Ten years ago, getting traditionally published without an agent felt like a long shot.

Now, not so much.

The whole traditional vs. self-publishing debate has been beaten into the ground at this point, so I’m not going to rehash that here. But there’s still something appealing about it. Writing a book that’s good enough for a publisher to take on. Seeing it show up in bookstores. Having someone else put their name behind it.

Maybe that’s what you’re after. Or maybe you’ve already self-published and just want to try something different.

Either way, you’ve got options.

Agents are one path, but they’re not the only one. There are still plenty of publishing companies that accept submissions directly from authors.

No middleman.

Quick caveat: I haven’t traditionally published, so everything below comes from research, not personal experience. You’ll still want to do your own digging before submitting anything. Sites like QueryTracker and PublishersArchive are a good place to start.

Thinking about the big 5? Not so fast…

When people talk about “traditional publishing,” this is usually what they have in mind.

Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster. The names are familiar, and if you’ve been around books at all, you’ve probably seen them more times than you realize.

But here’s the part that doesn’t get said as often. You’re not submitting to them. At least not directly.

Everything runs through agents, which means before you’re even thinking about getting a deal, you’re trying to convince someone to represent you. And that process can take a while. You’re sending queries, waiting, hearing nothing back, trying again, adjusting, and hoping something eventually clicks with the right person.

And even if it does, that’s not the finish line. It just means your agent now has to go out and sell the book, which is a whole separate hurdle. Then, if everything lines up, they take their cut. Usually around 15%.

None of this is to say it’s a bad path. For some writers, it’s exactly what they want.

But it’s a longer road than most people expect going in, and it’s definitely not the only way to get your book out into the world.

Publishers worth looking at (even if you're new)

Most writers skip over this part. They think it’s Big 5 or nothing, and if they’re not landing an agent, the whole thing’s off the table.

That’s not really how it works anymore.

There are a lot of smaller and mid-sized publishers out there, and a good number of them take submissions directly from authors. No agent, no middle step, just you and the publisher.

Most of them are pretty focused on specific genres or niches, so they’re not expecting you to show up with a massive platform or a built-in audience. What they’re looking for is a book that fits what they already publish.

Now, there’s a tradeoff. They’re not going to have the same reach as the Big 5, and you’re probably not seeing your book stacked at the front of every bookstore. But a lot of them still have solid editors, good design, and a team that actually knows their lane and how to launch a book inside it.

And every now and then, you see something break through.

There’s an imprint of Penguin Random House on this list that takes direct submissions. Baen picked up a debut author that ended up doing really well on Amazon. It happens, just not in the way people usually picture it.

So when you’re looking through these, you’re not really trying to find the “best” one.

You’re just trying to find the ones that feel like they line up with what you wrote.

1. Chronicle Books

• Children's books and Adult trade (not adult fiction)
• Their books are everywhere as they even have international retail stores
• Submission guidelines
• Different guidelines if you're submitting children's or adult trade, so follow carefully
• Will only respond if interested in publishing
• Browse their books here
• San Francisco, California

2. Baen

• Science fiction and fantasy only
• One of the most respected publishers of Science Fiction and Fantasy books, they are one of the few established publishers that will accept full-length manuscripts from authors without an agent
• Submission guidelines here
• Strongly prefer electronic submission through their submission form
• Take longer than typical to hear back (9-12 months)
• Wake Forest, North Carolina

3. Flashlight Press

• Publish children's fiction picture books targeted to 4-8-year-olds
• Their books are beautifully illustrated and they only publish 2-4 each year. Their company and individual books have won many awards. They distribute internationally.
• Submission guidelines
• Please follow the guidelines exactly
• Books should be less than 1,000 words with a universal theme dealing with family or social situations and fit within their catalog of books
• If interested, they will contact you within 3 months.
• Brooklyn, New York

4. Skyhorse Publishing

• One of the fastest-growing independent publishers in the U.S. with 15 imprints and a backlist of over 6,000 titles.
• They publish pretty much everything, both fiction and nonfiction, adult, young adult, and children's books.
• They've had 43 titles on the New York Times bestseller list in the 10 years they've been publishing.
• Submission guidelines
• You'll hear from them within 4-6 weeks if they are interested in seeing more of your manuscript.
• New York, New York

