Book Publishers in Indiana Accepting Submissions
Every Indiana publishing house below was checked on its own website in October 2026: who is open, who needs an agent, what to send and how long replies take.
Published Updated Reviewed every month · next review November 2026
Top Indiana publishers accepting submissions
These Indiana publishers are open now and accept work directly from authors. Read each note for the best fit and the right route in.
- 1
IU Press
Takes scholarly, text and trade proposals through its online form. Fiction goes through its Blue Light Books Prize instead.
Reply: Not stated
- 2
Purdue University Press
Suits science and technology books, higher education and Indiana topics. Email a prospectus, sample chapter and CV to the right editor.
Reply: Not stated
- 3
Ave Maria Press
Open to Catholic nonfiction proposals by email, with a reply in three to four weeks and no fee to evaluate.
Reply: 3 to 4 weeks
- 4
IHS Press
The home for books with a direct Indiana connection, including children's books. Send the completed manuscript with notes and bibliography.
Reply: About 13 weeks
- 5
Hackett Publishing
Publishes humanities books for college courses, from philosophy to classics. Email a proposal to editorial@hackettpublishing.com.
Reply: Not stated
- 6
Blue River Press
An Indianapolis publisher of sports, health, travel and regional books. Email a proposal that follows its guidelines.
Reply: Not stated
- 7
Our Sunday Visitor
Reads Catholic query letters through Submittable and asks for the manuscript if the topic fits.
Reply: 8 to 10 weeks
All Indiana publishers
Filter by what you write and how you want to submit. Open publishers come first; every card shows when we last checked it.
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Mid-sizeAve Maria PressChristian, Catholic, NonfictionNotre Dame, Indiana, USOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Ave Maria Press is open to book proposals from authors without an agent, by email. Send one document with a description, an annotated table of contents, a writing sample, a short bio and your platform. It replies within three to four weeks and charges no fee to evaluate. It does not take unsolicited fiction, children's books or poetry.No agent neededSend: Proposal in one document: description, TOC, sample, bioEmail3 to 4 wks replyest. 1865View profile →
Small pressBlue River PressNonfiction, Health, TravelIndianapolis, Indiana, USOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Blue River Press accepts nonfiction proposals by email. Read its proposal guidelines and send your proposal to the address on its Proposals page. The Indianapolis publisher covers sports, health, travel, regional interest and young adult titles.No agent neededSend: Proposal with synopsis, comps, chapter summaries and 30 page sample by emailEmailReply time not statedView profile →Traditional publisherHackett PublishingAcademic, History, NonfictionIndianapolis, Indiana, USOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Hackett Publishing accepts academic book proposals by email only. Send a description, table of contents, CV and sample to editorial@hackettpublishing.com. The Indianapolis publisher does not take contemporary fiction.No agent neededSend: Proposal, TOC, CV and sample by emailEmailReply time not statedView profile →
Small pressIHS PressChildren's, Fiction, HistoryIndianapolis, Indiana, USOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026IHS Press is open to unagented authors. It wants completed book manuscripts with a direct Indiana connection, including children's books. You send the full manuscript with all notes and bibliography by post or email, then allow 90 days or more for a reply.No agent neededSend: Completed manuscript with notes and bibliography by post or emailPost, Email13 wks replyView profile →
University pressIU PressAcademic, NonfictionBloomington, Indiana, USOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026IU Press is open to unagented book proposals. You submit a full proposal through its online submission form, which routes it to the right editor. Fiction does not go through this route and is considered only through the Blue Light Books Prize.No agent neededSend: Full book proposal through the online submission formOnline formReply time not statedView profile →
Mid-sizeOur Sunday VisitorChristian, Catholic, Children'sHuntington, Indiana, USOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Our Sunday Visitor is open to query letters from authors without an agent through its Submittable portal. Editors ask for the manuscript and proposal if the topic fits, and they aim to reply within 8 to 10 weeks. It does not accept simultaneous submissions. Adult books cannot be fiction or poetry; OSV Kids books must be overtly Catholic.No agent neededSend: Query letter first through SubmittableSubmittable8 to 10 wks replyest. 1912View profile →
University pressPurdue University PressAcademic, History, NonfictionWest Lafayette, Indiana, USOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Purdue University Press accepts proposals by email in science and technology, its series areas and Indiana regional topics. Send a prospectus, sample chapter and CV to the right editor. It contacts only projects that fit.No agent neededSend: Prospectus, sample chapter and CV by email to the right editorEmailReply time not statedView profile →
University pressUniversity of Notre Dame PressAcademic, Catholic, FictionNotre Dame, Indiana, USOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026University of Notre Dame Press is open to unagented proposals in its listed acquisition areas. You send a cover letter, a 2 to 4 page abstract, an annotated table of contents, a CV and sample chapters if available. Its site does not state a method, so contact the editor named for your field.No agent neededSend: Cover letter, abstract, annotated TOC, CV and sample chaptersReply time not statedest. 1949View profile →
Small pressWarner PressChristian, Children's, NonfictionAnderson, Indiana, USOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Warner Press accepts Christ centered Bible studies, small group and children's teaching resources by email at any time. Coloring books and card verses have deadlines. The Anderson, Indiana nonprofit replies in six to eight weeks.No agent neededSend: Word manuscripts by email; some categories have deadlinesEmail6 to 8 wks replyView profile →
Small pressWesleyan Publishing HouseChristian, Nonfiction, Religion and SpiritualityFishers, Indiana, USOpen to submissionsChecked Oct 2026Wesleyan Publishing House accepts book proposals by email from writers within The Wesleyan Church. Send curriculum, devotional, spiritual formation or pastoral leadership ideas to submissions@wesleyan.org. It is based in Fishers, Indiana.Send: Book proposals or inquiries by emailEmailReply time not statedView profile → What do Open, Closed and Agent needed mean?
