Inpress Books - Publishing

Inpress is an Arts Council Funded organisation, proudly based in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, that works to promote work by independent publishers. Inpress Books supports the creation of ground-breaking, inclusive literature through the business development of our diverse independent publishers, building the careers of their authors by increasing and diversifying their audience through our sales and marketing activities. We connect the innovative writing of tomorrow to readers via bookshops, libraries and online retail.

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Bloodaxe Books - Publishing

Bloodaxe Books has revolutionised poetry publishing in Britain over four decades. Internationally renowned for quality in literature and excellence in book design, our authors and books have won virtually every major literary award given to poetry, from the T.S. Eliot Prize, Costa Book of the Year and Pulitzer to the Nobel Prize in Literature. And books like the Staying Alive anthology series have broken new ground by opening up contemporary poetry to many thousands of new readers.

Grant support from Arts Council England makes it possible for Bloodaxe to publish up to thirty new titles a year by a bold and diverse range of new and established writers from Britain, Ireland, America and many other countries, including poetry in translation and proportionally more collections by women poets than any other British imprint.

Bloodaxe Books was founded in Newcastle by Neil Astley in 1978. It became a non-profit limited company in 1982.

Bloodaxe's main office is now at South Park, Hexham, Northumberland. Distribution is handled by Grantham Book Services (GBS), while UK and European book trade marketing is done by PGUK and Repforce Ireland. Consortium in Minneapolis are responsible for sales in North America and other international markets, with warehousing and distribution via Ingram.

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Vane Women Press - Publishing

In 2023, Vane Women Press celebrates 30 years of publishing. We specialise in first pamphlets (poetry or short stories) of women who live in the North East of England. Since 1993, we have brought out 23 beautiful pamphlets, two full collections and seven anthologies. You can view most of these on our Publications page. To mark this milestone, we are intending to publish an anniversary anthology, featuring a poem or short story from our Vane Women Press writers.

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New Writing North - Development

Regarded as an engine for creative reading and writing, New Writing North is the writing development agency for the North of England. We are based in Newcastle upon Tyne, from where we have produced nationally significant work since 1996. Writing is powerful. It can change the way we explore the world, understand ourselves and connect with one another. Writers craft the stories that shape us. We bring people together through books and writing. We create opportunities for writers and we find and support talented people from all backgrounds to achieve their creative ambitions. We build the narrative power of young people and communities throughout the North. We platform the work of those whose voices are missing from the mainstream conversation.

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Arts Council, England - Support

Welcome to Arts Council England. We are the national development agency for creativity and culture. We're looking for organizations, artists, events and others to apply for our funding and help us achieve our strategy, Let's Create.

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The Northern Fiction Alliance - Publishing

Founded in 2016 by four of the UK's leading independents – Manchester's Comma Press, Leeds's Peepal Tree Press, Liverpool's Dead Ink Books, and Sheffield's And Other Stories – the Northern Fiction Alliance is a radical publishing collective devised to showcase the creativity, diversity and spirit of risk-taking that sets publishers in the North of England apart.

Already the Alliance has more than doubled its membership, welcoming established and emerging indies from across the region to the fold: Fly on the Wall Press (Manchester), Saraband (Salford), Bluemoose (Hebden Bridge), Tilted Axis (Sheffield), Mayfly (Newcastle), Route (Pontefract), Valley Press (Scarborough), Wrecking Ball (Hull), Cultureword (Commonword) (Manchester), Confingo, (Manchester) Dodo Ink, Dostoyevsky Wannabe (Manchester), Flapjack Press (Manchester) Honford Star (Stockport), NightJar Press (Manchester), Route (Pontefract), Stairwell Books (York), zimZalla (Manchester) Bloodaxe Books, Arc Publications, Carcanet, (Manchester) If P then Q (Manchester) and Smokestack Books (Ripon). Together we are reshaping and redefining the UK's literary landscape, commissioning bold new works, and providing alternative platforms for underrepresented authors.

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Summerhill Books - Publishing

Summerhill Books is a North East publishing company specialising in local history. Our aim is to produce high quality books that reflect the unique history of Tyneside, Northumberland and Durham. Titles include photographic histories of local communities, personal memoirs and books reflecting the great industries of the region. 

