I have often said that memoir is the highest form of fiction. By that, I’m not encouraging memoirists to make things up. I am simply reminding them that a good memoir must read like fiction, but it must also be honest.
Honesty lies at the heart of every memoir. The author must adhere to the truth (allowing for the fact that there are different ways of interpreting it). Memoirists who lie to themselves, who sugarcoat, self-censor, exaggerate, or in any way compromise the integrity of their stories not only do a disservice to themselves but to us. The reason we enjoy reading memoirs is to gain insight, and to better understand the human condition.
Do not be afraid to tell the truth if you are writing a memoir. Don’t hold back. And when you are finished writing your life, go get it published. Here are fifteen publishers who can help you do that — no agent required. ___________________
Academy Chicago Publishers is one of the oldest publishing houses in Chicago. They publish both fiction and nonfiction and have more than two hundred published titles on their list. Academy Chicago publishes about 60 new titles yearly under five imprints: Chicago Review Press, Lawrence Hill Books, Ball Publishing, Zephyr Press, and Academy Chicago. Seeking: Nonfiction, memoirs, mysteries, fiction, history, popular science, music, film, biography, autobiography, DIY, craft, and travel, as well as children’s activity books and young adult biographies. Read submission guidelines here.
Bellevue Literary Press publishes literary fiction and narrative nonfiction geared toward a general readership. They do not publish poetry, single short stories, plays, screenplays, memoir, or self-help/instructional books. Distributed to the trade by Consortium Book Sales & Distribution. Read submission guidelines here.
Black & White Publishing is an established Scottish press. They publish nonfiction and fiction in a variety of genres. Seeking: Commercial women’s fiction, especially chick lit, saga and romance, crime and psychological thrillers, contemporary YA and New Adult crossover books, children’s fiction. In nonfiction: memoirs, sport (UK and Ireland in particular), humour, food and drink, activity books. Read submission guidelines here.
BLF Press is open to various types of literary work. They are especially interested in work that centers women of color and same gender loving women. Their preferred genres are short fiction, literary fiction, memoir, and creative non-fiction. Prose (fiction and non-fiction) manuscripts should be from 40,000–80,000 words; poetry collections should be at least 50 pages. If your work is under serious consideration elsewhere, please wait until you’ve received a decision before submitting it here. They ask for limited print and electronic rights. Read submission guidelines HERE.
Bywater Books is looking for well-written commercial fiction targeted to lesbian readers. They are especially interested the following fiction and non-fiction categories: Romance, Mystery, Action/Thriller, Science-fiction/Fantasy, Eco-fiction, Young Adult/New Adult, General Fiction, Cross-genre, Memoir, Essay, and Autobiography/Biography. They do not publish poetry or erotica. Read submission guidelines HERE. No simultaneous submissions.
City Lights Publishers has launched several famous poets, including Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Allen Ginsberg, but this press also specializes in literary fiction and nonfiction. City Lights publishes 12 books a year. Seeking: Fiction, essays, memoirs, translations, poetry, and books on social and political issues. They do not publish New Age, self-help, children’s literature, how-to guides, or genre works such as romance, westerns, or science fiction. Read their submission guidelines here.
Cleis Press publishes provocative, intelligent books across multiple genres, including literary fiction, human rights, mystery, romance, erotica, LGBTQ studies, sex guides, pulp fiction, and memoirs. Read submission guidelines HERE.
Fig Tree Books accepts completed manuscripts from authors of novels (adult, YA and graphic) or memoirs that deal with the American Jewish Experience. Read their submission guidelines here.
Honno publishes Welsh women writers — for the purposes of submission to Honno this means that you must be a woman born in Wales or resident in Wales at the time of submission. Honno also publishes titles of exceptional interest to women within Wales from writers who may not meet the first two criteria i.e. that they are female and that they are of Welsh birth or residence. They publish full length works of fiction and non-fiction for adults (manuscripts of between 60,000 and 120,000 words). Honno is open to all genres of fiction and is particularly interested in increasing the number of literary fiction, crime/thriller, commercial women’s fiction, science fiction and fantasy titles it publishes. Honno is also building a list of non-fiction works to include biography (untold tales of remarkable Welsh women, places and industries), memoir, nature and travel writing. Read guidelines HERE.
Kaya Press is a publisher of Asian and Pacific Islander diasporic writers in the United States. Their diverse list of titles includes experimental poetry, noir fiction, film memoir, avant-garde art, performance pieces, and “lost” novels. How to submit: Send your manuscript in electronic format. Files must be sent in a Word document or as a PDF. They will only accept works related to the Asian diaspora. Read full guidelines HERE.
