Top Fantasy Publishers Who Want Your Novel

If you’re looking for fantasy publishers currently accepting submissions you’ve come to the right place. Below, you can find a growing list of book publishing companies on the hunt for manuscripts, from small presses to award-winning literary giants.

And many accept unsolicited manuscripts, meaning they don’t require an agent, so you can get submitting right away. 

What many of these brilliant speculative fiction presses offer is an opportunity for you to get your fantasy novel out to the world.

The world of writing and publishing is incredibly competitive. Booker Prize winners and bestselling authors have spoken of how they were rejected over 30+ times before getting a publishing deal. JK Rowling famously suffered scores of rejections for Harry Potter.

Great writing doesn’t always guarantee a publishing deal.

In this guide, not only can you find a list of some of the top fantasy book publishers around, but you can find guidance on how to get your novel published, how to work with publishing houses, and who accepts unsolicited submissions.

Choose A Chapter

1. A Mega List Of Fantasy Publishers
2. How To Find Fantasy Publishers
3. What Are Fantasy Publishers Looking For?
4. Glossary Of Fantasy Publishing Terms
5. How To Format A Novel
6. Who Are The Top Fantasy Book Publishers?
7. How Do You Get A Fantasy Book Published?
8. How Much Do Publishers Pay For Fantasy Books?
9. What Are Fantasy Publishers Looking For?
10. Get More Help Finding Fantasy Publishers
11. Other Writing Tools

How To Find Fantasy Publishers

You may also wonder whether going straight to a publisher is the best thing to do. Should you send your book out to literary agents first? Or should you just skip the hunt altogether, giving up on the likes of Harper Collins or some imprint of Penguin Books, and just self-publish with the likes of Amazon Kindle (KDP) or Ingramspark? 

Self-publishing has changed massively in the last few years, and the negative stigma attached to it is waning. You can search the web for some of the best self-publishing companies to help you in the same way a traditional publisher would, thereby levelling the playing field to a certain extent.

There really is no right answer. Whatever you feel most comfortable and happy with is the best path for you. You might not want to wait for months to hear back from a literary agent or fantasy publisher. 

Below, you can find my list of fantasy publishers, and beneath that, some further guidance on the publishing world. This list may also be useful to sci-fi authors too; many publishing houses below specialise in both genres.

What Are Fantasy Publishers Looking For?

It always helps to be aware of the kind of things that fantasy publishers are looking for. This was made clear to me when I interview bestselling author, Adrian Tchaikovsky, for The Fantasy Writers’ Toolshed podcast (you can listen here).

Adrian explained how he works with big publishers like Tor, pitching them ideas based on the types of books they’re publishing at the time.

He also revealed that in 2022, fantasy book publishing companies have shifted away from series to more standalone books, or books that are loosely related in a shared universe, like Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere.

The reason for this shift could be to do with poor reader retention rates over a number of books. Or purely down to the financial risks of committing to longer works when there’s no guarantee of success.

A Mega List Of Fantasy Publishers 

Below you can find my list of fantasy book publishers. I update it at least once a month.

You may see some publishing houses marked as “defunct” below. This can happen in the industry. New fantasy publishers pop up and disappear all of the time. I leave them on this list so that you can see their current status. If you’ve submitted and they’ve since gone defunct you can remove them from your records. 

Are Any Of These Sci-Fi Publishers Too?

The short answer is yes.

Many of the fantasy publishers listed above also accept sci-fi stories and books. There is a big overlap between the two genres. Many readers of sci-fi are also fans of fantasy and vice-versa. Similarly, there are a lot of authors who move between the two genres, like Adrian Tchaikovsky. 

So if you’ve written a sci-fi book or maybe it’s a science fantasy or a fantasy tale with futuristic elements, don’t rule out any of the publishing companies listed above. Spend a bit of time reading up on what kinds of books they’ve published before and what their current calls for submissions state. 

Glossary Of Fantasy Publishing Terms

It’s definitely worth familiarizing yourself with the definitions of some of the words used above and in the fiction and fantasy publishing industry as a whole:

• Unsolicited submissions – this means you don’t need to be represented by a literary agent to submit your manuscript. This is also known as ‘no agent required.’
• Solicited submissions – the opposite to unsolicited submissions, you need to have an agent to submit your manuscript on your behalf. 
• Indie press – a small, independent publishing house.
• Royalties – a percentage you would be given for every sale of your book, as well as other associated merchandise. The level of royalties differs between the likes of the industry standard (larger publishing houses), to lower percentages offered by smaller presses. 
• Advance – a payment made by a publisher in advance of revenue they expect you to generate down the line. 

