Major publishing house
Rockport Publishers
Art and Photography, Nonfiction
Published Updated Reviewed every month · next review November 2026
About Rockport Publishers
Rockport Publishers takes proposals from authors through The Quarto Group's submission guidelines. Email a proposal with an author introduction, project overview, visual materials and market information, plus a signed Submission Agreement. Quarto contacts you only if interested; no reply within three months means no.
Rockport Publishers is an imprint of The Quarto Group based in Beverly, Massachusetts. It calls itself a leading source of books on graphic design, and its list covers applied design, branding, fine art, manga and visual creativity. Proposals include visual materials as well as a written overview.
Proposals do not go to Rockport alone. Quarto asks authors to email the category address that fits the book, and a single submission can reach several Quarto imprints at once. Every author signs a Submission Agreement, which notes that Quarto may already be working on similar ideas.
What Rockport Publishers is looking for
- Graphic design and applied design
- Branding
- Fine art and manga
- Books on visual creativity
Publishes
- Art and Photography
- Nonfiction
Readers
- Adult
How to submit to Rockport Publishers
From its own guidelines- Read the Quarto submission guidelines and pick the category address that fits your book.
- Write a proposal with an author introduction, project overview, visual materials and market information.
- Sign the Quarto Submission Agreement.
- Email the proposal and agreement; if you hear nothing in three months, the idea was not a fit.
Is Rockport Publishers right for your book?
A good fit if
Designers, illustrators and artists with a strong visual book idea who can show sample images and explain who will buy the book.
Look elsewhere if
Writers with text-only projects, and authors who are not willing to sign Quarto's Submission Agreement before sending a proposal.
Questions about Rockport Publishers
Does Rockport Publishers accept unagented submissions?
Yes. Rockport Publishers follows The Quarto Group's guidelines, which invite proposals from authors and do not mention agents. You email a proposal to the Quarto category address that fits your book, together with a signed Submission Agreement. Quarto then routes the idea to the imprints that might publish it.
Why does Quarto ask for a Submission Agreement?
Quarto publishes many design and art books, so its editors may already be developing ideas close to yours, including ideas from earlier submissions. The agreement records that you understand this before you send anything. Read it carefully, sign it and include it with your proposal, or the editors cannot review your idea.
How long does Rockport take to reply?
Quarto contacts authors only when it is interested in a proposal. If three months pass without a reply, you should treat the idea as declined and feel free to pitch it elsewhere. Strong visuals and clear market information give an editor the best reason to write back sooner.
Listing history
- Checked on the publisher's own site