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Harper North Connection - Support

HarperNorth, newly established in 2020, is here to connect writers to readers, to find, nurture and grow the best voices from across the region and bring the most compelling stories to readers everywhere. Based in Manchester, we're here to search for fiction and non-fiction from memoir to history, crime to rom-com. We want books that take you to places you know, and show you worlds you don't, stories that grip you, surprise you and haunt you. We want to share voices that inform, entertain and enthrall.

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Tyne Bridge - Publishing

Welcome to Tyne Bridge Publishing. We are based at Newcastle Libraries and publish books on the history of Newcastle upon Tyne and the surrounding region. Whatever your interest, from shipbuilding to suburbs or from the bridges on the Tyne to haunted houses, you're sure to find something you'll enjoy.

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The Book Corner - Support

The Book Corner is proud to support Independent Publishers. We want to shout about lesser-known small presses and give our customers the chance to discover incredible titles from around the world. The Book Corner is an independent bookshop situated in the historic Piece Hall in Halifax, West Yorkshire. We stock a wide range of fiction and non-fiction titles including a wide selection of children's books. We are pleased to support local authors and often have signed copies, exclusive editions and pre-order offers available.

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The North Lit Agency - Agent

The North was founded in October 2017 by a group of agents with decades of experience in the book world: not only as agents, but as booksellers and publishers – and even a writer. We're a small agency, but we think our list of best-sellers and award winners shows that we punch above our weight. In a business dominated by large London publishers and agencies, we're proud to be one of very few literary agencies based in the north; though our reach is global, with writers published in more than 30 territories around the world.

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The Scratching Shed - Publishing

Scratching Shed is a Leeds-based independent publishing company founded over a pint in Blackburn back in May 2008. Our primary aim is to produce high-quality books inspired by aspects of northern English culture, though in recent years that brief has widened considerably to include several national and international titles and the monthly rugby league magazine Forty20. The company was founded by its current co-directors Phil Caplan and Tony Hannan, a couple of Yorkshire-based authors, journalists and occasional broadcasters. The company secretary and chief media contact is Ros Caplan. Our chief editorial consultants are Mike Latham and Professor Tony Collins.

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KDP - Publishing

Self-publish eBooks and print books for free with Kindle Direct Publishing, and reach millions of readers on Amazon. Get to market fast. Publishing is simple and your book appears on Amazon Stores around the world within days. Make more money. Earn up to 70% royalty on sales to customers in the US, Canada, UK, Germany, India, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, Brazil, Mexico, Australia and more. Enroll in KDP Select and earn more money through Kindle Unlimited. Stay in control. Keep control of your content and set your own list prices in all territories where you hold publishing rights. Publish in digital and print. Publish eBooks, paperbacks, and hardcover for free on KDP.

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Mecurian Books - Publishing

MECURIAN BOOKS is the imprint and publishing home of Author and Writer Quentin Cope, creating and constructing good books alongside the abundance of great writing talent residing in the North East of England. With several projects in hand, MECURIAN BOOKS will be unable to accept submissions or queries for the calendar Year 2023. We hope to have space available on our list at some stage in the near future and if you are looking for our particular and unique kind of service then we recommend you keep checking this page. Don't forget, we are looking specifically for submissions from future novelists located in the North East and therefore any communications or queries should include your current address.

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Novelo

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BAFTA Rocliffe

About Us : Connecting Industry to Emerging Writing & Filmmaking Talent

About Us

Rocliffe was set up in 2000 by producer Farah Abushwesha to champion emerging writing and directing talent, and develop diverse stories with an international outlook. Rocliffe is a recipient of the 2020 BFI Vision Award, with a vibrant slate of films and TV Series in development, and runs the BAFTA Rocliffe New Writing Competition in partnership with BAFTA.

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Tutorful

Find a trusted expert Writing tutor in Hartlepool. Learn online or in person with experienced, vetted tutors. You're in control, with lessons that fit around your schedule. With Tutorful, you can fit your lessons around your schedule. Learn between 7am and 10pm - even on weekends! Whether you'd prefer to learn online or in person, they offer to find you the perfect tutor. Their First-Lesson Guarantee means that if you didn't love your first lesson, they'll pay for your next one! See their listing of talented tutors to find your perfect match and start progressing towards your learning goals today.