How To Format A Novel

Formatting a manuscript is vital when it comes to finding success with submissions. My debut novel, Pariah’s Lament, took an age to format, but it was worth it. Editors took more notice and as a result, it helped to get it published. 

So how do you format a fantasy novel? Well, there are lots of handy guides to help you, such as my own guide to formatting a manuscript.

But perhaps the best source of information is Shunn’s formatting guide, which has become the industry standard in recent times. As a starting point, format your fantasy novel in accordance with the laws of Shunn. 

From there, it all depends on the publisher. Each press will have its own submission guidelines, so be sure to go through them and make a note of any unique preferences they may have. For instance, this particular editor may loathe double-spaced lines, but another may not read it without. 

Who Are The Top Fantasy Book Publishers?

There are lots of top fantasy book publishers out there at the moment. From indie presses to giants like DAW, Tor and Penguin Random House, the speculative fiction genre is thriving at the moment. And it doesn’t seem to be slowing down. 

Below, I’ve put together a handy guide to some of the best fantasy book publishers to submit your manuscript to:

DAW Books

DAW Books is arguably one of the oldest publishers of science fiction and fantasy, established in the US in 1971 by husband and wife, Donald and Elsie Wollheim. Its parent company is Penguin Random House.

It was, in fact, the first-ever dedicated published of fantasy and sci-fi. Since then, they’ve brought to our bookshelves over 2,000 titles, including books by Patrick Rothfuss, Mercedes Lackey and Tad Williams. 

DAW looks for manuscripts that are 80,000 words and up and does allow unsolicited submissions, meaning you don’t need a literary agent. To submit your manuscript, head here.

Baen

Baen Books was founded by Jim Baen and since then, has gone on to publish paperbacks, ebooks and hardcovers. In fact, Baen works with other fantasy publishers to promote and sell digital books on its own online store. 

They just publish fantasy and science fiction, offer a very competitive payment rate, and seek manuscripts around 100,000 to 130,000 words in length (though they are flexible on this).

Curiously for a big traditional publisher, they’re not fussed on query letters and instead ask for complete manuscripts along with a synopsis (so make sure your synopsis is watertight and your first few pages are gloriously engaging).

You can submit to Baen here via their submissions page.

Flame Tree Press/Publishing

Fantasy and science fiction is a changing genre, with artwork becoming more and more important to readers to help them visualise the incredible creations of authors. 

This is where Flame Tree Press comes into the fold. Established in 1992, this publisher has spent much of its life specialising in illustrated books art calendars and illustrated ebooks. And now it’s moving into the realms of science fiction, fantasy, crime and horror. 

Seeking unpublished novels between 70,000 and 120,000 words, Flame Tree is currently looking for fantasy and sci-fi in particular. You can find their submission details here, with manuscripts to be emailed directly. Just like with DAW Books, you don’t need a literary agent in order to submit, so what’s stopping you?

Orbit Books

Orbit is a heavyweight fantasy publisher. Based in both the UK and the US, Orbit has brought to our bookshelves some of the best fantasy books of recent times, including the Broken Earth trilogy by N. K. Jemisin, The Witcher series by Andrzej Sapkowski, and Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie (which won scores of awards).

Orbit UK is an imprint of Little, Brown Book Group, and in the US, is the science fiction and fantasy imprint of Hachette Book Group. 

Orbit can be a bit of a closed shop, requiring a literary agent in order to submit. But it’s definitely worth signing up for their mailing list. Not only do they let you know of the latest book deals and freebies, but they could announce open calls for submissions on their page too. Find out more about Orbit here.

Angry Robot Books

Angry Robot Books is an award-winning fantasy publisher. They also specialise in sci-fi books and other tales from the realm of speculative fiction.

In recent years they’ve signed some remarkable authors, including Stephen Aryan and the legendary Juliet E McKenna. 

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Angry Robot and many of their authors for The Fantasy Writers’ Toolshed podcast. One thing that consistently came up was Angry Robot’s contemporary approach. They keep authors informed, work with top editors and are proactive on the marketing front. 

Depending on their current submission calls, you may need a literary agent in order to submit to Angry Robot. 

How Do You Get A Fantasy Book Published?

The first consideration is the word count. If you’re looking to get your fantasy book published it’s important to meet a publisher’s guidelines. 

It’s recognised in the industry that publishers seek shorter works from debut novelists, say between 80,000 and 100,000 words. However, it all depends on the quality of the book and the publisher’s belief in its ability to sell it. It also depends on the publisher and what they specialise in. Epic fantasy is naturally longer, for instance.