- Open now: the publisher's own site says it is reading submissions today, in at least one genre listed.
- Closed: not reading new submissions right now. We show the reopening date when the publisher gives one.
- Agent needed: it only reads manuscripts sent by a literary agent.
Submit with confidence
Four checks before you send anything to a publisher, whichever list you use.
Check it on their own site
Guidelines change. Read the publisher's own submissions page on the day you send.
Never pay to be published
A traditional publisher pays you. If a company asks for money, it is a paid service.
Send exactly what they ask
Query, proposal or sample chapters: follow the format and word count to the letter.
Track every submission
Note the date, the reply time and whether no reply means no before you follow up.
Indiana has a deep bench of university presses, Catholic and Christian publishers and independent houses in and around Indianapolis. This page lists 10 verified book publishers in Indiana, and 10 are open to submissions right now. Nearly all of them take work from authors without an agent. Each listing is checked against the publisher's own site and shows what the press wants and how to send it. Use the picks below to narrow your search, then confirm the current guidelines on the publisher's site before you submit.
How to choose an Indiana publisher
Indiana’s presses cover a wide range, so start with your subject. IU Press in Bloomington, Purdue University Press and the University of Notre Dame Press publish scholarly books, each in its own fields. Hackett Publishing focuses on books for humanities courses. Books about Indiana history belong with IHS Press, while Blue River Press covers sports, health, travel and regional interest.
Catholic and Christian publishers in Indiana
Indiana is a center of Catholic publishing. Ave Maria Press takes nonfiction proposals by email, and Our Sunday Visitor reads query letters through Submittable. Notre Dame Press also publishes Catholic studies. For other Christian writing, Warner Press in Anderson takes Bible studies and teaching resources, and Wesleyan Publishing House in Fishers publishes curriculum and devotional books by writers within The Wesleyan Church.
What to send
Each publisher asks for something different. University presses want a proposal with sample chapters and a CV, not a finished manuscript. IHS Press is the exception and wants the completed manuscript with notes. Warner Press sets deadlines for coloring books and greeting cards but takes Bible studies at any time. Follow each format exactly and allow time for a reply, which runs from a few weeks to several months.
Publishing companies in Indianapolis and across Indiana
If you are looking for publishing companies in Indianapolis, start with Hackett Publishing, Blue River Press and IHS Press, which all list Indianapolis addresses, plus Wesleyan Publishing House in nearby Fishers. Other book publishers in Indiana sit in university towns: IU Press in Bloomington, Purdue in West Lafayette and Notre Dame Press at Notre Dame. Most take work by email or online, so you can submit from anywhere. Confirm each publisher’s current guidelines before you send.
Tips before you contact publishers in Indiana
Read the guidelines for each press on its own site, since publishers in Indiana vary widely in what they ask for. Indianapolis publishing companies such as Hackett and Blue River want proposals by email, while the university presses route proposals to subject editors. Name the editor when a press lists one, keep your proposal focused on readers and note any reply time so you know when to move on to other publishing companies in Indiana.
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Questions authors ask
Answers use the live data on this page.
Which Indiana publishers accept submissions without an agent?
Nearly all of the publishers on this page do. IU Press, Purdue University Press, Notre Dame Press, Hackett Publishing, IHS Press, Ave Maria Press, Our Sunday Visitor, Warner Press, Wesleyan Publishing House and Blue River Press all describe routes for authors to send work directly. Each has its own format, so read the guidelines on the publisher's own site first.
Are there publishing companies in Indianapolis?
Yes. Hackett Publishing, Blue River Press and the Indiana Historical Society Press all list Indianapolis addresses, and Wesleyan Publishing House is in nearby Fishers. Hackett takes humanities proposals by email, Blue River takes sports, health and regional proposals by email, and IHS Press wants completed manuscripts with a direct Indiana connection.
Which Indiana publishers take Catholic books?
Ave Maria Press, Our Sunday Visitor and the University of Notre Dame Press all publish Catholic books. Ave Maria takes nonfiction proposals by email and replies in three to four weeks. Our Sunday Visitor reads query letters through Submittable. Notre Dame Press publishes Catholic studies and other scholarly work in its listed acquisition areas.
Does IU Press accept fiction?
Not through its general proposal process. IU Press takes scholarly, text, trade and reference proposals through its online submission form, but it considers fiction only through its Blue Light Books Prize. If you write fiction, check the prize details on the IU Press site. Other Indiana presses on this page focus mainly on nonfiction.
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How we verify listings. We list traditional publishers only: no hybrid, vanity or paid self-publishing companies. Every listing is checked on the publisher's own website and rechecked every month. This page was last updated 26 Oct 2026; next review November 2026. Spotted a change? Tell us.