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The Liverpool Literary Agency

The Liverpool Literary Agency started as an editing company with a diverse list of clients comprising accountants, taxi drivers, sport scientists, NHS workers and hospitality sector workers, alongside more experienced writers with qualifications in Creative Writing or other literature-based subjects. These writers all had one thing in common—the publishing industry seemed inaccessible, London-centric and intimidating. So, we knew that it was time to go beyond editing, especially as costs and contacts are the main barriers for many of our writers. We were inspired by the report, Common People: Breaking the Class Ceiling in UK Publishing, which confirmed our belief that many promising authors see their careers stall in the face of limiting barriers, including 'a lack of support networks and contacts, lower levels of self-confidence and the publishing industry's lack of social diversity'. Overall, we're here for under-represented writers from the north, and to support equality, diversity and inclusion in the publishing industry.

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Sinead Henegan Literary Agency

Sinead is a literary agent based in the heart of Manchester. Having built her career in the London publishing industry, she is here with a mission to launch the careers of exciting debut writers across the UK and Ireland. Her literary agency is new and her service is boutique so her promise to each of her authors is simply this: She will be good to you. You'll get her full attention and energy, and work together at every single stage to nurture your talent and your career.

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Write Festival 23

Enjoy a programme of unmissable events, workshops and performances! Find out more by viewing our full WRITE Festival programme

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Victorina Press

Our mission is to publish great books which are also inspirational. To do this we follow principles of bibliodiversity, a concept developed by a group of Chilean independent publishers — Editores independientes de Chile — in the late 1990s and now part of the ethos of many worldwide independent publishers. Diversity is beautiful. Many of our books have won or been shortlisted for awards, and we were the proud winners of the 2022 Saboteur Award for Most Innovative Publisher.

The Foundations

Victorina Press was founded by the late Consuelo Rivera-Fuentes, a Chilean-British writer and academic. Victorina Press is therefore strongly rooted in both Chilean and British cultures.

Consuelo's Latin American roots play a huge role in our publishing today, with many of our books being translated into Spanish as stand-alone or bilingual publications. This has also opened the door for us to explore publishing in other languages as well, which is not traditionally the role of a single publisher.

The company was originally based in Market Drayton, a small market town in Shropshire. The location was very important, as there are many publishing companies in London, but far fewer in the rest of the UK. In 2019 Consuelo moved house and so the company moved too. We are now based in Kingstone, Uttoxeter.

The name Victorina Press was chosen in honour of Consuelo's mother who passed on her love for reading and literature to all her children. To find out more about the roots of Victorina Press, check out our blog post In the Beginning…

Victorina Press is an independent publisher. Our books are listed on Nielsen, and through them are available from most major commercial online bookshops – for example, Amazon, Waterstones, Foyles, and other independent bookshops. Our books can also be ordered through Gardners.

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AgentQuery.com

AgentQuery.com offers one of the largest searchable database of literary agents on the web—a treasure trove of reputable, established literary agents seeking writers just like you. And it's free (not because there's a catch, but simply because not enough things in this world are free).

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Association of Authors Agents

Members of AAA are dedicated to promoting authors' works across domestic and global markets. Every member agency also strives to defend and champion authors' writers in the UK, abroad, and online.

For further details please visit the association's website directly and click through to the Members Directory where you will find over 100 Agent contacts with most providing email and web addresses.

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Arts Centre Washington Writers Group

Are you an adult interested in Creative Writing in the North East Washington area? Would you like to meet other writers to read, discuss, and critique one another's work? Join our Washington Writers Group facilitated by writer and poet Steve Urwin.