From the publisher’s perspective, a reader is less likely to fork out their hard-earned cash on a weighty tome, but they may take a chance on a shorter one. Printing costs are also a factor. Longer books cost more to print. Publishers are all about weighing up risks and rewards.

Another thing to consider is where the publisher is based. UK fantasy publishers may have different guidelines and preferences to those in based in the US, for instance. You could have differences over dictionary usage and whatnot.

Spending some time to research each publisher is also imperative. Before working on your cover letter and submission pack, you’re going to want to check to see if this particular publisher appreciates your kind of story. It might be worthwhile shortlisting suitable publishers for dark fantasy, for example. It all depends on your subgenre. The trick is to take a targeted approach.

Some may specialise in publishing fantasy, whereas others may have another focus, such as being a publisher of science fiction. However, there’s a bit of an overlap between the two genres, so be sure to do your research. Indeed, many of those on this list are science fiction publishers too. 

Another thing to do is to familiarise yourself with the terminology used. Most fantasy novel publishers on the list below are open to submissions from everyone, referred to as unsolicited submissions. A few of the major book publishing companies require you to have a literary agent, with submission process going through the agent. This is known as solicited submissions.

Some fantasy book publishers only accept submissions during certain times of the year, so it’d be worth making a note of those windows. 

How Much Do Publishers Pay For Fantasy Books?

You may have heard of what major book publishing companies offer to writers when they read a book of theirs they like. 6-way bidding wars with astronomical figures. You’ll see this with fantasy publishers like Tor Books, Orbit Books, the Hachette Book Group and MacMillan Publishing.

However, not every fantasy book publisher has such financial weight to throw about to buy that wonderful fantasy book of yours.

Each fantasy publisher offers different payments depending on their stature. Most on the list offer royalties. From what I’ve read on their websites, none ask you to contribute financially toward publication, though you may have to do more self-promotion. I advise against working with a publisher who asks you to front your own cash.

From reading the submission guidelines of all of these publishers, the same rules crop up. The best advice I can give is to stick to them. It can be a pain in the arse having to re-format your manuscript each and every time, but it’s worth it.

What Are Fantasy Publishers Looking For?

Fantasy publishers are always on the hunt for the next big thing. Here are some great tips on what they’re looking for:

• Well-written and fully-formed plots and stories
• Compelling characters that readers want to follow
• Original concepts
• New perspectives and voices – LGBTQIA, mental health, and black and ethnic minority writers
• Stories that warp our perceptions of classic fantasy tropes and cliches – taking tired tropes and turning them into something fresh and original. 

If you’re trying to research the market, the best thing to do would be to look at what’s been published in the last few years. What has struck a chord with readers? Why has it captured so many people’s imaginations? 

It can also help to research the thoughts of publishers, booksellers, editors and literary agents to see their thoughts on where the fantasy genre is heading in the next few years. 

Get More Help Finding Fantasy Publishers

If you’d like more help and support with finding fantasy publishers or staying up to date with the latest calls for submissions, why not join my online writing group? It’s exclusive to those who join my community of writers and it’s a terrific place to share your writing, discuss ideas and build friendships.

Just click the button below to join the gang.

Other Writing Tools 

Thanks for stopping by and browsing this list of publishers of fantasy fiction. I hope you find the one you’re looking for. If you’re looking for more help, you’ll be able to find a few more guides and resources below. 

• A guide to cover letters – a guide on how to write cover letters, with details on letters for short stories and fantasy novels.
• Writing tools – a bunch of useful resources to help you with your writing and publishing goals.
• Join a writing group – our writing is the perfect place to stay up to date on the latest book submission calls.
• Creative writing lectures – a bunch of free creative writing lectures from authors such as Brandon Sanderson.
• Fantasy writing groups – a list of dozens of writing groups, all focused on fantasy.
• List of fantasy magazines and journals – if you write short stories, this list has over 200 places to submit to.
• Book description generator for Amazon and Goodreads – if you’ve listed a book for sale, you can jazz up the description with this tool.
• List of book reviewers – find reviewers for your latest books
• A guide to publishing from the University of Chicago
• How to get into the publishing industry

Thanks for checking out my list of fantasy publishers. I hope you’ve found it useful. Good luck with your submissions!

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richiebilling

Richie Billing writes fantasy fiction, historical fiction and stories of a darker nature. He's had over a dozen short stories published in various magazines and journals, with one adapted for BBC radio. In 2021 his debut novel, Pariah's Lament, an epic fantasy, was published by Of Metal and Magic. Richie also runs The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed, a podcast devoted to helping writers improve their craft.

Most nights you can find him up into the wee hours scribbling away or watching the NBA.

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