Trustworthy Small Publishers?

[Cathedral Goth]

Finding absolutewrite has saved me a lot of dissapointment and a lot of work. Just when I think I've located a publisher that seems right for my work, I frequently (but not always) find here some serious caveats from the experienced and bruised. I feel like I'm running out of legitimate options. I had an agent who submitted to three publishers I would have never chosen and when they passed, my agent gave up on me (thankfully). The agency has been good for others, but turned out not to be good for me. Oh, well....

I write folklore-inspired horror--(though the novel I'm trying to sell could easily be labeled 'dark fantasy'). I consider it a novel-length Halloween story (borrowing heavily from Celtic folklore). The setting is contemporary.

I'd like to know what publishers some of you have found to be legit (and no, I won't say that anyone here 'sent me' if I choose to query any of the recommendations). Any recommendations?

[Jamesaritchie]

Finding absolutewrite has saved me a lot of dissapointment and a lot of work. Just when I think I've located a publisher that seems right for my work, I frequently (but not always) find here some serious caveats from the experienced and bruised. I feel like I'm running out of legitimate options. I had an agent who submitted to three publishers I would have never chosen and when they passed, my agent gave up on me (thankfully). The agency has been good for others, but turned out not to be good for me. Oh, well....

I write folklore-inspired horror--(though the novel I'm trying to sell could easily be labeled 'dark fantasy'). I consider it a novel-length Halloween story (borrowing heavily from Celtic folklore). The setting is contemporary.

I'd like to know what publishers some of you have found to be legit (and no, I won't say that anyone here 'sent me' if I choose to query any of the recommendations). Any recommendations?



An agent who gives up after three attempts is a lousy agent. Most publishers are legitimate, even the small ones. The way to check is to look at the books they've published, and where those books are available.

[emeraldcite]

Take your favorite horror writers off the shelf and see who published them.

Then, look them up on the web and see who published their other books.

[Gillhoughly]

:points up at the previous post:

What the Mod said there.

And ...

http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/peba.htm

[emeraldcite]

http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/peba.htm

Good site, that.

You can also check out publishers at duotrope.com and Submitting to the Black Hole (http://www.critters.org/blackholes/).

Those sites will drum up some decent names.

Don't forget to check our own Bewares and Background Checks (http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=22) board if you come across something that's shady or if you're not sure.

Don't be afraid to ask if something isn't listed in their index. They'll get the skinny for you.

[brainstorm77]

Alot of great information can be found on this board especially about less than great publishers who run scams... I like to call them the 'nasties'. Reading over that section I have learnt alot. :)

[kristin724]

Hey CG. Where abouts are you in Pa? There are a few groups like Mid Atlantic horro and the HWA PA NJ that offer advice as well.

[brainstorm77]

If you have doubts about anyone check out the Beware thread....

[Jackie Coupe]

Take your favorite horror writers off the shelf and see who published them.

Then, look them up on the web and see who published their other books.

what a quality idea, so say for King, you'd see a lot of new England Library, the earlier books like Carrie you suggest looking into maybe because it was one of his stepping stones., they are ground level rungs?

[emeraldcite]

what a quality idea, so say for King, you'd see a lot of new England Library, the earlier books like Carrie you suggest looking into maybe because it was one of his stepping stones., they are ground level rungs?


If you are looking for trustworthy small presses, I wouldn't suggest jotting down writers like King and Koontz quite yet. Most of their work has been through large publishing conglomerates.

Go to your library and scour the shelves for horror and see who's printing and getting the work on the shelves.

Writers that come to mind who come up through some smaller presses like Leisure (and occasionally other small, specialty presses) are Jack Ketchum, Brian Keene, Richard Laymon, Sarah Pinborough, Graham Masterton, Tom Piccirilli, Ramsey Campbell, Tim Lebbon, etc.

There's more to horror than King and Koontz, quite a few of them very entertaining. Go to their websites, if they have one, and go through their bibliographies. You'll be able to track some of the presses down from there.

Then, when you find some that you haven't heard of, stop by here and ask. Basically, if it can get things on a shelf in a bookstore, it's a good place to submit.


ETA: I'm sure with a little research that you could uncover some smaller press materials by say King. He does some work with Cemetary Dance. Options are out there for horror. There aren't a ton of options, but it's not a dead genre (pardon the pun) either.