National Centre for the Written Word - South Shields

The Word, National Centre for the Written Word is South Tyneside's state-of-the-art cultural venue which has a lot to offer! The building is brimming with exciting new experiences, activities and facilities for people of all ages to engage and enjoy. From the Digital Media Wall, to the FabLab - there is also an impressive, immersive storytelling experience in StoryWorld which hosts regular events over school holidays as well as interactive touch-tables, telescopes, Kids' Activity Area, Creative Play Area and a Gaming Zone. There is also a Shop/Visitor Information Centre and a Café. The building is home to 70,000 books as well as OpenZone, who provide digital learning and ICT to schools during term time. At its core The Word celebrates the written word in all its forms through a rolling programme of events, exhibitions and workshops and it also aims to become a home for north-east writers.

Inpress Books - Publishing

Inpress is an Arts Council Funded organisation, proudly based in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, that works to promote work by independent publishers. Inpress Books supports the creation of ground-breaking, inclusive literature through the business development of our diverse independent publishers, building the careers of their authors by increasing and diversifying their audience through our sales and marketing activities. We connect the innovative writing of tomorrow to readers via bookshops, libraries and online retail.

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NFFD 2024 Anthology

We are delighted to welcome Sara Hills to the National Flash Fiction Day team as this year's guest editor for the 2024 National Flash Fiction Day anthology. She'll be joining NFFD's Anthology Editor Karen Jones in putting together this year's anthology of flash fiction from around the world. You can read more about this year's editors here.

The theme for this year's anthology is THE CLASSICAL ELEMENTS – AIR, EARTH, WATER AND FIRE. You can use any combination of the elements, just one or all four, which should give you plenty of space to play around with ideas. Will you take us flying in the air, bring us down to earth, set us alight with your words or plunge us into the watery depths? We can't wait to find out.

Feel free to interpret the theme however you wish, in 500 words or fewer. Selected flashes will be published in National Flash Fiction Day's 13th Annual Anthology. Payment is one contributor's copy of the anthology. Two pieces will be chosen for an Editor's Choice Award which comes with a £50 prize.

The submission window is 1 December 2023 to 15 February 2024. Please see our submission guidelines and submit work via Duosuma, our submission manager.

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Poetry School

You've just completed a Poetry School course and have written and edited a few new poems, so what now? Here are some places to publish and submit your poetry.

Submitting your poems to a magazine, journal, or press is the first step to sharing your work with an audience and building up a readership, which is crucial if you're looking to publish your work in a pamphlet or collection later down the line. To help you in this process, we have compiled a list of places to submit your wonderful poems for the rest of 2023 and 2024!

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Meet The Local Author

The panel event will allow writers the opportunity to introduce themselves and their books to an audience and sell copies of their book (commission free). There will also be time for questions from the audience. The event will be promoted in the festival brochure, on the festival website and social media. Writers will be able to claim travel expenses.

Writers can work in any genre but the books must be for an adult audience. Books can be self-published or traditionally published. Writers must live in Stockton-on-Tees, Middlesbrough, Darlington, Hartlepool or Redcar & Cleveland. Up to six writers will be selected for the event.

Crossing the Tees Book Festival is curated by the library authorities of Stockton-on-Tees, Middlesbrough, Darlington, Hartlepool and Redcar & Cleveland and supported by Arts Council England. The panel event will take place in a library in one of the five authorities.

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A Writing Chance

A Writing Chance is all about giving writers from under-represented backgrounds a voice. A Writing Chance is open to new and aspiring writers from working-class and lower-income backgrounds, and those who face intersecting challenges. You must be aged over 18 and based in the UK. Sound like you? We'd love to hear from you Successful applicants will receive a package of personalised support, consisting of: One-to-one mentoring over 12 months with an experienced writer or editor from one of our partner organisations, the Daily Mirror, Faber & Faber or Substack Participation in a writers' network A residential writing retreat Industry insight events A bursary of £2000.

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Apply on this link by 10am, 8 January 2024 https://newwritingnorth.com/a-writing-chance/

The Margery Allingham Short Mystery Competition

Every year since 2014, the CWA and the Margery Allingham Society have jointly held an international competition for a short story of up to 3,500 words.

Our mission is to find the best unpublished short mystery, and not only that, but one which fits into Golden Age crime writer Margery Allingham's definition of what makes a great mystery story.

Entries are invited from all writers, published or unpublished, writing in English. Deadline for 2024 entries is 29th February 2024.

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