Publishers for Early American History Books (Independent Trade Presses)
Below, you’ll find some helpful information and a list of trade publishers of early American history books.
Scroll down for a list and links.
This list of publishers for early American history books is for . . .
anyone interested in nonfiction publishing—especially a historian / author of an early American history book dealing with colonial America or the Revolutionary War.
and if you’re not looking to self-publish, don’t plan to publish with a university press, and don’t plan to find an agent in hopes of landing a “Big Five” publishing deal.
Whether you’re writing for a general audience or an academic audience, and whatever your book’s sub-specialty—such as cultural history, military history, historiography, genealogy, Native American history, or none of the above—this is for you.
You’ve been writing a book. You’re ready to start shopping it to agents and/or publishers. It’s about time, right? What’s the hold-up?
You need to write a nonfiction book proposal. A great one.
And you don’t have the time or the expertise to do this all on your own.
Learn more:
Writing a Nonfiction Book Proposal: Hiring a Book Proposal Coach vs. Hiring a Book Proposal Editor
Book coaching and editing services for authors.
What is a trade publisher?
A trade publisher is a publishing company that acquires, edits, designs, publishes, and sells books to consumers. It pays royalties, a portion of profits, to authors.
The “Big Five” book publishers—Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, Macmillan, and HarperCollins—owned by media conglomerates—account for 80 percent of trade book sales. These publishers often offer “advances” to authors. Their books are usually sold online and found in brick and mortar bookstores and libraries. Each publisher has “imprints”—brands within a brand, if you will.
Typically, to get a “Big Five” book deal, you need name recognition and a platform, an agent, and a book idea or manuscript with broad appeal.
Independent trade publishers are not owned by the major publishing companies. They release fewer titles, have smaller print runs, and have fewer resources. They strategically produce and sell books, reaching authors and readers with certain interests in mind.
If a publisher is actively acquiring titles in eighteenth-century American history, it’s not a “Big Five” trade publisher, and it’s not a university press, I’ve tried to include it on the list below.
Here are some non-“Big Five” trade Publishers for early American history books:
ABC-CLIO: They specialize in the library market and reference books.
ABC-CLIO/Greenwood / submissions
Praeger / submissions
Arcadia Publishing and The History Press: They publish short and beautifully designed local history books and guidebooks. They require 25+ quality images.
The History Press / submissions
Bloomsbury: This British-based publisher’s books “range from undergraduate texts and general interest titles, to academic research and reference works.”
Osprey Publishing / submissions (Osprey books are heavily-illustrated military history books, some of them on eighteenth-century battles, campaigns, regiments, or forts.)
Casemate Publishers: They specialize in all eras of military history.
Heritage Books / submissions: They specialize in printed primary sources and genealogical resources.
McFarland & Company / submissions: Books must be 75,000 words or more. Many of their history titles are biographies.
Rowman & Littlefield: They publish academic and non-academic books written for a broad audience. R&L and its imprints are highly selective and highly regarded.
For a list of other imprints, scroll down to the bottom of Rowman’s website.
Westholme Publishing / submissions: Their impressive catalog of early American history books continues to expand.
Journal of the American Revolution Books series and Small Battles series
Here are some questions to ask yourself when determining what publisher is right for you:
Who published the books you’ve read or enjoyed that are similar to your manuscript?
After viewing the publisher’s website and catalogue, do you see books that are similar to your manuscript?
Do they have a niche, a series, or a strong reputation in your subfield or subspecialty?
Realistically, what do you have to offer them? Is your audience, expectations, format, and background a match for what they’re looking for?
What have other authors in your field said?
How long are you willing to wait?
Check out my monthly blog post round-ups of newly-published books in Revolutionary War history. I include the book titles, covers, and publishers. If you follow along you can see what’s new and you can start to see all sorts of patterns!
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I want to hear from you.
As a reader or an author, what experiences have you had with these presses?
Thanks for reading,