Submissions

Verdant Publishing is a small, independent press built around one idea: books that come out of a real relationship with the natural world. We publish nonfiction, poetry, and short story collections, and every manuscript we take on has to be genuinely rooted in nature or ecology, not just touch on it in passing.

We're a cooperative publisher and a member of the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), and we follow their Hybrid Publisher Criteria. That means authors invest in their book alongside us, and in return get a professional production process, full creative rights, and a home within a press built specifically for this kind of work. It's not self-publishing, and it's not the traditional model either. It's something in between.

We read every submission carefully, but we can't take on every manuscript that comes our way. Below is exactly how the process works, so you know what to expect before you submit.

What We Publish

Every submission must have a real connection to nature or ecology. This isn't a mood or a backdrop — it should be central to what the book is doing.

Nonfiction

  • How-to and instructional (beekeeping, foraging, nature journaling, land stewardship, homesteading, and the like)

  • Self-development and personal growth, where nature or a creative practice is the vehicle

  • Creativity and the creative process

  • Nature writing and natural history

  • Kinship with the Wild — books about close relationships with the non-human world: animals, gardens, land, or place

Poetry

  • All styles and forms welcome — formal, free verse, experimental, illustrated. Form is open; subject matter still has to meet the nature/ecology bar above.

Short Story & Essay Collections

  • Fiction or nonfiction

What we don't publish: novels or other long-form fiction, children's books, memoir, artist portfolio books, comics, graphic novels, cookbooks, academic or scholarly work, multi-author anthologies (these run through a separate process), business books or general self-help unrelated to nature or creative practice, previously published or self-published work, and translations.

How Submissions Work

We run two tracks, depending on the length and format of your manuscript.

Short-Form Track — open year-round For poetry collections and short story/essay collections under roughly 60 pages. Submit any time; there's no window to wait for.

Full-Length Track — two windows a year For manuscripts over roughly 60 pages, and for anything illustrated or photo-heavy. We open submissions twice a year:

  • Fall 2027 cohort: submissions open January 5 – February 15, 2027 → publishing October 2027

  • Spring 2028 cohort: submissions open June 1 – July 15, 2027 → publishing March 2028

We only review manuscripts during an open window for this track. If you submit outside a window, we'll let you know when the next one opens.

Both tracks accept a limited number of manuscripts per cycle, based on our production capacity. A closed window or a filled cohort isn't a reflection of your manuscript — it's simply what we can take on and do well at any given time.

Review Process

Every submission is read by our Review Committee before it reaches us for a final decision. This keeps the process consistent and fair, regardless of who's submitting.

We aim to respond within 45 days of a Short-Form Track submission, and within 45 days of a Full-Length Track cohort's window closing.

A note on manuscript readiness: we provide a proofreading pass as part of every package, and professional copyediting is available as a paid add-on. Developmental or substantive editing isn't something we offer — please submit a manuscript you consider complete and carefully revised. We evaluate submissions as they arrive; manuscripts needing significant structural or content work won't move forward in the process.

What's Included

Every accepted manuscript receives:

  • Procurement and assignment of an ISBN under the Verdant Publishing imprint

  • Formatted EAN/ISBN barcode with retail price embedded

  • Inclusion in Books in Print via Bowker

  • Library of Congress registration for titles 60+ pages, including sending a final copy to the Library of Congress on your behalf

  • A proofreading pass, checking for typos, formatting, and obvious errors

  • Professional interior layout and typesetting, following IBPA and Chicago Manual of Style standards

  • Professional cover design (premium/fully custom design available as an add-on)

  • Perfect-bound print-on-demand paperback (ebook conversion available)

  • Text on spine for titles 60+ pages

  • Distribution setup through Amazon and IngramSpark

  • A physical author’s proof for your review before anything is finalized

  • Digital review/galley copies available on request

  • 3 complimentary author copies, with the option to purchase additional copies at a 50% discount

  • A dedicated page for your book on the Verdant Publishing website

  • Royalties on all sales: 40% net, reported and paid annually

Not included in the base package: developmental editing, manuscript coaching, ghostwriting, or custom interior illustration (author-supplied art or photography is required for illustrated works). Professional copyediting is available as a paid add-on — see below.

Investment

Pricing is based on length and complexity, not genre.

  • Poetry chapbook, short collection = $800

  • Full poetry collection, story/essay collection, shorter nonfiction = $1,395

  • How-to, self-development, longer nonfiction = $1,795

Short tier titles are produced in a fixed format — 5"x8" trim, a standard interior layout, and a standard cover treatment. This is what keeps the Short tier affordable, and it's not something we can customize per book. If you're hoping for a different trim size or a fully custom layout, the Standard tier may be a better fit.

Illustrated or photo-heavy manuscripts carry an additional $400 for expanded design work and color printing.

A $15 submission fee applies to all submissions, covering the cost of review.

Looking for more info? Please check out our FAQ’s

Upgrades & Add-Ons

  • Professional copyediting — arranged through a contracted freelance copyeditor — [pricing by manuscript length, quoted at acceptance]

  • Premium/custom cover design — [quoted after a design consult]

  • eBook Conversion and distribution - $150 - $350 depending on length and complexity

  • Launch Event -

  • Promotional postcards (set of 50) — $75

  • Bookmarks (set of 100) — $50

  • Poster print of your cover art — 16” x 20” = $35 each - 20” x 30” = $45 each

  • Additional author copies — available at a 50% author discount

Ready to Submit?

Step 1: Purchase the $15.00 Manuscript Submission Fee from our shop

Step 2: Fill out the submission form

Short-Form Track: open year-round Full-Length Track: opens during the windows listed above

What to include:

  • Complete manuscript, formatted and publication-ready

  • Cover letter: proposed title, your name as you'd like it to appear, a brief synopsis (100–150 words), and a short note on why you're drawn to Verdant Publishing

  • Author bio (100–150 words, third person)

  • For illustrated works: sample of author-supplied art or photography

Questions about whether your project is a fit? reach out to info@verdantpublishing.com and we're glad to help you figure it out before you submit.