5. Free Spirit Publishing

• Publish nonfiction books and learning materials for children, teens, parents, educators, counselors, and others who interact with young people
• They produce 20-25 new titles per year and have a strong distribution through major trade and library distributors, in bookstores such as Barnes & Noble, on Amazon.com, and their widely distributed mail order catalog.
• Submission guidelines
• They are looking for nonfiction proposals in these categories: Teaching Strategies & Professional Development, Early Childhood, Gifted & Special Education, Bullying Prevention & Conflict Resolution, Character Education, Leadership & Service Learning, Educational Games, Posters, & Jars, and Counseling & Social-Emotional Learning (at the time of this writing)
• They only accept proposals through mail.
• Their response time is usually 2-6 months
• Minneapolis, MN

6. Kensington Publishing Corp.

• Known as “America's Independent Publisher,” they have a bunch of imprints
• Publish over 600 fiction and nonfiction titles each year, including a range of popular genres such as romance, women's fiction, African American, young adult and nonfiction, true-crime, western, and mystery titles
• Published some New York Times bestselling authors
• Submission guidelines
• You should review their editors' interests and submit to the one you think is the best fit for your book
• They will only respond if they are interested.
• New York, New York

7. Beacon Press

• Publish serious nonfiction of deep fundamental issues, such as respect for diversity, religious pluralism, anti-racism, justice, equity, and compassion for all humans
• At the time of this writing, they are not accepting self-help, new poetry, or fiction books
• Submissions
• They only accept electronic submissions.
• They will contact you within 3 weeks if interested in seeing a full proposal after considering your query
• Boston, Massachusetts

8. Black Inc.

• Publish a variety of fiction and nonfiction, but not poetry or children's books
• Submission guidelines
• Open to submissions from Australian writers only and via email only
• If they are interested in your manuscript, they will contact you within 8 weeks.
• Carlton, Victoria, Australia

9. Persea Books

• They accept poetry submissions only.
• While they used to accept literary novels, creative nonfiction, memoirs, essays, biographies, books on contemporary issues, anthologies, and limited poetry and young adult titles, they aren't accepting unsolicited fiction or nonfiction submissions at this time.
• Submission guidelines
• You should submit your submissions package through the mail
• New York, New York

10. BelleBooks/Bell Bridge

• BelleBooks originated to publish Southern fiction before creating the substantial imprint Bell Bridge, which publishes a wide variety of genres
• Publish everything from anthology to young adult, including children's books, fantasy, nonfiction, romance, mystery, and women's fiction.
• Submission guidelines
• This page includes to-the-point answers to questions like What do editors want? Why was your book rejected? And specific submission instructions, editor to contact, and word count by genre.
• They do not accept simultaneous submissions unless you're agented.
• Typical response is 3-6 months
• Memphis, Tennessee

11. Oneworld Publishing

• Nonfiction only (they hope to accept fiction again in the “not-too-distant future.”
• Approximately 100 books per year internationally.
• Submission guidelines
• They have a submission form for authors to download and complete
• Make sure your book fits in with their previously published titles
• London, United Kingdom

12. Black & White Publishing

• Nonfiction only. They currently accept one-page proposals.
• They currently accept the following nonfiction genres: celebrity memoirs; sports books (with a particular focus on the UK and Ireland); lifestyle, humor, gift, and activity books; food and drink titles; Scottish non-fiction; Irish non-fiction nature; and wild places
• A leading independent Scottish publisher open to work by authors from UK, Ireland, and beyond
• Submission guidelines
• They only publish work written in English.
• You should hear back within 3 months if they are interested
• United Kingdom

13. Evernight Publishing

• They seek complete manuscripts between 10,000-100,000 words in sub-genres of romance and erotic romance.
• Submission guidelines
• Your submission should be exclusive to this publishing house
• They will make a decision on your proposal within 12 weeks
• Canada

14. Chicago Review Press

• Nonfiction only. They have several imprints, including an award-winning line of children's and young adult nonfiction books
• Carefully review submission guidelines relevant for you
• They accept a variety of nonfiction genres, including parenting, history, true crime, children's, and YA
• Chicago, Illinois

15. Albert Whitman & Company

• Children's books from 0-15, from board books to young adult
• Submission guidelines
• Picture books, middle-grade fiction, and young adult fiction each have their own submission details to follow
• You should hear from them within 6 months if they are interested
• Park Ridge, Illinois

