9 Best Publishing Companies in Brisbane (Where to Start)

Dive into the dynamic world of Brisbane’s publishing industry and its influence on the cultural heritage of Australia.

Whether you want a traditional contract or a team you can hire to turn your manuscript into a finished book, Brisbane has options. This guide covers both: trade presses that pay you royalties, specialist publishers, and the self-publishing services Queensland authors rely on. For each one you’ll find what it does, how to approach it, and whether you pay. After this guide, your next stop should be my exhaustive compilation of over 2,000 publishing companies.

Related content:

• Publishers in Australia
• Publishers in Melbourne
• Publishers in Sydney
• Publishers in Perth

Submission policies change without notice, so check the publisher’s own page before you send anything, and never pay a reading fee. Last verified: October 2, 2026.

9 Publishing Companies in Brisbane, Queensland (Australia):

1. Brisbane Self Publishing Service

Brisbane Self Publishing Service helps authors publish their own books through its Let’s Get Published framework. You hire its team for professional editing, manuscript appraisal, cover design, and the rest of the production work, and you keep control of the finished self-published book. Every quote is tailored to your project, with editing fees based on word count and the complexity of your writing. The company is a Partner Member of the Alliance of Independent Authors and follows its code of standards, and it is part of Epiphany Editing & Publishing. If you want an honest read of your draft first, start with a manuscript appraisal.

Working on a book of your own? You can publish it yourself with PublishDrive (affiliate link).

2. InHouse Publishing

InHouse Publishing is a family-owned Australian company that Bob and Diane Karlsson started in 1997 as a commercial printing business, and they still run it today. Its team skips fixed packages and builds a personalised publishing plan for each book, with editing, manuscript appraisal, illustrations, ISBN registration, book printing, and a bookstore that sells titles by its own authors. You pay for these services, but the payment terms are reassuring: 50% up front and the final 50% when your printed books are dispatched. InHouse itself warns authors never to pay any company 100% in advance. Publishing services.

3. Global Publishing Group

Global Publishing Group, with its Asia Pacific head office in Banyo on Brisbane’s north side, publishes one kind of book: business books built to grow the author’s company. Led by CEO Andrew Carter, it calls its approach Entrepreneurial Publishing and teaches it at a three-day event, How to Write a Bestseller. If you run a business and want a book that brings in clients, it is a natural fit; for fiction, look at the top publishing companies in Australia. Its site has no open submission page, so start with its contact form.

4. Enlighten Press

Enlighten Press is a family business in Kenmore, Brisbane, that creates books to spark wonder, critical thinking, and self-awareness in children. Its large-format Big Books help educators explore complex ideas with a class through discussion and inquiry, and its titles come with teachers’ notes. The books are written and illustrated within the family, so Enlighten Press is a place to discover children’s learning and literature more than a place to pitch. Its contact page handles orders and questions.

5. Hawkeye Publishing

Hawkeye Publishing is an independent Australian trade publisher looking for books that elevate Australia’s culture, writers, and stories. It offers two paths. On a trade contract, Hawkeye covers every publishing cost and pays you 10% of the recommended retail price; it accepts submissions year-round for trade non-fiction from unagented authors, especially Australian history, true stories, sport, science, and travel, while fiction comes through agents, past Hawkeye authors, and the Hawkeye Manuscript Prize shortlist. On an author-assisted contract, you and Hawkeye share costs 50-50 and split net profit equally, and unsolicited manuscripts are read from January 19 to February 15 and throughout June. Right now it is especially keen on young adult, new adult, romantasy, queer romance, domestic thrillers, and self-help; poetry, short story collections, novellas, and educational works sit outside its list. Email team@hawkeyepublishing.com.au with a one-page synopsis, a one-page marketing plan, and your first three chapters. Shortlisted authors usually hear back within three months.

6. Independent Ink

Independent Ink is now part of Dettori Publishing, and its web address leads to the Dettori team’s Independent Ink page. It is a paid self-publishing service: business-book writing coaching, developmental editing, copy-editing and proofreading, typesetting, cover design, printing, and marketing and promotion. You keep the rights and the future income from your book, and every stage of the work is done in Australia. Publishing services.

7. Australian Academic Press

Australian Academic Press was founded in Brisbane in 1987 by psychologist and publisher Stephen May. It publishes practical, evidence-based books for professionals in psychology, counselling, education, and health, from self-help titles to clinical guides and resources for mental health practitioners. In 2012 it sold most of its journals to Cambridge University Press and now runs a selective book list. Some titles follow the traditional royalty model; others are developed as Professional Publishing Partnerships, where the author or organisation funds the project up front. It suits experienced practitioners and professional bodies more than first-time authors.

8. Boolarong Press

Boolarong Press is a Queensland publisher with two routes for authors. Its submission form accepts manuscripts for commercial trade publishing, where Boolarong takes the financial risk and you earn a 10% royalty on each sale. If you would rather self-publish with its help, you can ask for a quote instead. Either way, Boolarong is one of the few Brisbane presses still reading manuscripts for traditional contracts, so put it on your shortlist. Submission guidelines.

9. PS Editing

PS Editing is a Brisbane freelance editor offering manuscript appraisal, structural editing, copy editing, proofreading, copywriting, blurb writing, and author services for self-publishers. It works with clients anywhere in Australia and overseas and particularly enjoys helping first-time authors, whether you plan to self-publish or want a polished manuscript to send to a publisher. Expect clear mark-ups and suggestions that leave your voice intact. Editing services.

Names you may be looking for

Ocean Reeve Publishing

Ocean Reeve Publishing is an assisted independent publisher based in Queensland. Its old web address is now listed for sale, so look for a current site before you send work.

Final Thoughts

Queensland’s publishing landscape is vibrant and diverse. If you want a traditional deal, start with the presses reading now: Hawkeye Publishing for non-fiction and its seasonal author-assisted windows, and Boolarong Press for trade assessment. If you are a practitioner or business owner, Australian Academic Press and Global Publishing Group publish specialist books. If you would rather keep control and pay for help, Brisbane Self Publishing Service, InHouse, Independent Ink, and PS Editing can take your manuscript all the way to print, as long as you read every quote. Next up, you may want to explore a guide on hybrid publishing companies.