Polis Books is an independent publishing company actively seeking new and established authors. They are currently acquiring titles in a wide variety of genres. While Polis primarily publishes books for adults, they also publish young adult novels. Submissions: Novel-length submissions should be a minimum of 60,000 words. In nonfiction they are seeking: Humor/Essays; Memoir/biography; Sports; Pop Culture. See their submission guidelines here.
Persea Books is an independent, literary publishing house founded in 1975 by Michael Braziller and Karen Braziller, who still own and direct the company. Genres: Poetry, fiction, essays, memoir, biography, titles of Jewish and Middle Eastern interest, women’s studies, American Indian folklore, and YA. Response time: Eight weeks for proposals and 12 weeks for requested manuscript. Submissions: Queries should include a cover letter, author background and publication history, a synopsis of the proposed work, and a sample chapter. Send queries and manuscripts to info@perseabooks.com or to the appropriate editor (Fiction or Nonfiction), Persea Books, 277 Broadway, Suite 708, New York, NY 10007. Read their submission guidelines here.
Rio Nuevo Publishers focuses exclusively on the American West. Their list of publications includes 69 back titles and 13 new titles. Seeking: American West arts and crafts, cooking, history, gardening, memoir, Native America, nature, spirituality, and travel. Read their submission guidelines.
Riverdale/Magnus is the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) imprint of Riverdale Avenue Books. They are actively looking for titles, both fiction and nonfiction, in a wide variety of areas, including popular culture, entertainment, biography/memoir, self-help, spirituality, and current affairs, among others. Read submission guidelines HERE.
Square One specializes in books on cooking, parenting, business/personal finance, self-help, history, and memoir among others. Square One has been named one of the top ten fastest-growing indie book publishers in North America by Publishers Weekly for six years in a row. Submissions: When submitting your manuscript proposal, please include the following items: a cover letter explaining the concept of your book, why you wrote it, and its intended audience, a detailed table of contents, a brief overview of the book, biographical information about you and any coauthors or illustrators, a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE). Snail mail only. Read full guidelines here.
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Like this article? For more articles about the publishing world, useful tips on how to get an agent, agents who are looking for clients, how to market and promote your work, building your online platform, how to get reviews, self-publishing, as well as publishers accepting manuscripts directly from writers (no agent required) take a look at Publishing and Other Forms of Insanity.
Honesty lies at the heart of every memoir. The author must adhere to the truth (allowing for the fact that there are different ways of interpreting it). Memoirists who lie to themselves, who sugarcoat, self-censor, exaggerate, or in any way compromise the integrity of their stories not only do a disservice to themselves but to us. The reason we enjoy reading memoirs is to gain insight, and to better understand the human condition.
Do not be afraid to tell the truth if you are writing a memoir. Don’t hold back. And when you are finished writing your life, go get it published. Here are fifteen publishers who can help you do that — no agent required. ___________________
Academy Chicago Publishers is one of the oldest publishing houses in Chicago. They publish both fiction and nonfiction and have more than two hundred published titles on their list. Academy Chicago publishes about 60 new titles yearly under five imprints: Chicago Review Press, Lawrence Hill Books, Ball Publishing, Zephyr Press, and Academy Chicago. Seeking: Nonfiction, memoirs, mysteries, fiction, history, popular science, music, film, biography, autobiography, DIY, craft, and travel, as well as children’s activity books and young adult biographies. Read submission guidelines here.
Bellevue Literary Press publishes literary fiction and narrative nonfiction geared toward a general readership. They do not publish poetry, single short stories, plays, screenplays, memoir, or self-help/instructional books. Distributed to the trade by Consortium Book Sales & Distribution. Read submission guidelines here.
Black & White Publishing is an established Scottish press. They publish nonfiction and fiction in a variety of genres. Seeking: Commercial women’s fiction, especially chick lit, saga and romance, crime and psychological thrillers, contemporary YA and New Adult crossover books, children’s fiction. In nonfiction: memoirs, sport (UK and Ireland in particular), humour, food and drink, activity books. Read submission guidelines here.
BLF Press is open to various types of literary work. They are especially interested in work that centers women of color and same gender loving women. Their preferred genres are short fiction, literary fiction, memoir, and creative non-fiction. Prose (fiction and non-fiction) manuscripts should be from 40,000–80,000 words; poetry collections should be at least 50 pages. If your work is under serious consideration elsewhere, please wait until you’ve received a decision before submitting it here. They ask for limited print and electronic rights. Read submission guidelines HERE.