16. Charlesbridge

• Publishes primarily books for children, but also adult nonfiction and puzzle books. Their submission guidelines also state they are accepting young-adult novels.
• Submission guidelines — note that they have paused submissions until “Spring 2026”
• Submit through mail
• They will respond if they are interested only.
• Watertown, Massachusetts

17. Turner Publishing

• Little bit of everything – children's, health & fitness, cookbooks, literary fiction, thriller/suspense, family & relationships/religion, juvenile fiction, history, humor, science, sports, romance, and nonfiction
• Submissions
• Their submissions don't provide a lot of guidelines except where to email your materials
• They will contact if interested
• Nashville, Tennessee

18. Koehler Books

• Two publishing models: 1) Traditional model for experienced and agented authors with good sales. 2) Hybrid/co-publishing for new and emerging authors who need help and coaching.
• A wide array of genres, including memoirs, military, Business, Fiction, self-help mystery, thriller young adult and women
• Submission guidelines
• They do not accept previously published books
• Fill out their submissions form and expect to hear back within 1-2 weeks
• Virginia Beach, VA

19. Graywolf Press

• They publish poetry, memoirs, essays, fiction, and nonfiction
• Submission guidelines
• Submissions are opened and closed at different times
• Publishes only about 30 books annually
• Minneapolis, Minnesota

20. Fairlight Books (UK)

• Short story collections only (cannot exceed 5,000 words)
• They publish beautifully produced literary fiction and novellas and accept unsolicited submissions directly from authors (no agent required). They're respected in the UK indie scene and have global distribution via Ingram and eBooks.
• They accept complete manuscripts for adult literary fiction, and have separate windows for short stories.
• Short story submissions here

21. Flame Tree Publishing (UK)

• Genre fiction in science fiction, fantasy, horror, and crime (with a focus on hybrid and Gothic-style works)
• A respected genre press in London offering regular open submission windows for novels and anthologies
• Submit full manuscript, synopsis, word count, and author bio via email or online submission form; check their website for current guidelines and deadlines
• Submission guides here

How to find more publishing companies

If at this point you still haven’t found a publishing company that works for you, then you’ll probably need to dig a bit deeper and look at individual books similar to yours and see who they’re using.

Using a program like Publisher Rocket’s category analysis tool, you can find a list of traditional publishing companies for a genre by doing the following.

Find your category through the Category Search. Click on the Insights link. Hover over the “i” icon under the Large Publisher tile. That’ll show you a list of larger publishers in that space.

A lot of those are going to be traditional houses, so if you’re going that route, those are the ones you’d be looking at.

And sometimes you’ll come across smaller publishers in there too. Ones you don’t hear about as much, but are still doing well in a specific niche.

Check Out Publisher Rocket Here

Watch out for vanity presses

“Vanity press” sounds a little harsh.

And to be fair, not every company that falls into that category is trying to rip you off. But the term exists for a reason.

At the simplest level, it’s a company you pay to publish your book. They handle editing, formatting, cover design… all of it. You pay them, they put the book out under their imprint.

On the surface, that can sound fine. In practice, it’s where a lot of people get burned. Some of these companies charge way more than they should, don’t deliver what they promise, and lean pretty hard on the idea that your book is going to take off once it’s out there.

That said, there are situations where it can make sense.

If you need a book published quickly for a specific reason, and you don’t want to deal with the production side of it yourself, paying someone to handle it can be the easier route. But if you go down that path, you have to be careful.

Anything that sounds like a guarantee is a problem. Bestseller claims, “we’ll make you rich,” all of that. Those are the ones to avoid. Because there are companies in this space that care a lot more about getting your money than they do about your book doing well.

If you’re not sure where a company falls, take a closer look before you commit. It’s worth the extra time.

So what now

If the idea of seeing your book on a shelf somewhere actually sounds good to you, then yeah… this might be the next step.

You don’t need an agent to get started. You’ll probably run into some rejection along the way, that’s just how this works. But there are real publishing companies out there that are open to submissions, and they’re always looking for something worth taking a chance on.

Could be your book. Only way to find out.

Side note: If you’re thinking about going the other route, I’ve got a guide on self-publishing companies that walks through that side of things too.