24 Australian publishers accepting unsolicited manuscripts in January 2025
Are you an Australian who’s just written a novel? Then this list of Australian publishers accepting manuscripts this month is the list for you! I’ve done my best to weed out any vanity presses or publishers without any novels published from the past year.
Don’t forget to check out my developmental editing services if you want to make sure your novel is in top shape before you sent it to a publisher for consideration. I offer a variety of services to suit all budgets, from writers looking for the standard developmental editing experience to those seeking high-level feedback and a quick turnaround time.
Pan Macmillan Australia
Pan Macmillan Australia is committed to investing in Australian authors and publishes a variety of bestselling books.
Genre: Fiction.
Word count: Not stated.UWA Publishing
UWA Publishing is a division of The University of Western Australia that shares stories, research, and education with the world.
Genre: Scholarly works, nonfiction, adult fiction, and children's books. Please note they do not accept genre fiction and only accept adult fiction in July and YA/children's books in August.
Word count: Not stated.Text Publishing
Text Publishing is an independent Melbourne-based publisher of fiction and nonfiction. They accept submissions from citizens or residents of Australia and New Zealand.
Genre: General fiction and nonfiction.
Word count: 40,000-120,000 words.Backroom Press
Backroom Press is an Australian publisher who publishes books with themes about the Kimberley, Western Australia by authors who have lived in the region.
Genre: Fiction and nonfiction.
Word count: Not stated.MidnightSun Publishing
MidnightSun Publishing grew from a disenchantment with the established publishing houses in Australia. They want their readers to be entertained and accept manuscript submissions in the first week of every month.
Genre: Fiction and nonfiction. They are not accepting poetry, horror, romance or memoirs at this time.
Word count: Not stated.UNSW Press Limited
UNSW Press Limited is a not-for-profit Australian company that started operating in 1962. Its mission is to contribute to intellectual and cultural development.
Genre: General, scholarly, and literary nonfiction.
Word count: Not stated.Wakefield Press
Wakefield Press is a leading independent publishing company based in Adelaide.
Genre: Fiction and nonfiction.
Word count: Not stated.Affirm Press
Affirm Press is an independent Melbourne-based publisher dedicated to publishing Australian stories and ideas.
Genre: All genres of fiction.
Word count: Not stated.Ventura Press
Ventura Press is a Sydney-based independent publisher established in 2002.
Genre: Fiction.
Word count: 40,000-120,000 words.JOAN Press
JOAN Press is a new imprint from Allen & Unwin that publishes work pushing boundaries, challenging norms, and creating space for marginalized voices. JOAN seeks stories that find joy in resistance and humor in adversity.
Genre: General adult fiction and nonfiction.
Word count: Not stated.Melbourne University Press
Melbourne University Press was established in 1922 and is Australia's first university press.
Genre: Nonfiction.
Word count: Not stated.Allen & Unwin
Allen & Unwin are an Australian-owned and operated publisher. They were named 2023 Publisher of the Year and have won the title twelve times since 2000! They accept submissions every Friday during their The Friday Pitch sessions.
Genre: Fiction. They are not currently interested in adult high fantasy, science fiction, or short stories.
Word count: Full length works.Downingfield Press
Asabi Publishing is an innovative publishing company who takes pride in establishing honest and sincere relationships with their authors.
Genre: Nonfiction and poetry.
Word count: Not stated.ANU Press
ANU Press is the largest open-access university press in the world. They are part of the Australian National University.
Genre: Nonfiction.
Word count: Not stated.Big Sky Publishing
Big Sky Publishing is an independent Australian publisher that loves to bring great Australian stories to readers everywhere.
Genre: Nonfiction including history, military history, and true crime.
Word count: Not stated.UQP
UQP is the wholly owned subsidiary of The University of Queensland. They produce culturally significant works across genres such as fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.
Genre: Nonfiction, literary fiction, children's and YA books, and poetry.
Word count: Not stated.Brain Jar Press
Brain Jar Press is a Brisbane-based publisher specialising in shorter works of fantasy and science fiction. Please note some of their submission calls are limited to Australian and New Zealand writers.
Genre: Fantasy, science fiction, horror, crime and thriller fiction.
Word count: 4,000-60,000 words (chapbooks, novellas and short stories)Black Inc.
Black Inc. loves ideas and stories. They are passionate about publishing works about history, politics, biography, criticism, and current affairs. They only accept proposals from Australian writers.
Genre: General, literary, and commercial nonfiction.
Word count: Not stated.HQ
HQ, a boutique division under HarperCollins, publishes a broad range of fiction.
Genre: Adult fiction.
Word count: At least 70,000 words.Hot Tree Publishing
Hot Tree Publishing, founded in 2025, focuses on a wide range of romance subgenres.
Genre: M/F, M/M, and F/F romance across various subgenres.
Word count: 50,000 words and above. Serials of 30,000-50,000 words are considered if completedWild Dingo Press
Wild Dingo Press publishes books that explore social, cultural, political, and environmentally significant issues.
Genre: Fiction and nonfiction.
Word count: Not stated.New Dawn Publishing
New Dawn Publishing is an independent publisher of speculative fiction based in Perth, Western Australia.
Genre: Speculative fiction.
Word count: Not stated.The Federation Press
The Federation Press is an independent Australian publishing company that publishes a mix of titles for students and legal practitioners.
Genre: Legal, social science, and academic books.
Word count: Not stated.Monash University Publishing
Monash University Publishing has been in operation for over 10 years and has built a reputation as a trusted source of information.
Genre: Books with a focus on sustainability, the environment, science, Indigenous affairs, politics, sociology, popular culture, economics, literature, history, and biography.
Word count: Not stated.
Best of luck with your manuscript submissions! If you want to ensure your manuscript is in the best position to be accepted, check out my developmental editing services, pre-querying package or my free writing advice.