keylight Books | Not stated | Fiction suited to film, TV and streaming |
| West Margin Press | Not stated | |
| Jewish Lights | Not stated | |
| Cumberland House | Not stated |
Questions about Turner Publishing
Does Turner Publishing accept unsolicited manuscripts?
Yes. Turner is currently accepting fiction and nonfiction from authors and agents. Fiction writers send the complete manuscript and nonfiction writers send a detailed proposal, both with a query letter and synopsis. Turner says it will never ask you for money to submit, and it is not linked to the self-publishing company Turner Book Writers.
How do I submit to Turner Publishing?
Use Turner's QueryTracker form. Add your author details, a query letter, a synopsis and notes on audience and sales angle. Attach the full manuscript as a Word file for fiction, or a proposal with estimated word count and completion date for nonfiction. Turner does not accept physical submissions or work sent outside its guidelines.
How long does Turner Publishing take to reply?
Turner gives no set reply time. It says it is not obliged to update writers on a submission and will contact you only if it is interested. If you hear nothing after a reasonable wait, treat it as a pass and send your book to other publishers that take unagented work.
Listing history
- Checked on the publisher's own site
