Independent publishing company
Microcosm Publishing LLC
Nonfiction, Independent
Published Updated Reviewed every month · next review November 2026
About Microcosm Publishing
Microcosm Publishing is open to pitches for DIY nonfiction from unagented authors. Pitch through the online form on its FAQ page with your reader payoff, three comparable Microcosm titles and a section-by-section outline. Do not send a manuscript.
Microcosm Publishing is an independent publisher in Portland, Oregon, working since 1996. It publishes nonfiction DIY books, zines and decks that teach readers to help themselves. Its subject lines include The Good Life, 5-Minute Therapy, Neurodivergent Pride, Magick and Metaphysical How-To, Yard Dragon (herbalism and plants), Nautical, Scene History & Punx and Gift. Topics it currently seeks include herbal medicine, mythology and reproductive health.
Submissions are open now through an online pitch form linked from the Microcosm FAQ. The form asks for a one-sentence reader payoff, three comparable Microcosm titles, your expertise or lived experience, why you are the person to write the book and a section-by-section outline with intro paragraphs. You do not send a manuscript. There is no fee to pitch. Projects under 100 pages or with fewer than 5,000 potential readers may suit a zine instead.
What Microcosm Publishing is looking for
- Nonfiction DIY books, zines and decks that teach readers to help themselves
- Herbal medicine, mythology and reproductive health, which are topics currently sought
- Work for subject lines such as The Good Life, 5-Minute Therapy and Neurodivergent Pride
- Projects for Magick and Metaphysical How-To, Yard Dragon (herbalism and plants), Nautical, Scene History & Punx and Gift
- Shorter projects under 100 pages, which may suit a zine
Publishes
- Independent
- Nonfiction
Readers
- Adult
How to submit to Microcosm Publishing
From its own guidelines- Read the Microcosm FAQ and pick three recent Microcosm titles your book would sit beside.
- Open the pitch form linked on the FAQ.
- Fill in your payoff, comps, expertise, motivation and section-by-section outline, without a manuscript.
- Say whether you want feedback on your pitch.
- Submit the form and do not follow up to ask about its status.
Is Microcosm Publishing right for your book?
A good fit if
Microcosm suits authors with practical expertise or lived experience who want to teach readers a DIY skill or approach in a how-to format.
Look elsewhere if
Look elsewhere if your work is mainly memoir, essays, fiction, children's, poetry, cookbooks or travel writing, or if more than 20% of the book is personal stories. Microcosm also does not want AI-generated text or images.
Questions about Microcosm Publishing
Does Microcosm Publishing accept unsolicited manuscripts?
No, Microcosm does not want manuscripts, but it does accept unsolicited pitches. You pitch through an online form linked from its FAQ page, and you do not need an agent. The pitch covers your reader payoff, three comparable Microcosm titles, your expertise and a section-by-section outline. There is no fee to pitch, and the press asks that you do not attach or send a full manuscript.
How do I submit to Microcosm Publishing?
Fill in the pitch form linked on the Microcosm FAQ. First pick three recent Microcosm titles your book would sit beside. Then give a one-sentence reader payoff, your expertise or lived experience, why you should write it and a section-by-section outline with intro paragraphs. Say whether you want pitch feedback. After you submit, do not follow up to ask about the status of your pitch.
What does Microcosm Publishing publish?
Microcosm publishes nonfiction DIY books, zines and decks that teach readers to help themselves. Subject lines include The Good Life, 5-Minute Therapy, Neurodivergent Pride and Yard Dragon, which covers herbalism and plants. Current wanted topics include herbal medicine, mythology and reproductive health. It does not publish work that is mainly memoir, essays, fiction, children's, poetry, cookbooks or travel writing, and it rejects AI-generated text or images.
Listing history
- Checked on the publisher's own site