Bywater Books is looking for well-written commercial fiction targeted to lesbian readers. They are especially interested the following fiction and non-fiction categories: Romance, Mystery, Action/Thriller, Science-fiction/Fantasy, Eco-fiction, Young Adult/New Adult, General Fiction, Cross-genre, Memoir, Essay, and Autobiography/Biography. They do not publish poetry or erotica. Read submission guidelines HERE. No simultaneous submissions.
City Lights Publishers has launched several famous poets, including Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Allen Ginsberg, but this press also specializes in literary fiction and nonfiction. City Lights publishes 12 books a year. Seeking: Fiction, essays, memoirs, translations, poetry, and books on social and political issues. They do not publish New Age, self-help, children’s literature, how-to guides, or genre works such as romance, westerns, or science fiction. Read their submission guidelines here.
Cleis Press publishes provocative, intelligent books across multiple genres, including literary fiction, human rights, mystery, romance, erotica, LGBTQ studies, sex guides, pulp fiction, and memoirs. Read submission guidelines HERE.
Fig Tree Books accepts completed manuscripts from authors of novels (adult, YA and graphic) or memoirs that deal with the American Jewish Experience. Read their submission guidelines here.
Honno publishes Welsh women writers — for the purposes of submission to Honno this means that you must be a woman born in Wales or resident in Wales at the time of submission. Honno also publishes titles of exceptional interest to women within Wales from writers who may not meet the first two criteria i.e. that they are female and that they are of Welsh birth or residence. They publish full length works of fiction and non-fiction for adults (manuscripts of between 60,000 and 120,000 words). Honno is open to all genres of fiction and is particularly interested in increasing the number of literary fiction, crime/thriller, commercial women’s fiction, science fiction and fantasy titles it publishes. Honno is also building a list of non-fiction works to include biography (untold tales of remarkable Welsh women, places and industries), memoir, nature and travel writing. Read guidelines HERE.
Kaya Press is a publisher of Asian and Pacific Islander diasporic writers in the United States. Their diverse list of titles includes experimental poetry, noir fiction, film memoir, avant-garde art, performance pieces, and “lost” novels. How to submit: Send your manuscript in electronic format. Files must be sent in a Word document or as a PDF. They will only accept works related to the Asian diaspora. Read full guidelines HERE.
Polis Books is an independent publishing company actively seeking new and established authors. They are currently acquiring titles in a wide variety of genres. While Polis primarily publishes books for adults, they also publish young adult novels. Submissions: Novel-length submissions should be a minimum of 60,000 words. In nonfiction they are seeking: Humor/Essays; Memoir/biography; Sports; Pop Culture. See their submission guidelines here.
Persea Books is an independent, literary publishing house founded in 1975 by Michael Braziller and Karen Braziller, who still own and direct the company. Genres: Poetry, fiction, essays, memoir, biography, titles of Jewish and Middle Eastern interest, women’s studies, American Indian folklore, and YA. Response time: Eight weeks for proposals and 12 weeks for requested manuscript. Submissions: Queries should include a cover letter, author background and publication history, a synopsis of the proposed work, and a sample chapter. Send queries and manuscripts to info@perseabooks.com or to the appropriate editor (Fiction or Nonfiction), Persea Books, 277 Broadway, Suite 708, New York, NY 10007. Read their submission guidelines here.
Rio Nuevo Publishers focuses exclusively on the American West. Their list of publications includes 69 back titles and 13 new titles. Seeking: American West arts and crafts, cooking, history, gardening, memoir, Native America, nature, spirituality, and travel. Read their submission guidelines.
Riverdale/Magnus is the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) imprint of Riverdale Avenue Books. They are actively looking for titles, both fiction and nonfiction, in a wide variety of areas, including popular culture, entertainment, biography/memoir, self-help, spirituality, and current affairs, among others. Read submission guidelines HERE.
Square One specializes in books on cooking, parenting, business/personal finance, self-help, history, and memoir among others. Square One has been named one of the top ten fastest-growing indie book publishers in North America by Publishers Weekly for six years in a row. Submissions: When submitting your manuscript proposal, please include the following items: a cover letter explaining the concept of your book, why you wrote it, and its intended audience, a detailed table of contents, a brief overview of the book, biographical information about you and any coauthors or illustrators, a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE). Snail mail only. Read full guidelines here.
__________________
Like this article? For more articles about the publishing world, useful tips on how to get an agent, agents who are looking for clients, how to market and promote your work, building your online platform, how to get reviews, self-publishing, as well as publishers accepting manuscripts directly from writers (no agent required) take a look at Publishing and Other Forms of Insanity.
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